Stair Parts 101: Putting a Part to a Name

    Stair parts are confusing for most people because the terminology is completely foreign. Knowing the definition of a balustrade and a gooseneck doesn't come up in most conversation, but is necessary to know if you plan on remodeling or building a new staircase. It won't turn out nice if you go into a place selling stairs and say, "I want cast iron posts, you know the things that are under the part you put your hand on." All you'll get are confused looks.
    So I visited Adam's Stair Works, one of the best stair manufacturers in the country, to learn the name of each of the different stair parts. During my visit, the President and Owner of Adam's Stair Works, Doug Adams, taught me not only the different stairs parts, but also the different types of stair construction. Upon arriving, I had no idea stairs were so complicated, but when I left I knew exactly how to order the staircase I want.

The Basic Stair Parts

    There are two main types of stair parts: the ones that make up the stair and the ones that form the balustrade. The stair is made up of four parts: stringers, risers, treads and the swell step or starter step.
    The stringer is the part of the stair that runs along the side of the stairs and helps to support the part of the stairs you walk on. The risers are the stair parts that form the vertical part of the stair. The treads are the stair parts that are the horizontal part of the stair you put your foot on. The swell step or starter step is the first step on a staircase.
    "That step is what makes the staircase seem a little grander," Adams said.
    The balustrade is the term used to describe the protective and decorative railings used to keep you from falling off the side of the stairs and offer you support when walking down the stairs. The balustrade is composed of many different parts: the balusters or spindles, the newel posts, the handrail, the easements and the goosenecks.
    The balusters or spindles are the thin posts that span the distance between the handrail and the steps. The newel posts are the large posts found at the beginning, end and on landings of staircases. Each type of newel post has a name that corresponds to its location on the staircase.
    "The top post on the stairs would be called a starter post because it starts the stairs," Adams said.
The newel post at the bottom of the stairs is called the number one post. Sometimes the newel post at the bottom of the stairs is called a focal point newel, which is a newel post that is very large and decorative. Newel posts on landings are referred to as landing posts.
    The handrail is the stair part that you put your hand on as you walk down a flight of stairs. The handrail sits on top of the balusters or spindles. The easements and goosenecks are the two stair parts that allow the handrail to change its slope.
    "Another basic stair part is an easement, which is used to transition the hand rail between different pitch angles," Adams said. "A variation of an easement is a gooseneck. This fitting is made up of an easement and a piece of straight rail. That is installed where there is a transition between different rail heights."

Stair Parts Differ Depending on the Type of Handrail Construction

    

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When walking into Adam's Stair Works, I thought all staircases had the same parts. But it turned out, I was wrong.
    "The first thing you've got to decide when looking at stair parts is what type of construction you want," Adams said. "There are two basic techniques. The first is post-to-post where the railing will hit the side of a square newel or a ball top newel. It is the simplest and the most cost effective way to join a railing to a post.
    "The other method is post-over construction. That is where the railing goes over the post. There are extra fittings involved. It sits on top of a pin-top post and you have to make connections to the handrail. This being a lot more costly because you have extra parts, you have extra labor to put it together."
    Post-to-post staircases and post-over staircases have the same basic stair parts. The only difference between the two is that post-over staircases have extra parts that are used to make the handrail go over the posts. Those extra parts are called the cap and the volute.
    A cap is the stair part that goes over an end newel post. It is a simple piece that finishes off the end of the handrail. A volute is a more elaborate cap that is made of a piece of handrail that is shaped in a curl. The volute sits on top of both an end newel post and spindles.

Putting together the Handrail Stair Parts

    There are two different ways the pieces of the handrails are put together: a rail bolt or staples. As always, the one that is the most cost effective is the least stable.
    "The rail bolt is much stronger than the staples," Adams said. "But [the staple method] is naturally more cost effective. So, when you buy a ready-made part you'll see the staples versus a custom [stair part where] you'll see the rail bolt."

Putting together the Stairs

    As with the handrail, there are two ways to put together the stairs, and again the most cost effective form of construction is the least stable.
    "If [the newel posts] are fastened and bolted to the stair it's called overlay construction, and that method is the weakest method," Adams said.
    With overlay construction, if too much force is applied to the newel post - such as kids swinging on it, the newel post will be loosened and will no longer keep the balustrade steady. As a result, the handrail may not be able to support your weight if you fall or trip when walking down the stairs.
    "Where as mortise and tenon, the post is put in first and everything goes into it," Adams said. "You literally have to cut apart the stair to take [the newel post out]. That is the strongest method."
    If you want the sturdiest staircase, you will want to choose a mortise and tenon construction.