Sherman Oaks, Los Angeles. Sherman Oaks is a neighborhood in the San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles, California, founded in 1927 with boundary changes afterward. The neighborhood includes a portion of the Santa Monica Mountains, which gives Sherman Oaks a lower population density than some other areas in Los Angeles.
Building codes and research findings do not completely agree over how to place handrails so they might serve the above functions. Research done by Maki and Fernie (1988) indicates a handrail height of 36 to 40 inches is most effective in preventing falls when descending stairs.
Handrails must be at a height that the average person can grab readily as they go up or down steps. Some jurisdictions require railings to be 31 inches to 36 inches above the nosings of the steps. In other jurisdictions, they have to be 34 inches to 38 inches above nosings.