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B
Balusters--The vertical posts which support the
railing of the staircase.
Balustrade--The
assembly of the balusters, newel posts and handrail
- Box Newel--A
large, square hollow newel used in a post-to-post balustrade
system.
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- Box Stair--A
stairway which is fully enclosed by walls and routed stringers
on both sides.
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- Brackets--Also
referred to as stringers brackets. Decorative pieces fastened to
the outside of a stringer.
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- Bullnose--
Bullnose tread & riser assembly.
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- Bullnose Tread--A
tread that has one or both sides finished in a radius. Often
used as a starting step and often requires a curved riser
beneath.
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C
- Cap--Used
in an over-the-post balustrade system. The part of the
fitting which widens in order to sit on a newel.
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- Circular Stairway--A
curved stairway which is mounted on stringers rather than a
central pole.
Cove
Moulding--A decorative strip
which, when attached to the underside of the tread nosing,
covers the point between the tread and riser.
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D
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E
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F
Fillet--Strips which fill
the plow between balusters on plowed handrail and shoerail.
Fittings--The stair parts used to
form a smooth transition when the hand-rail changes height or
direction. For example, staring a balustrade (volute, turnout,
starting easing), at a landing (gooseneck), and at a balcony.
Flight--A
continuous series of stairs from one landing or floor to another
- Floor-To-Floor Height--The
total rise of a stairway. Measured from the top of the finished
lower floor to the top of the finished upper floor.
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- Freestanding--A
stairway which is not supported by walls. Open underneath.
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G
- Gooseneck--A
handrail fitting consisting of an up-easing, a vertical rail
drop and a level cap. It is used at a landing or balcony to
raise the rake handrail to the height of the balcony handrail.
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H
Handrails--The horizontal or
rake member of a balustrade system. It sits on top of the
balusters and it supported by newel posts.
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J
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K
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L
- Lander--Narrow
tread nosing situated above the top riser or along the upper
edge of a balcony. This gives the appearance of a tread at the
top of the stairway.
Landing--A level part of a staircase (as at the end of a flight of
stairs).
- Landing Newel--A
newel situated at a landing or balcony.
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- Level Quarter Turn--A
level handrail fitting which turns by 90 degrees.
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- Level Rail--Handrail
which runs level along a landing or balcony.
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M
- Miter Down--A
piece of handrail mitered onto a longer section of handrail as
an end cap to provide a top grain look to the end of the rail.
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- Miter In--A
piece of handrail mitered onto a longer section of handrail to
provide a return to a wall.
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N
Newels--The major support
posts for the balustrade system. Larger and heavier than the
baluster, newels are located at the bottom and top of a
staircase and at turns and critical support areas of balcony
rails.
- Newel Bolt--A
10" hanger bolt used to attach a newel to the floor joist.
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- Newel Plate--A
piece of metal attached to the bottom of a newel, usually used
for mounting under a carpeted surface.
Nosing--The portion of a tread or
landing tread which protrudes beyond the face of the riser.
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O
- Opening Cap--A
handrail fitting at the start of a level balustrade system.
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- Open Stair--A
stairway not boxed in by walls on one or both sides.
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- Overhand Easing--A
handrail fitting which connects a rake handrail with a level
handrail without the use of a gooseneck.
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- Over-The-Post--A
balustrade system which utilizes fittings to go over newel posts
for an unbroken continuous handrail.
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P
- Picket--See
BALUSTER.
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- Pitch--See
RAKE
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- Plate--The
bottom, flat part of a rail assembly that sits on the floor or
caps a knee wall.
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- Platform--The
landing which is the top tread on a spiral stairway.
Intermediate landings are also often referred to as platforms.
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- Plow--The
routed portion of a handrail or shoerail used for the inserting
of square balusters. The gaps left between balusters are covered
with fillet.
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- Plumb--Perfectly
vertical, perpendicular with the floor.
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- Post-To-Post--Balustrade
system in which the handrail is not continuous. The handrail is
lagged into the face of a square-top newel.
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Q
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R
- Rail Bolt--A
hanger bolt used to attach two pieces of rail.
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- Rail Fittings--Fittings
are used in an over-the-post system for a continuous handrail
appearance through turns and changes in elevation.
Rake--The slope or angle
of the staircase (also referred to as rake angle).
- Return Nosing--Tread
nosing applied to the outside of an open tread to cover end
grain.
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- Returned End--A
handrail fitting without a cap, which does not incorporate the
use of a newel at the end of the balustrade.
Risers--The vertical component of a
stair which supports the treads.
- Riser Block--Starting
newel supports hidden inside the bullnose section of a starting
step.
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- Rosette--A
small, decorative piece of wood used where a handrail dies into
a wall.
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- Rough Cut--The
horizontal measurement from the face of one riser to the face of
the next riser. This is also the depth of the tread without the
nosing.
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- Routed Stringer--A
stringer which has been routed out for the insertion of treads,
risers and wedges. Also known as "box" stringer.
Run--The
horizontal dimension from the nose of one finished stair tread to the
next
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S
Shoe rail--A piece running
along the floor which is plowed for the insertion of balusters
and fillets.
Stairs--A
series of steps or flights of steps for passing from one level to
another.
- Stair Direction--Either
right-or-left-hand. Determined by the turn a stairway makes when
facing it from the bottom.
Starting Steps--The first tread and riser
at the bottom of a staircase.
- Starting Easing--A
handrail fitting which is used at the bottom of a stairway with
a starting newel.
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- Starting Newel--The
newel used at the bottom of a stairway.
Step--A
rest for the foot in ascending or descending: as one of a series of
structures consisting of a riser and a tread.
Stringer--A vertical support for the treads of stairs.
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T
- Tandem Cap--A
straight level handrail fitting with a newel cap. Tandem caps
generally are used on newels in long stretches of balcony
handrail.
Total Rise--The
vertical distance from the origin of the stairs to the top
surface
Total Run--The horizontal distance that the stairs cover from
the face of the first tread to the end of the last tread
Treads--The horizontal
portion of the staircase that is walked upon.
- Turnout--A
handrail fitting used on a starting newel which curves away from
the stairway.
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U
- Up Easing--A
handrail fitting which joins two handrails or fittings at
different angles in a graceful, pleasing manor.
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V
- Volute--A
handrail fitting used on a starting newel which turns away from
the stairway in a circular fashion.
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W
- Wall Rail--A
handrail which is mounted on a wall and supported by wall rail
brackets rather than newels or balusters.
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- Wall Rail Brackets--Metal
supports for wall rail.
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- Wedge--Triangular
blocks of wood, coated with glue and used to drive treads and
risers tightly into a routed stringer.
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- Well Opening--The
opening in the upper floor for placement of a stairway.
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- Winder Stair--A
section of stairway used to make an "L" shaped turn, made with
"pie" shaped or wedge cut treads.
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- Winder Tread--Tread
with a greater run on one side than the other. Winder treads are
used on Circular, Spiral and Winder stairways.
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- Wood Plug--A
small circular piece of wood used for a finished appearance and
covering drilled holes on newels, handrails and treads.
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