What to Expect
This blog post will be both a review of the CHR Fence and Rail I ordered and also a review of installing it. To note the handrail can be installed in either wood or concrete, but I will be reviewing it only through the lens of installing it into concrete.
Opening the Box
Although I did not take photos of the unboxing experience it was rather pleasant as everything was neatly packed and secured. I would have liked to see less plastic as there was a lot of it but otherwise, the way it was packaged was great. The product mostly comes with everything a person needs in order to install the handrail successfully.
What was Good
The handrail had very detailed install instructions and included helpful tips to meet government regulations such as keeping the post an inch and a half away from the edge of the concrete. The build also felt nice and there were no imperfections in the paint of the handrail. Overall the handrail is really nice and most everything is well thought out.
The not-so-good
Going forward I would not say these are negatives but more annoyances or personal issues I take with the product. First, the handrail showed a rounded oval design in the Amazon listing in some photos and a square design in others. The oval design is old and the new design is square from the pamphlet I received with my order. I much prefer the oval design as it would be nicer on the hands but the square design works much the same.
The second issue I had with the handrail is the marking/depth gauge pencil which is a neat idea but the pencil barely left a mark behind on the concrete and the size of the pencil makes it nearly impossible to get an accurate read on how far down I had drilled.
The third annoyance was that there was no provided template so I had to position the handrail in place and mark with the pencil where the holes should be drilled. The method provided was clunky and led me to mark incorrectly which led to unnecessary holes being drilled.
The not-so-Pretty
To jump right in, the plastic caps and bottom covers are cheap feeling and bring down the overall look of it. With the handrail being more expensive than others on Amazon I had hoped there would be no plastic. Also, with the price I had hoped it was made in America but only the company is American the handrail is built in China. I will say that being made in China the quality control is very good which reassures me.
It is important to note that when hammering the threaded bolt anchors into the ground it is not enough to use the two nuts together as the threads will still get damaged. Either use a rubber mallet or a piece of wood to soften the blow of the hammer to avoid damaging the threads.
Following the manufacturer’s instructions on hammering the anchors in place made removing the nuts very difficult thus adding it to the not-so-pretty section.
Lastly, the self-tap screws with the hex head are horribly designed as can be seen in the video below. I had to change out the included bit with a star head to keep the bit from slipping out of the screw.
The Conclusion
If I had used a hammer drill like the instructions stated the whole process would have only taken about an hour. For me, it took about four hours in total but most of that time was spent drilling as I did not have a hammer drill. The handrail is a necessity for my wife’s grandmother and I am glad to report the handrail is super sturdy despite me not tapping the anchors to the correct depth.
I do recommend the handrail despite my few annoyances and if a person takes into account my problems and adjusts their installation then fewer hiccups will arise. I will say this project is not a favorite as there are many little imperfections (like the bolts not setting at the right depth) but it was a needed project and one that functionally works great.
Here is a link to the handrail if you would like to install one at your home: