Some Helpful Stair Terms

In the stair and rail world, there are some common terms that we identify stairs by. You may think a stair is a stair or a railing is a railing, but there are specific terms for each of these parts. I will update with some more terms later, but to get started, here are a few basics.

BALUSTER - a vertical member which helps support the handrail. Usually referred to in colloquial terms as a "picket", "spindle", or plainly "railings". This is the most visible part of a railing system.

HANDRAIL - the horizontal or "rake" member of a balustrade (read, railing) system. It sits on top of the balusters and is supported by newel posts. It basically is the part of the railing system that you hold on to when climbing a set of stairs. In some Open Stair or Curve Stair ReCrafting jobs, homeowners are fine with their handrail and want us to save it, which we can do.

NEWEL POST - the major support for a balustrade (railing) system. Newels are larger than balusters and are located at the bottom and top of a stairway or at a turn in the handrail. In some cases, for a balcony rail, there are intermediate newels, depending on the length of the handrail. Newels can come in all shapes and forms, from a sturdy Box Newel to a delicate Pintop Model. If you replace your rails, you can choose from a variety of newel systems to enhance the look of your home.

TREAD - the horizontal component of a step upon which one walks. Prefinished, solid, hardwood oak treads are the hallmark product of Signature WoodCrafters Stair ReCrafting process. Unfinished treads can be bought at a Home Depot or Lowes, but the nosing for the tread does not come included and you will have to buy additional wood materials to making that nosing. Our treads come with the nosing already attached, for a simple slide in fit on top of your current stair's substructure.

RISER - the vertical component of a step which, along with the stringers, supports the treads. Commonly comes in a white finish or stained to match your prefinished oak treads. Most people think that they can get away with painting the wood substructure when they take the carpet off and put on a tread from Home Depot. What they fail to realize is not only are they two different types of wood with different grains, but you also change the height of the stairs when you fail to include a riser with your tread. Prefinished treads and risers solve that problem.

Again, just a couple of terms from the stair world. More to come soon!