What are the parts of a staircase called? Do you have a staircase diagram that shows the names of all the stair parts? We get these types of questions over and over. So, we created this diagram showing the anatomy of a staircase including the name of each stair part. We hope this helps answer your questions. Need more help with your stair parts project? Contact our experts.
Stair Parts – Names and Descriptions of Main Parts of a Staircase
What are stair treads?
Stair treads are named so, because they are what you “tread on” or walk on. Treads are horizontally installed hardwood boards, that are commonly referred to as steps.
Wood Stair Treads
Wood stair treads are offered in a standard 1-1/32″ finished thickness after surfacing and sanding. Extra thick hardwood stair treads for open rise staircases are available in any thickness. The most popular over sized wood tread sizes are 1-3/4″ and 2″ thick. We have produced treads as thick as 4″. Any stair tread thicker than 1-3/4″ will require face glue lamination(s) to meet the desired finished dimension.
What are stair risers?
Stair risers are vertical part of the stair carriage, sometimes called a kick plate. Open riser staircases are made with special extra thick treads and stringers, and don’t have risers.
Stair Risers
Stair risers are 3/4″ thick and 7-1/2″ wide. Custom sizes are available in terms of thickness, width, and length.
What are stair stringers?
Stair stringers are the structural parts of the stair on which the treads and risers are supported. Stringers are either cut to allow the treads to be open to the room with either, left, right, or double return treads, or can be routed to recess the treads and risers into the stringer.
Stair Stringers
Stair stringers and skirt boards are manufactured in standard 3/4″ thickness as well as 1″, 2″ and 3″ thick and any other size you like. Any wood stringer thicker than 1-3/4″ will require face gluing. The typical number of laminates required for S4S hardwood boards, will be close to 1″ to reach the required thickness. A 3″ thick board, will be 3 plys. Our color match is the best in the industry. Most wood species will require edge gluing to meet the width of the board. This revolves around the width of the currently available lumber. S4S hardwood boards are available in any thickness and width. All wood species are sanded and reading for finishing.
What is a stair bullnose?
A stair bullnose is a rounded edge on the front of the treads. All square edge treads with a mission style are becoming more common.
Stair Nosing
Stair and flooring professionals will frequently call this product landing tread. Hardwood stair nosing is available in a bending version for curved balcony railing. Please contact us for details.
What are box stair newel posts?
Box stair newel posts for staircases provide all the strength of the railing system. Either box or turned newel posts are the most important element in the structural rigidity of the handrail. Most of the strength from a railing system, comes from newel posts securely fastened to the floor.
Box Newel Posts
Box newel posts are manufactured using 3/4″ thick solid hardwood for all four sides. 
These posts are constructed with lock miter joints at the corners. The flat panel and raised panel versions are made using true stile & rail construction, not just a routed out pocket. Our posts are a piece of furniture.
See below for different size options.
All our box newel posts are proudly made in the USA.
What are stair balusters?
Stair balusters are vertical, usually somewhat thin sections, closely spaced together to close the stair balustrade. Balusters, or sometimes called spindles, do not provide much structural support to a stair. Typically, wood stair balusters range in size between 31” and 42”. Iron stair balusters are almost always manufactured at 44” long and intended to be cut to size from the bottom on the jobsite.
Iron Balusters
Iron Balusters for stair railings are only available hollow tubular steel. The iron stair balusters market has been trending toward hollow for the last several years. There are a few reasons for this migration. The primary ones being: hollow stair baluster railings are less expensive; hollow stair baluster railings are cheaper to ship; hollow stair baluster railings are easier to cut. The strength of these hollow railings is not an issue. Tubular steel balusters are extremely strong.
Please make sure your iron baluster installation will pass code. Typically, 3 balusters per stair tread are required to meet the 4″ sphere spacing test which requires a 4″ sphere cannot pass through any part of the balustrade. Always consult your local building department.
Wood Balusters
Our fine hardwood balusters can be customized in terms of height, width, and spacing between details. We specialize in historical reproduction turnings for staircases. All wood baluster profiles can be made in a large version. 2 1/4″ width is the most common upgrade, but we are capable of producing turned wood balusters and newel posts up to 5 1/2″ wide. All wood balusters and wood newel posts are available with the bottom square base block turned round.
All our wood balusters are proudly made in the USA.
What is a stair handrail?
A stair handrail is what is held onto or grabbed walking up or down the staircase. Handrail is available plowed with a channel cut in the bottom to accept square top wood balusters, or a hole is drilled in the bottom side of the rail to install pin top wood balusters, iron balusters.
Wood Stair Handrail
Hardwood stair handrail profiles, wood bending handrails 
and transitional handrail fittings. Stair-Parts.com offers the largest selection of wood stair handrails for residential homes and commercial buildings. All our wood stair handrail products are proudly made in the USA.
Don’t see exactly what you need? No problem, we offer custom wood stair handrails. Contact our stair parts experts today for details!
