Replacing Wood Stair Balusters

Wood stair balusters are the vertical sections of railings. These vary in design, thickness, height, and spacing in older homes. Throughout history, wood stair balusters were often shorter than current building codes require, so replication of these balusters can be per originals to maintain the historic character or updated depending on a homeowner’s desire. Balusters are provided as individual spindles and sandwiched between upper and lower rails that are typically made on-site for full assembly.

Wood Stair Baluster Replacement – The Process

If stair balusters have begun to fail due to decay over time, they can be replaced according to their original design, be it all or a few. The process is as such:

Photos or sketches of the current balusters help learn the details of the project and determine costs based on the maximum diameter, overall length, and quantity of the balusters needed. Should production move forward after quoting, a sample is typically shipped to the manufacturer for exact replication.

While not always necessary, CAD drawings can also be helpful. These show complete and exact details of production. Since wood stair balusters are closely spaced together, having a more exact replication for replacements is typically more important.

Who We Are

H.A. Stiles has built a reputation as being one of the premier suppliers of wood components such as wood dowels, wood turnings, wooden handles, moldings, flatwork, and more for a broad range of applications.

If you need a woodworking architectural project, production-run wood components in bulk quantities, or custom wood parts for manufacturing, please give us a call for a no-obligation estimate. We look forward to the opportunity to serve you.