Choosing the right type of balustrades for your staircase

  • Choosing the right balustrades for your staircase - Stair Parts Online

A balustrade is the collective name for the entire railing part of a staircase. It comprises of spindles (also known as balusters), a baserail to support the spindles, the handrail and newel posts to support at each end.

When deciding what type of balustrade will work best in your home, whether a traditional or modern setting, it’s important to consider what materials you’ll be using. There are hundreds if not thousands of styles you can go for, with ideas and inspiration all around us. Take a look at some of our ideas and inspiration in ourgallery section.

Choosing the right type of balustrades for your staircase

To help you in choosing the right type of balustrade for your staircase we’ve provided some guidance on your options below – with each material having its own benefits:

Wooden balustrades

Wood is a traditional yet ever popular solution for balustrades, largely due to its strength, versatility and ease of use. And with a wide range of hardwood and softwood timbers available, you can take advantage of many different tones and rich colours.

Hardwoods such as oak and ash are always a popular choice with our customers, offering warm, soft colours that complement both traditional and contemporary surroundings. Hardwoods are also very durable, so are less likely to dent and scratch or show other signs of ageing.

Softwoods such as pine and hemlock give a real authentic look with their naturally knotty appearance and are more affordable than hardwoods - though may be more susceptible to little scratches. That said, they can be easily stained or painted if you want to differentiate or freshen up in future years.

Wooden balustrades

Glass balustrades

Glass balustrades

Glass is an aesthetically pleasing and unobtrusive choice for balustrades that works in many different homes. If you want to create a bright and airy feel in your property. By allowing both natural and unnatural light to pass through and penetrate the space beyond your staircase, it can really help open up a home.

Although it can be slightly more expensive than wood, glass balustrades are a great investment. The panes will have undergone toughening treatment to ensure that they can withstand quite a bit of pressure and is therefore more durable than people often think - making them resistant to any damage from everyday knocks and bumps.

Furthermore, glass requires little to no maintenance. Although it might seem like a daunting task, wiping glass simply requires a little bit of water and a clean cloth.

Metal balustrades

Working in both contemporary and traditional settings as well as industrial spaces, metal stair parts are a naturally durable material that can be used instead of or alongside wood and glass. From black metal to chrome, and nickel to brass, there is scope to find the style that best suits your specific interior style.

A hard-wearing alternative to wood, the metal parts of the balustrade add unique decorative touches to a staircase. With a growing choice of designs available, depending on the character of your home, metal spindles are a great feature for older properties and bold balustrades are great for the more modern home.

As with glass, metal balustrades can be kept clean, shiny and polished just by wiping clean, and it doesn’t require any special or expensive cleaning material to keep it looking good. Check out our blog on caring for your metal stair parts for more advice.

Metal balustrades