Baluster
A vertical member, used to fill in the open area between the railing and floor or tread helping to support the rail. 

Balustrade

A guard rail system which includes hand rail, newels and balusters.  

Box Newel
A large, square, solid or hollow newel used in a post to post balustrade system.

Brackets

Referred to as tread brackets.  Decorative pieces fastened to the side of an open stair stringer.

Cap Wall Stringer

A type of closed stringer with balustrade mounted to a wide board trimming top of the rake wall.

Closed Stringer

Board routed to accept treads and risers fastened to the sheetrock walls.  Also called wall stringer. 

Curb Stringer

A type of closed stringer with balustrade mounted to its thicker top edge. 

Fascia

Wide board fastened to the face of the sheetrock at the balcony edge.

Fittings

Specially designed stair parts which provide a smooth transition during hand rail height changes or hand rail directional changes. 

Gooseneck

A handrail fitting used at a landing or balcony to complete a smooth transition between varying heights.  A gooseneck consists of an upeasing, a vertical rail drop and a level cap.

Juliet

Balcony section that has a curved bump out.

Half Newel

A flat "half of a newel" part used where railing runs directly into a wall.  Used instead of a rosette.  Most common in post to post balustrade systems.

Hand Rail

The horizontal member of a balustrade system that sits on top of the balusters and is supported by newel posts.

Landing Tread

The top tread of a stair.  The landing tread is used to form a level surface with the finished floor on the upper level.

Nosing

Used to frame well holes and balconies.  Same as landing tread.

Open Stringer

A board with the unit rise and unit run cut out of its top edge supporting a tread and mitered riser.

Post to Post

A balustrade system which features handrail that runs between newel posts that project above the rail at specified intervals.

Rail Over

A balustrade system which utilizes fittings to transition the rail over newel posts to form a continuous handrail. 

Rake Wall

The angled sheetrock wall that supports the open stringer or balustrade side of the stair.

Raked Balusters

The pattern of balusters that follows the hand rail angle.

Riser

The vertical component of a step which in conjunction with the stringers suports the treads.

Rosette

A flat oval trim part used where the railing runs directly into the wall.  It provides an anchoring surface. 

Starting Step

The first tread and riser of stair.  One or both ends of a starting step may be shaped fully or partially round.

Self Support

Refers to a stringer being reinforced to carry load of stair without a rake wall underneath. 

Stepped Balusters

The pattern of balusters that is grouped level per tread.

Stringer

The side member of a stair.  A supporting structure which runs the length of the stairway and supports the treads and risers.

Volute

A spiral rail over fitting used on a curved start step.