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Stair Supplies

Balustrades

by Andrew Kozlov

"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.

Constructing an Elegant and Timeless Balustrade

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.

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