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Let’s learn all the technical terms, which are famous in the building construction industry, related to Stairs.
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1. Requirements of a Good Stair
1. Step
It is the portion of the stair that provides for ascent or descent. A single step is composed of one tread and one riser. A stair can have a certain number of steps depending upon the step size and the total height of the stairs.
2. Tread
It is the horizontal portion of a step, on which the foot is placed. Its width must be greater than the largest foot size of humans, for the convenience of ascent or descent.
3. Riser
It is the vertical portion of the step, and basically has a height known as ‘Rise’. The rise of the riser must not be too small or too large for ascent or descent. A riser provides support to the tread.
4. Flight
A flight is the continuous series of steps between two landings in a stair.
5. Landings
A landing is a level surface, generally bigger than a tread in its dimensions, at the start and end of a flight. There can be two or more than two landings in a stair. Landings are used to change the direction of stair and also serves as a resting place in between flights.
6. Rise
It is the vertical distance between two successive treads. In other words, it is the height of a riser between two treads.
7. Going
It is the horizontal distance between successive risers. The tread may extend a larger width, beyond Going.
8. Nosing
It is the outwards projection beyond the riser face, of a tread. The edges are generally rounded, for aesthetic appearance, and for the protection of feet and legs from any sharp edges too.
9. Scotia
Scotia is a moulding provided under nosing, at the joining edge of a riser face and tread. It strengthens the nosing.
10. Soffit
The underside of the stair is known as the soffit.
11. Line of Nosings
Line of nosings is the imaginary line with which the under-surface of a handrail must coincide. It is tangential to the nosings and parallels with the strings.
12. Pitch or Slope
It is the slope that the line of nosings makes with the horizontal. It can also be measured as the slope of the string with the horizontal because the string is parallel with the line of nosings.
13. Strings or Stringers:
They are the sloping members that support the steps of a stair. The slope they make with the horizontal decides the pitch.
14. Newel Post
It is a vertical member at the ends of the flights used to connect the ends of the handrail and string.
15. Balustrade
It is the row of balusters surmounted by the handrail, to provide support to the handrail and protection to the climbers
16. Baluster
It is the vertical member, other than the newel post, provided to support the handrail. It is generally made of steel or wood.
17. Handrail
It is a rounded or moulded member of wood or metal and fixed on the top of the balustrade. It follows the line of nosings. It provides continuous support and protection to the users.
18. Head Room
It is the minimum vertical distance between the overhead structure and the tread on the stairs. The overhead structure can be a ceiling, soffit, etc.
19. Run
It is the total length of the stair in a horizontal place, including the landings.
20. Header
It is the horizontal structural member supporting stair stringers or landings.
Please refer to the image, for the visual understanding of these various elements of a stair.
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