Banister and Baluster Styles

Balconies

• There are types of balconies: true, false and faux. True balconies extend up to 3 feet from the house's flooring, while a false balcony's extension consists of a small 4- to 6-inch protrusion. Faux balconies do not have flooring and are only built for appearances. The banisters and balusters used with balconies are usually made of iron. Iron balcony banisters and balusters are seen on classic European-style homes or modern buildings. Balcony banisters have continuous flat-topped or slope-topped surfaces and the balusters have straight, belly-shaped or turned designs. Modern buildings usually have straight balusters, while ornate balcony balusters are reserved for classical European styles such as Georgian or Viennese.

Traditional Home Interior

• Period homes feature traditional banisters and balusters made from straight beams of wood and iron. Traditional wooden and iron banisters are straight and have flat- or slope-topped surfaces. Simple traditional balusters found in federal style and colonial revival homes have balusters with rectangular blocks at the ends or straight, sticklike balusters. The stairways in Queen Anne style and Tudor homes feature overly ornate designs, such as turned balusters and carved designs in the banisters. Two common types of traditional iron balusters are bubble and round. Bubble iron balusters feature round bulges through the piece, while round balusters are completely round from top to bottom.

Modern Home Interior

• Modern buildings tend to feature sleeker, less ornate designs in their architecture than classic period homes. As a result, the building materials for a modern building's banisters and balusters differs from traditional staircases. Modern buildings have wooden or iron banisters and balusters, but aluminum and glass designs are available as well. Some buildings re-create classic baluster shapes but use glass or aluminum instead of wood or iron. Also, some modern staircase designs pair glass and wooden balusters together. Aluminum balusters and banisters are popular choice for modern homes since they twist and turn easily to create any imaginable design.

Porches and Decks

• A house's porch or deck uses banisters and balusters as a railing to define and enclose the space. Traditional American porches have wooden banisters and balusters. Wooden banister and baluster porches are also seen on Greek revival and Victorian homes. However, modern buildings sometimes install plexiglass decks and railing for a sleeker appearance. Some outdoor banisters are continuous, meaning none of the railing's posts protrude past the banister's surface. This design allows banisters to have a continuous flat surface. Slope-topped continuous banisters are made to prevent the railing from collecting rainwater. A protruding rail includes posts that “protrude” past the banister's surface and often have a decorative cap on top.