Wood Railing Components
A railing for a balcony or staircase can consist of a simple wooden pole fastened to a wall or a complicated assortment of wooden or iron parts. Whether you are using iron or wood, the basic parts remain the same. Learn the differences between the parts to make your job easier. Does this Spark an idea?
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Handrails
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The handrail is a pole or bar either fastened to the wall or forming the top of a freestanding railing. Handrails should be easy to grasp. If they are too wide, they will not help reduce the severity of a slip or fall. Handrails should sit between 30 and 38 inches above the floor, depending on the location of the handrail.
Wall Brackets
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Wall brackets fasten a handrail directly to a wall. Wall-mounted and freestanding hand rails are often used in conjunction to provide safe grips on both sides of a staircase. Wall brackets should provide at least 1.5 inches of clearance between the handrail and the wall. Safe wall brackets will also keep the handrail from projecting more than 4.5 inches away from the wall. Wall brackets are most often made from brass or iron with finishes varying from antiqued brass to polished steel.
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Shoe Rails
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Shoe rails are components at the foot of the balusters. You can attach them directly to the floor, forming a lip at the edge of the balcony or stair, or suspend them a few inches above the floor. A shoe rail is not a required component. Balusters are often fastened directly to the stair or balcony floor.
Newels
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Newels are the posts at the ends of railings. You can also install them at corners. Newels provide most of the structural integrity of a railing. They are usually thicker and sturdier than balusters, and they always fasten to the floor. Builders will sometimes make assemblies of balusters, handrails and shoe rails to insert between newels to simply construction.
Balusters
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Balusters, or spindles, are the vertical posts installed under a freestanding handrail. Balusters are not intended to do the job of keeping the railing in place. They perform a similar function to that of the slats in a fence, creating a wall to prevent people and items from falling through between the newels.
Caps
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Caps are the decorative tops of newels. They can be elaborately carved or made to blend into the handrail. The ends of newels are often left unfinished because of the greater need for structural integrity. Caps provide an attractive, finished look in these cases. Some newels come with decorative top ends that do not require caps.
Risers
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You'll need a riser when a handrail reaches a newel at the top of the stairs without matching the height of the landing's handrail. Handrails usually follow the same incline as the stairs to which they attach. A riser will follow a steep incline; some will even be vertical for a short length for the handrail to meet the newel at the same height as the handrail on the landing. Risers fill a purely aesthetic role. So long as handrails meet height requirements dictated by safety codes, they don't have to meet the newel at the same height.
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References
- Photo Credit stairs down #1 image by Curtis Sorrentino from Fotolia.com
