Balustrade

"Balustrade" is a general term used to describe a vertical stair assemblage. Your handrails, balusters, base rails, caps, and newel posts are all part of your balustrade. What the balustrade does is to, in effect, fence off the side of the stairs, so that people walking up and down won't fall off the side. The balustrade is anchored by the newel post, although the individual spindles do offer some support.

Balustrades can be wonderfully ornamented and decorated. Indeed, the mark of a truly exquisite staircase is a finely crafted balustrade. That said, putting together the balustrade properly involves a number of complex measurements. Moreover, you need to follow strict regulations about the dimensions of the balustrade. For instance, you must leave no more than 99 mm between spindles.

To anchor your balustrade more firmly, you might want to build in what's known as a bullnose step, which is a tread at the bottom of the staircase. The bullnose step is a nice touch, as it makes it appear as though your newel post is farther recessed into the stair. You may also use a sub rail or bottom rail for an even more sophisticated and elegant design.

The best possible height for the handrails is between 30 to 32 inches. However, if you're constructing a handrail for a balcony, you want to build in at least one meter of protection. To strengthen your balustrade assembly, make sure to follow your construction layout plan carefully. A slight skewing in the distances between your risers can result in an unstable assemblage.

Ornate wood balusters can dress up an otherwise pedestrian staircase. However, installing your balusters into your handrails and sub rails can be quite a construction task, even if you have the tools on hand to get the job done. So what are some ways to reduce the complication of wood baluster installation without harming the overall balustrade assembly?

First of all, you should maintain an even spacing of 3.5 inches between balusters. According to conventional safety standards, your balusters should be able to block a sphere measuring 100 mm in diameter. The reason why you should put balusters so close together is that the functional purpose of the spindles is to prevent "fall-through" accidents.

An easy way to connect your balusters is to nail them in before installing the handrails. That way, you won't run the risk of exposing nails or screws. Of course, you should make sure to paint your balusters before entering them into the assemblage. It doesn't cost much to add a sub rail to your balustrade, but the advantages, both aesthetically and structurally, are well worth the price.

What happens if one of your balusters comes lose after assembly? In the case that your handrails are easily detachable, you may simply want to remove the balustrade and attempt to refastened it after tightening the wood spindles. If your handrails are not removable, you may need to call in a construction expert to stabilize the loose component using translucent wood glue.

Iron stair parts -particularly iron spindles and handrails--last much longer than their wooden counterparts. Of course, if you're installing iron accoutrements for your staircase, make sure that you've worked out the measurements. It's much more difficult to retrain or cut iron balusters after it's been installed than it is to retool wood after the fact.
More and more home carpenters these days employ iron stair parts in their outdoor stairs. Although iron provides a more functional aesthetic, it also tends to weather better over time, provided that you keep up-to-date with your anti-rust coats. If your iron stair parts get dented or otherwise maligned, you should probably call in a professional contractor for the job--cutting iron correctly requires an advanced knowledge of soldering technology.

Building a Sturdy Stair Case with Iron Parts
The one danger with building an outdoor iron staircase is that iron conducts electricity. If your house is relatively isolated or high with respect to other nearby points, your iron staircase could act as a lightning rod. While the odds of a lightning strike on your staircase are slim, you can take precautions, such as capping your balustrades with non-conductive rubber.
Iron stair parts don't have to be aesthetically minimalist. Indeed, there are plenty of ornate wrought iron balusters, particularly for newel posts. Some companies will allow you to pre-order iron balustrades or newel posts to match your home decor. However, any time you customize your stair part requirements, you usually have to pay more.