Parts of a Staircase Railing

Hand Rail

• The hand rail is the part of the staircase railing that you hold when using the stairs. It is made from many different materials, including wood, stone and metal. Most staircases have a hand rail for safety reasons, and it is placed either on the edge of the staircase nearest to the drop or on both sides of the staircase.

Baluster

• The balusters are the vertical columns holding up the hand rail. They are purely functional and plain or decorative. Each baluster is the same distance apart, usually one or two per staircase step. Traditional balusters tend to be turned wood, wrought iron or stone, while more modern ones are made from toughened glass or shaped metal.

Newel Post

• A newel post holds the same positioning as the baluster but is normally placed at the bottom of a staircase or between flights. A newel post is usually larger than the balusters and more decorative, often topped with a carved finial, decorative capping or shaped moulding. This decoration signals the end of the staircase and provides a stepping off point on the hand rail for exiting the staircase.

Stringer Capping

• Stringer capping appears mostly on internal flights of stairs and is traditionally a part of a wooden staircase. The stringer capping is the section of wood inserted at the base of the balusters which separates each one. Each stringer cap is generally the same length and width but may differ slightly on curved staircases, staircases with multiple flights or at landing or stair platforms.