Top 10 Most Essential Stair Railing Parts

Posted by kelvin smith on December 3rd, 2016

A staircase is not just about a construction of equidistant steps that wind or rise parallel within or outside a building or home. There are several essential components and stair railing parts that make up the entire structure and allow it to be a functional pathway between different floors. Some of the most important parts that you’d find in wooden or aluminum railing systems that support stairwells have been described here.
1. Rosette: When a railing needs to be backed into the wall, the rosette serves as a decorative and supportive plate that can be of any shape.
2. Hand rail: The running structure that is leaned on or held and used as support when walking up or down the staircase.
3. Fillet: This is a thin molding that fits into the hand rail and the lower railing parts, helping in creating better support.
4. Baluster: This is a connecting picket that links the railing to the floor, usually used in multiple designs and installed in a row to support the entire railing structure and hold it upright from the ground.
5. Rail fitting: These components are matched in design to the hand rail and assembled systematically to follow the twists and turns of the stair railing system.
6. Rake rail: This is the extension of the hand rail when the stairs rise or change direction. So, basically, it is just a different term for the hand rail itself but needs to be carved out according to the right measurements that differ from the usual hand rail.
7. Gooseneck: This is a type of rail fitting that permits directional changes when the rail rises vertically to any kind of floor or landing. This is mostly used when the rake rail rises so that there is a smooth turn of the balusters and hand rails as well as the rest of the elements supporting the structure.
8. Newels: This is a central supporting pillar or post that holds the hand rail in place and serves as another sturdy connection between the structure and the ground. Usually, newels differ in size from the balusters and are installed at the ends.
9. Wall rail: Another term for the hand rail, when it is attached to a wall with the help of mounting brackets. This is necessary when the hand rail can’t be supported by balusters because it is too close to the wall.
10. Post-to-post: It is a term that defines a stair railing system when the hand rails are mounted directly in between newel posts.