IIServices · The Trade
Stairs and railings, built to be touched.
A stair is the one piece of joinery every guest puts a hand on, so it has to feel as good as it looks. It is carpentry under load, judged twice, by the eye at the landing and by the hand on the rail.
Stairs mix structure, code and craft in one piece. Here are the parts, and the railing styles that set the tone.
The parts of a stair
- Treads and risers
- The step you walk on and the face beneath it. New treads, or replacing worn ones, is the most common stair job we do.
- Stringers
- The angled boards that carry the treads. The structure of the stair, cut so every step is exactly the same rise.
- Newel posts
- The heavy posts that anchor the railing at the bottom, the turns and the top. Set solid, because the whole rail depends on them.
- Balusters
- The vertical spindles between rail and tread. Spaced to code so a small child cannot pass, and chosen for the look you want.
- Handrail
- The rail itself, eased and sanded until the hand approves. The one piece every person in the house touches daily.
Railing styles
- Traditional turned
- Turned wood balusters and a profiled rail. The classic look for colonial and Cape houses.
- Craftsman and square
- Square balusters and simple newels, honest and architectural.
- Iron balusters
- Wrought or cast iron between wood rail and treads. Adds a stronger line and a formal note.
- Cable and glass
- Stainless cable or glass panels for a modern, open stair that keeps the view. More common on decks and lofts.
The standard
A stair is satisfied by two judges before we call it done: the eye at the landing, and the hand on the rail. Both have to pass. Where code applies, to rise, run, guard height and baluster spacing, the stair meets it without argument.
How it is quoted
Site visit, written scope, materials by name and grade. New stairs, rebuilds and tread and riser work are all quoted in writing and warrantied.
Put it in writing.
A site visit and a written proposal cost nothing. Scope, materials, schedule and price, in a document you can hold us to.