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About staircase Stairs, staircase, stairway, stairwell, and
flight of stairs are all names for a construction designed to bridge a
large vertical distance by dividing it into smaller vertical distances,
called steps. Stairways may be straight, round, or may consist of two or
more straight pieces connected at angles.
Special stairways include escalators and ladders. Alternatives to
stairways are elevators, stairlifts and inclined moving sidewalks.
Components and terminology
Step -
The step is composed of the tread and riser.
* tread - The part of the step that is stepped on. It is constructed to
the same specifications (thickness) as any other flooring. The tread
"length" is measured from the outer edge of the step to the vertical
"riser" between steps.
* riser - The vertical portion of the step between steps. This may be
missing for an "open" stair effect.
* nosing - An edge part of the tread that protrudes from the riser
beneath. If it is present, this means that horizontally, the total "run"
length of the stairs is not simply the sum of the tread lengths, the
treads actually overlap each other slightly
* bullnose - Where stairs are open on one or both sides, the first step
above the lower floor may be wider than the other steps and rounded. The
rounded portion of the step is called a "bullnose". The pickets
typically form a semi-circle around the circumference of the bullnose
and the handrail has a horizontal spiral called a "volute". Besides the
cosmetic appeal, bullnoses allow the pickets to form a wider, more
stable base for the end of the handrail. Handrails that simply end at a
post at the foot of the stairs are usually unstable, even with a thick
post. A double bullnose can be used when both sides of the stairs are
open.
* winders - Winders are steps that are narrower on one side than the
other. They are used to change the direction of the stairs without
landings. A series of winders form a circular or spiral stairway. When
three steps are used to turn a 90° corner, the middle step is called a
kite winder due to its similarity to a diamond-shaped kite.
* stringer, stringer board or sometimes just string - The structural
member that supports the treads. There are typically two stringers, one
on either side of the stairs; though the treads may be supported many
other ways. The stringers are notched so that the risers and treads fit
into them. Stringers on open-sided stairs are often open themselves so
that the treads are visible from the side. Such stringers are called
"cut" stringers. Stringers on a closed side of the stairs are closed,
with the support for the treads routed into the stringer.
* trim - Trim (e.g. quarter-round or baseboard trim) is normally applied
where walls meet floors. Within a flight of stairs there is no trim as
the trim thickness will significantly eat into the tread width. Shoe
moulding may be used between the lower floor and the first riser.
Trimming a bullnose is a special challenge as the last riser above the
lower floor is rounded. Today, special flexible, plastic trim is
available for this purpose. Scotia is concave moulding that is
underneath the nosing between the riser and the tread above it.
The railing
system -
The balustrade is the complete system of railings and pickets that
prevents people from falling over the edge.
* banister, railing or handrail - The angled member for handholding, as
distinguished from the vertical pickets which hold it up for stairs that
are open on one side; there is often a railing on both sides, sometimes
only on one side or not at all, on wide staircases there is sometimes
also one in the middle, or even more. The term "banister" is sometimes
used to mean just the handrail, or sometimes the handrail and the
balusters or sometimes just the balusters.
o volute - A handrail for the bullnose step that is shaped like a
spiral. Volutes may be right or lefthanded depending on which side of
the stairs they occur when facing up the stairs.
o turnout - Instead of a complete spiral volute, a turnout is a
quarter-turn rounded end to the handrail.
o gooseneck - The vertical handrail that joins a sloped handrail to a
higher handrail on the balcony or landing is a gooseneck.
o rosette - Where the handrail ends in the wall and a half-newel is not
used, it may be trimmed by a rosette.
o easings - Wall handrails are mounted directly onto the wall with wall
brackets. At the bottom of the stairs such railings flare to a
horizontal railing and this horizontal portion is called a "starting
easing". At the top of the stairs, the horizontal portion of the railing
is called a "over easing".
o core rail - Wood handrails often have a metal core to provide extra
strength and stiffness, especially when the rail has to curve against
the grain of the wood. The archaic term for the metal core is "core
rail".
* baluster - A term for the vertical pickets that hold the handrail.
Sometimes simply called guards or spindles. Treads often require two
balusters. The second baluster is closer to the riser and is taller than
the first. The extra height in the second baluster is typically in the
middle between decorative elements on the baluster. That way the bottom
decorative elements are aligned with the tread and the top elements are
aligned with the railing angle. However, this means the first and second
balusters are manufactured separately and cannot be interchanged.
Balusters without decorative elements can be interchanged.
* newel - A large picket or post used to anchor the handrail. Since it
is a structural element, it extends below the floor and subfloor to the
bottom of the floor joists and is bolted right to the floor joist. A
half-newel may be used where a railing ends in the wall. Visually, it
looks like half the newel is embedded in the wall. For open landings, a
newel may extend below the landing for a decorative newel drop.
* baserail or shoerail - For systems where the baluster does not start
at the treads, they go to a baserail. This allows for identical
balusters, avoiding the second baluster problem.
* fillet - A decorative filler piece on the floor between balusters on a
balcony railing.
Handrails may be continuous (sometimes called over-the-post) or
post-to-post (or more accurately ""newel-to-newel""). For continuous
handrails on long balconies, there may be multiple newels and tandem
caps to cover the newels. At corners, there are quarter-turn caps. For
post-to-post systems, the newels project above the handrails.
Another, more classical, form of handrailing which is still in use is
the Tangent method. A variant of the Cylindric method of layout, it
allows for continuous climbing and twisting rails and easings. It was
originally defined from principles set down by architect Peter Nicholson
in the 18th century. Other
terminology
* balcony - For stairs with an open concept upper floor or landing, the
upper floor is functionally a balcony. For a straight flight of stairs,
the balcony may be long enough to require multiple newels to support the
length of railing. In modern homes, it is common to have hardwood floors
on the first floor and carpet on the second. The homeowner should
consider using hardwood nosing in place of carpet. Should the carpet be
subsequently replaced with hardwood, the balcony balustrade may have to
be removed to add the nosing.
* flight - A flight is an uninterrupted series of steps.
* floating stairs - A flight of stairs is said to be "floating" if there
is nothing underneath. The risers are typically missing as well to
emphasize the open effect. There may be only one stringer or the
stringers otherwise minimized. Where building codes allow, there may not
even be handrails.
* landing or platform - A landing is, structurally, an intermediate
floor between flights of stairs. It is typically used to allow stairs to
change directions, or to allow the user a rest. As landings consume
floor space and are structurally floors, they can be quite expensive to
build. However, changing the direction of the stairs allows stairs to
fit where they would not otherwise, or provides privacy to the upper
level as visitors downstairs cannot simply look up the stairs to the
upper level due to the change in direction.
* runner - Carpetting that runs down the middle of the stairs. Runners
may be directly stapled or nailed to the stairs, or may be secured by
specialized bar that holds the carpet in place where the tread meets the
riser.
* spandrel - If there is not another flight of stairs immediately
underneath, the triangular space underneath the stairs is called a
"spandrel". It is frequently used as a closet.
* stairwell - This is the space in the building where the stairs are
constructed. This may require special structural design so that the
floors around the stairwell do not require structural walls so that the
stairs themselves are open to the floors.
* staircase - This term is often reserved for the stairs themselves: the
steps, railings and landings; though often it is used interchangeably
with "stairs" and "stairway".
* stairway - This term is often reserved for the entire stairwell and
staircase in combination; though often it is used interchangeably with
"stairs" and "staircase".
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