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1. Apron ~ A wide decorative board attached to the wall under any Balustrade or above the treads on a Closed Stringer.
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2. Balcony ~ An overlooking opening in an upper level generally requiring a Balustrade.
3. Baluster ~ The turned or carved vertical columns that support a Handrail. (Also known as a Spindle)
4. Balustrade ~ The combination of Handrails, Balusters, Newel Posts, and Tread Caps that serve as a Guardrail of a flight of stairs or Balcony. (Also Known as a Banister or Railing System)
5. Banister ~ A Balustrade.
6. Box Newel ~ A large square hollowed Newel Post with caps and pedestals and other decorative components.
7. Box Stair ~ A straight Stair with Closed Stringers.
8. Bracketed Handrail: A Wallmounted Rail.
9. Brackets ~ The decorative components applied to the surface of stair Stringers beneath Open Treads.
10. Bullnose Tread ~ A tread in which one or both ends are radiused. (See Also Base Volute)
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11. Carriage ~ A Stringer.
12. Centerpost ~ A Column.
13. Circular Stair ~ A broad definition of all stair types that form part or all of a circle. While Spiral Stairs are curved they are usually defined separately for the purpose of most Building Codes.
14. Clearance ~ The distance between a Handrail and wall or other projections. Also known as Finger Clearance.
15. Closed Stair ~ A staircase enclosed on both sides by walls.
16. Closed Stringers ~ Stringers that house the Treads and Risers between them so that the Treads and Risers are not visible from the outside.
17. Column ~ The supporting cylindrical shaft of one type of Spiral Staircase.
18. Continuous System ~ The type of railing system wherein the handrail passes atop each Newel Post.
19. Corbel ~ A wood bracket projecting from a Column used to support the Treads and Landings.
20. Convex Treads ~ Treads in which their adjacent Risers curve convexly from one side of the Stair to the other.
21. Cove Moulding ~ A Scotia.
22. Curb ~ The raised margin of a Closed Stringer above the Treads and Risers or a raised margin along the edge of a balcony atop which a Balustrade may be secured. Also known as a Curb Wall or Curb Stringer.
23. Curtail Step ~ A Bullnose Tread. (See Also Base Volute)
24. Curved Stair ~ A broad definition of all stairs in which one or both Stringers curve or flare.
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25. Dogleg ~ A Pitch Change.
26. Dowel Top Baluster ~ A Pin Top Baluster.
27. Dowel ~ A round pin that fits securely into corresponding holes to align or fasten adjacent pieces.
28. Dowel Screw ~ A lag bolt with opposing wood threads on each end that is used to secure a Baluster into the Shoe Plate or Hand Rail.
29. Drop ~ The ornamental end of a Newel Post that projects below the Soffit.
30. Double-Helical Staircase ~ A Spiral Staircase in which the cylindrical axis is imaginary and the stair is supported by helical Stringers.
~ E ~
31. Easing ~ A transition Fitting which curves in a vertical plane to adjoin varying handrail levels into one fluid system.
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32. False End Treads ~ A Tread End Cap or Tread Wall Cap.
33. Fillet ~ The thin strip of wood that fills a Plowed Rail between the balusters to secure them in place.
34. Finial ~ The ornamental top of a Newel Post that is carved, shaped, or turned.
35. Fitting ~ The broad definition of all types of rail Easings, Wreaths, Scrolls, etc.
36. Flared Stringer ~ A curve in a Stringer away from and to the outside of its original direction of travel often used to widen a stair at its entrance.
37. Flight of Stairs ~ An uninterrupted series of steps and stringers from one landing to the next.
38. Floor Level Rail ~ A Balustrade that serves as a Guardrail on a Landing or Balcony. It is also frequently used as a room divider.
39. Floor-to-Floor Height ~ The Total Rise.
40. Flutes ~ Decorative vertical grooves or reeds routed into a wood surface such as a Newel Post or Baluster.
41. Free-floating Stairs ~ Independent Stairs.
42. Freestanding Stairs ~ Independent Stairs.
~ G ~
43. Goose-Neck ~ A compound vertical S-shaped curve in a handrail formed by two Easings or Miters.
44. Gradient ~ The angle of inclination of a Stair. Also Known as Pitch or Rake.
45. Guardrail ~ A Balustrade that prevents users from falling into a Stair Well or over a Balcony or other open spaces. (See Safety Rail.)
~ H ~
46. Half Wall ~ A Pony Wall.
47. Handrail ~ The top connecting member of a Balustrade which is grasped by the hand to give support.
48. Hanger Bolt ~ A bolt, with wood threads on end and machine threads on the other, that is used to attach two pieces of Rail (Rail Bolt) or a Newel Post to the Floor.
49. Hanging Stairs ~ Stairs which are not visibly supported at the open side but are built in or cantilevered from the wall or closed side.
50. Headroom ~ The vertical distance measured from the lowest point of the ceiling or Soffit directly above the Stair to a plane parallel and tangent to the Stair Nosings.
51. Helical Stair ~ A Spiral Stair.
52. Horse ~ A Stringer.
53. Housed Stringer ~ A type of Stringer which is mortised to receive and support the Treads and Risers which are then secured with Wedges.
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54. Independent Stair ~ A Staircase rising from one floor to the next without intermediate supports such as walls or columns. Also known as Freestanding or Free-Floating Stairs.
55. Inlay ~ Contrasting pieces of material set into a surface to form a design.
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56. Jack ~ A Stringer.
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57. Kerf ~ A saw cut which does not completely bisect a piece of wood. A series of kerfs in a piece of wood are made in order to bend it.
58. Kickboard ~ A type of Apron that is board attached to the wall atop the treads of a Boxed Stair or a Closed Stringer.
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59. Lambs Tongue ~ Rail terminal that curves in an S shape in the elevation.
60. Landing ~ Any platform, either intermediary between two flights of stairs or at the upper floor of a flight of stairs.
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61. Margin ~ The vertical distance between the Nosing and the top of a Curb.
62. Miter ~ A joint made by beveling each of two pieces of wood generally to form a corner.
63. Mitered Risers ~ A stair system in which the Risers are Mitered to the vertical notched portion of the Stringer or Skirtboard.
64. Mortise ~ A hollow chiseled into a piece of wood which receives square or rectangular wood or iron components such as Treads, Risers or Balusters-especially Wrought Iron.
65. Moulding (Molding) ~ A decorative strip used for decoration, ornamentation or finishing.
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66. Newel Post ~ The substantial columns at the terminations, junctions, turns and intermediates of a Handrail that provide the main support for the Balustrade.
67. Nosing ~ The rounded over or semi-circular shaped end of a Tread Cap which extends beyond the Riser. Also known as a Nose.
~ O ~
68. Open Riser Stair ~ Stair consisting of Treads without the support of Risers. The Treads may be suspended between or atop Stringers or by Corbels.
69. Open Stair ~ A Stair with one or both sides without walls.
70. Open Stringer ~ A Stringer that is notched to receive the Treads and Risers so that their profile can be seen from the side. Also known as a Sawtooth Stringer.
71. Open Treads ~ The type of exposed Treads revealed with an Open Stringer.
72. Over-the-Post System ~ A Continuous System.
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73. Pin Top Baluster ~ A baluster having a doweled top rather than a Square Top Baluster.
74. Pitch ~ The ascending angle of a stairway determined by its rise and run.
75. Pitch Change ~ A change in the pitch of a stair due to a variation in the Tread Runs. Also known as a Dogleg.
76. Plowed Rail ~ A Handrail in which the bottom is grooved or plowed to accommodate Square Top Balusters and Fillet.
77. Plug ~ A small circular piece of wood used to tightly fill and conceal a hole usually drilled into a Newel, Baluster or Handrail.
78. Pony Wall- A Half Wall that eliminates the need for a Balustrade. A cheaper alternative to a balustrade that generally only requires a Wallmounted Rail.
79. Post ~ A Newel Post.
80. Post Cap ~ The square often beveled top of a Box Newel.
81. Post-To-Post ~ The type of Balustrade in which the handrail terminates into each Newel Post.
~ Q ~
82. Quarter Turn Fitting ~ A rail easing that curves at a horizontal right angle.
~ R ~
83. Railing System ~ A Balustrade.
84. Raised Paneling -
85. Rake ~ The Pitch of a flight of stairs.
86. Recessed Panel -
87. Return ~ The terminal end of a Wall Mounted Rail attaching it to the wall.
88. Reveal ~ The space between two adjacent surfaces, such as a Shoe Plate and its accompanying Moulding, which maintain a parallel course.
89. Rise ~ The distance between the surfaces of adjacent Treads.
90. Risers -The vertical portion of a Step.
91. Rosette ~ A small decorative piece of wood used where a Handrail terminates into a wall.
92. Run ~ The distance between the surfaces of adjacent Risers.
~ S ~
93. Safety Rail ~ A temporary Guardrail installed prior to the construction of the permanent Balustrade, designed to prevent users from falling over the side of a Balcony or into the Stair Well until the Balustrade is installed.
94. Sawtooth Stringer ~ An Open Stringer.
95. Scotia ~ A hollow concave moulding that is used to cover the joint between the Tread and Risers or the Shoe Plate and the wall below.
96. Scroll ~ A Volute.
97. Serpentine Stair ~ An “S” shaped stair in which the direction of travel changes from one curve to the opposite.
98. Shoe Plate ~ The decorative bottom most wood portion of a Balustrade into which the Balusters are secured.
99. Shoe Rail ~ A Sub Rail.
100. Skirtboard ~ A type of Apron that is attached to the wall under the shoe plate of any balustrade.
101. Soffit ~ The visible sloping under side of an Independent or Hanging Stair.
102. Square Top Balusters ~ Balusters with square tops as opposed to the more common Dowel Top Balusters.
103. Spindled Rail ~ A Balustrade.
104. Spindle ~ A Baluster.
105. Spiral Stair ~ Stairs which ascend around a cylindrical axis. The axis being real, in the case of a Column, or imaginary as exists with a Double-Helical Staircase.
106. Staircase ~ The completed sum of a Stair and Balustrade with all their included components.
107. Stair Rail ~ A Balustrade that follows the rake of a stair.
108. Stair Well- An opening in the upper level through which a Staircase ascends.
109. Stair ~ A series of steps or Flights of steps passing between a lower and upper level
110. Starting Step ~ The first Tread and Riser at the bottom of a Staircase that is often treated with additional ornamentation.
111. Steps ~ One of a series of rests for the foot in ascending or descending, consisting of a Tread and Riser. .
112. Stringer ~ The diagonal supporting members of a stairway that run the distance of each flight and upon which the Treads, Risers and Balustrades are supported.
113. S-Turn ~ A Handrail Fitting that curves serpentine in the plan. This fitting is used to offset a continuous rail around an impeding wall or floor.
114. Sub Rail ~ The bottom connecting member of a Balustrade when the balusters do not attach directly to the Tread Caps or Shoe Plate. This rail may also be Plowed and require Fillet.
115. Sub Tread (Sub Step) ~ A Tread constructed of lower grade materials that are going to be covered with carpet or Tread Caps.
116. Swans-Neck ~ A Goose Neck.
~ T ~
117. Tandem Cap ~ A flared transition fitting used in continuous systems to accommodate an intermediate Newel Post.
118. Total Rise ~ The height of a stairway measured from the top surface of the finished lower floor to the top surface of the finished upper floor. (Also known as Floor-to-Floor Height)
119. Total Run ~ The horizontal distance that a stairway covers, measured from the face of the first Riser to the face of the last Riser.
120. Tread ~ The horizontal portion of the Step upon which one walks, which may be solid hardwood, capped with hardwood, carpeted, etc.
121. Tread Cap (Solid or Full) ~ The decorative horizontal face piece that partially or full covers the Sub Tread.
122. Tread End Cap ~ The decorative horizontal face piece that covers the Tread at the open, salient edge of the step.
123. Tread Wall Cap ~ The decorative horizontal face piece that covers the Tread at the closed, wall side of the step.
124. Turn Out ~ A slightly curving rail termination Fitting or partial scroll.
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~ V ~
125. Veneer ~ A thinly sliced surface layer of hardwood glued to a base of inferior material.
126. Volute ~ A terminal spiraling Handrail Fitting which may also decline or curve in the vertical.
~ W ~
127. Wainscot ~ Wood paneling applied to the walls.
128. Walk Line ~ The imaginary line generally measured 12” in from the inside radius of a curved stair. This line is used in the determination of certain building codes.
129. Wallmounting Brackets ~ Also the mounting supports, which fasten a Wallmounted or Bracketed Rail.
130. Wallmounted Rail ~ A Handrail attached to the wall by metal or wood Wallmounting Brackets.
131. Wedge ~ A tapered piece of wood used with glue to hold the Treads and Risers tightly within the Mortises of a Housed stringer.
132. Winding Stair ~ A Stair consisting of “Pie” or wedge shaped Treads that is general used to make an “L” shaped turn.
133. Wrapdown ~ Rail terminal which curves in the elevation from horizontal to vertical and attaches to the floor.
134. Wreath ~ Hand carved rail transition fitting that is curved in both Plan and Elevation.