Ever wondered whether the various parts of a staircase play any roles? Well, there are several types of staircases and every part has its unique role to play. Knowing the staircase terminologies and what each part does is also important as it allows you to know exactly what kind of staircases you may need for your next home transformation.
Terminology & What They Do
Handrails
These are the parts where you hold onto for support while walking and they protect you from falling in case you miss a step. They are also known as the bannister and sometimes they also offer support for spindles. But what are spindles?
Spindles/Balusters
They are vertical structures found between the handrails and the base rails and they assure you more protection by protecting you from falling aside. They are made of various materials such as wood, metal or glass and can be modified for decoration purposes.
Base rail
This is the part that holds into position the spindles ensuring they are well fitted into the staircase for maximum protection.
Newel Post
This is a large post mostly located at the foot of a stair and at the landing point. The key role of the newel post is to provide support to the handrail. Design-wise, it also makes for a beautiful entrance to your staircase.
Landing
This is the part adjacent to the top or bottom of a stair. The intermediate landing is the space that allows one to change directions or pause a little before proceeding to either climb up or down the stair.
Tread
This is a major part of the stair and it is the part that we step on. Treads are separated from each other by the vertical part of the stair known as the riser. In an open stair situation, the riser is not always there.
Headroom
This is the space between the pitch line to the ceiling above and is hardly less than two meters. It allows one to walk without obstruction or having to bend in order to fit in the provided space.
Curtail
Although it is used for decoration, the curtail also provides more support to the handrail and the volume. It is usually a curving at the bottom of the stair that is more extended than the sides of the stairs. Perfect for those who prefer a different type of staircase for the first and usually second step with a nice curved design.
The list of the staircase terminologies is long and inexhaustible, and the above are just some of the major terms and parts of the staircase. They are the basics that should help you decide the type of stair that you need.
As well as how you would love it designed for purposes of not only protection but also convenience and decoration. If you have any questions, please do feel free to fill out our contact form or give us a call with 01865 303 077.