Why Balusters are Important to Staircases

If you’re currently in the process of having a custom staircase designed or installed in your home, then you are going to come to the point when you need to decide between installing your painted balusters at the same time as the stairs, or after.

First and foremost, you need to understand what these are, why they are an important component of your stair system. The balusters are the vertical shafts, sometimes called the stair spindle or stick, made of either metal or wood which stand on top of the unifying footing, while supporting the handrail of the stair system. Sacramento Staircase contractors and designers implement a variety of styles when creating balusters for custom staircases, so there are many looks to choose from.

If after choosing your staircase design and materials with your Sacramento stairs contractor you have decided to have a stair system with balusters in a contrasting material to that of the handrail and footing, then your Sacramento stairs contractor will need to know when you prefer to have the finished balusters installed, either with the staircase as a whole, or after they are painted and finished? In other words, if for example, you want an oak staircase with painted balusters, do you want it installed with the stair already pre-painted, or after once the stairs have been finished?

Installing Balusters

Let’s take a look at some of the reasons why you might want to have these installed at the same time as the stair for your custom staircase.

Basic structural strength of the staircase:

Staircase engineers will tell you that the structural integrity of the rail is at its optimum when the rail is set directly onto the balusters, rather than gluing the pre-finished balusters onto the rail after the stair has already been set into place. Having the balusters installed at the same time as the stair also helps to prevent dangerous, unnecessary rail movement, as well as allows for the proper amount of cure time before the staircase is used.

Safety concerns:

When you have it installed after your stair is finished, you run the risk of having an accident happen since there is a temporarily an empty spot where those should be.

Additional construction means more time:

Having the balusters installed after the stair also means that you need to remember to schedule additional time near the end of construction (i.e., when the painting process is about to start) to have the balusters installed, which basically just means more steps added to the process.

Consider the finished result:

The rails will need to be removed and then re-set if it is to be installed after the stair is finished, which means that much of the handy work, like the sanding off the joints, will also need to be redone.

 

Now you know just how important it is to the staircase unit as a whole, and you can be sure to ask your Sacramento stairs contractor and engineer the right questions regarding balusters and your custom staircase design. Call iStairs today to find out how we can help you build the perfect stairs for your home!