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What Are The Posts On A Handrail Called?

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A newel, also called a central pole or support column

, is the central supporting pillar of a staircase. It can also refer to an upright post that supports and/or terminates the handrail of a stair banister (the “newel post”).

What are railing parts called?


A baluster

is a the vertical post onto which the handrail is affixed. It is usually a part of the guardrail system. These pillars or columns are usually decorative in design and are also referred to as the spindle.

What are the parts of a handrail called?

  • Baluster. A baluster is a short and decorative post, pillar, or column in a series that supports the top rail. …
  • Balustrade. A balustrade is a railing supported by a series of balusters. …
  • Bottom Rail. …
  • Guardrail. …
  • Hinge. …
  • Landing. …
  • Lattice. …
  • Newel Posts.

What are the vertical slats in a railing called?


Balusters

— The vertical boards that attach to the handrails. Sometimes called spindles. Beams — The horizontal boards that are attached to the post to help carry the weight.

What are bannister rails called?


Handrail

—a rail that sits on top of the baluster/spindles.

What is a balcony railing called?


A balustrade

is a name for that railing on a balcony, porch or terrace. It can be indoors or outdoors. The word comes from the French word balustre; from the Italian word balaustro and balaustra, wild pomegranate flower; from Latin balaustium from Greek balaustion; from its shape.

What is a railing used for?

To Help People Balance on Steps and Platforms: When a person loses balance on the stairs or suffers from muscle weakness, they may cling to the railing. Railings

provide stability

, which is especially important for young children, the elderly, and people with disabilities.

What exactly is a banister?

The definition of a banister is

the long support that runs along the side of a staircase

. An example of a banister is a wooden rail to the side of a staircase that can be held for support.

What is a stair landing?

Landing, or platform: A landing is

the area of a floor near the top or bottom step of a stair

. An intermediate landing is a small platform that is built as part of the stair between main floor levels and is typically used to allow stairs to change directions, or to allow the user a rest.

What is the wall above the stairs called?


Kneewall

. A framed wall slightly above the noses of the stair treads with its top running parallel with the incline of the stair resulting in a closed stair – also called a pony wall or stub wall.

What is the difference between a banister and a railing?

As nouns the difference between banister and railing

is that

banister is the handrail on the side of a staircase while railing is a fence or barrier consisting of one or more horizontal rails and vertical supports

.

What’s the difference between a banister and a baluster?

The word “banister” comes from the word baluster, which is really a pomegranate flower! … Nowadays, baluster mean any brace between the handrail and footrail (or string) of a railing system. So, the

banister is really the spindle

. In general, the handrail, footrail, and balusters all components of a balustrade.

What is a stair apron?

Apron –

A trim board attached to a vertical surface used to support the projected edge of a window stool or landing nosing

. ( See also Fascia)

What are the 4 main parts of a railing?

Pieces and Parts

A wooden porch railing consists of five basic parts:

posts, top rails, bottom rails, balusters and railing cap

. Other decorative elements may be added, such as post caps, but are not necessary for a basic, sturdy design.

What is the difference between balusters and spindles?

A baluster and spindle is actually

almost the same thing

, but the word spindle is more commonly used because it is easier to remember and say. Balusters usually rest on a footing; this could be a step, floor or deck, whereas, spindles are supported by a horizontal rail at the bottom that is attached to the posts.

What is a stair skirt?

A skirt board on your stairs is

a long, unbroken piece of trim just for your stairs

. It either stands alone against the wall along the closed-end of your stairs, or you can run your regular baseboard along the top of it to create an unbroken line of trim from floor to floor.

Edited and fact-checked by the FixAnswer editorial team.
David Martineau
Written by

David is a home and garden expert who writes about home improvement, gardening, interior design, and property maintenance.

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