# baluster spacing history



## darcar (Mar 4, 2011)

Does anyone know year by year, when spacing for balusters went from 12" to 8" to 6" to 4" ?...

Charts? Reference?


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## Coug Dad (Mar 4, 2011)

1982 UBC 6 inches

88 UBC 6 inches

1991 UBC 4 inches

UBC changed in 1991


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## Coug Dad (Mar 4, 2011)

87 BOCA 6 inches

90 BOCA 4 inches


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## pwood (Mar 4, 2011)

Coug Dad said:
			
		

> 1982 UBC 6 inches88 UBC 6 inches
> 
> 1991 UBC 4 inches
> 
> UBC changed in 1991


 6" in 82, 4" in 91


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## High Desert (Mar 4, 2011)

UBC prior to 82 was 9 inches, I believe.


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## pwood (Mar 4, 2011)

High Desert said:
			
		

> UBC prior to 82 was 9 inches, I believe.


1961 edition is 9"! oldest i have in the office.


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## mtlogcabin (Mar 4, 2011)

CABO 6 inches 1992 went to 4 inches in 1995 edition


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## Pcinspector1 (Mar 4, 2011)

"27 BC" Roman Empire 1st addition code book has the spacing as the width of the balusters base, that's the oldset i have in the office. The second addition has a fire sprinkler provision!

pc1


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## Coug Dad (Mar 4, 2011)

Code of Hammurabi – 500 BC – oldest I have in the office.  Shall prevent the passage of a 2 cubit goat’s head.


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## DRP (Mar 4, 2011)

...and if thine goat doth offend thee rail, thou shalt have goat-b-que tonight  

NC Residential Uniform Building Code,

Revised 12-13-83

Every porch, terrace,or entrance platform 36" or more above adjacent finish grade shall be equipped with railings or guards not less than 30" high.

'92 NC (CABO)

6" sphere


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## peach (Mar 5, 2011)

how big is 2 cubit goat's head?  Probably bigger than a 21st century child's head.. (which is the basis for 4" .. according to all the code testimony I've heard since 1987).


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## Paul Sweet (Mar 6, 2011)

A cubit is the distance from the elbow to fingertip, about 18".  I'd hate to be chased by a goat whose head was 2 cubits wide!

As far as I know CABO was 9" until the mid 1980s, then went to 6".  I'll try to check BOCA when I get to the office tomorrow.

EDIT - The 1975 BOCA says horizontal rails not over 10" apart or balusters not over 6" apart.  In 1978 BOCA changed it to 6" for both.  The 6" sphere was first mentioned in the 1984 BOCA, and was reduced to 4" in the 1990 BOCA.  I guess that either CABO or Virginia amendments allowed the 9" or 10" spacing for horizontal rails to continue for a while longer.


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## TJacobs (Mar 7, 2011)

1986 & 1989 cabo = 6". 1975 boca = 6"


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## tbz (Mar 7, 2011)

DARCAR,

I guess I will be the stupid one and ask why you are asking?

The 4" sphere was changed late 80's early 90's, after BOCA adopted in the 90 addition, I can't remember when southern made the change, but CABO was last I believe.

Also, many AHJ never followed the model codes till mid 90's on the 4" sphere,

MASS. had 5" sphere on the books till just recently and a good portion of the southern AHJ had 7" spacings for a good while that I know of till early 90's.

NYC, had a cross section of requirements, 5" till about 3 years ago also.

But I know of no cross reference chart like you are looking for, but would love to see your results.

But again, why you looking?


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## righter101 (Mar 7, 2011)

What if the goat is actually a 2 headed goat, over 2 cubits in width, but individually, they are each less??

And do you measure from top of fur, or from outermost horn projections??


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## steveray (Mar 7, 2011)

Is that an english or metric cubit?


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## Pcinspector1 (Mar 7, 2011)

Coug,

Which cubit does your code use? The lower forearm to the tip of the finger or the elbow to the base of the hand, it makes a difference you know!

Steveray, 1 cubit = 45.72 centimeters

pc1


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## Coug Dad (Mar 7, 2011)

Pc

The Phoenician one.  This is also the one use to calculate the flight speed of swallows.


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## fatboy (Mar 7, 2011)

WOW, how we can wander.........:roll:

Cubit, schmubit.........I am curious though, have some older UBC's at the office, back to the 60's...........will check tomorrow.


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## pwood (Mar 7, 2011)

pwood said:
			
		

> 1961 edition is 9"! oldest i have in the office.





			
				pwood said:
			
		

> 6" in 82, 4" in 91





			
				fatboy said:
			
		

> WOW, how we can wander.........:roll:Cubit, schmubit.........I am curious though, have some older UBC's at the office, back to the 60's...........will check tomorrow.


fatboy,

  you probably were distracted by all these people with their goat fetishes and their cubits (sic)! :mrgreen:


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## Architect1281 (Mar 7, 2011)

You would think with all the talk about Childhood Obesity

History could reverse itself


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## DRP (Mar 7, 2011)

Cubit, from Glover's Pocket Ref

Biblical- 21.8"

Egyptian 2650 BC- 20.6"

Babylonian 1500 BC- 20.9" ...x2= 41.8" Ur, when goats were goats!

Assyrian 700 BC- 21.6"

Jerusalem 1 AD- 20.6"

Druid England 1 AD- 20.4"

Black, Arabia 800 AD- 21.3"

Mexico, Aztec- 20.7"

Ancient China- 20.9"

Ancient Greece- 18.2"

England- 18"

Northern 3000BC-1800AD-26.6"

There was a cubit stick on display at the Tut exhibit a few years ago. Funny how you can hear things 4000 years through time "Damn, dropped my tape behind the wall!"

If you fell off the stairs in Hammurabi's time, it probably wasn't something you'd tell anyone about.


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