Products / Millwork and mouldings
Treads, risers, handrails, balusters, newel posts and fittings for interior stairs, in stain grade oak and maple or paint grade poplar, made to your profiles and sizes.
An interior wood stair is a kit of treads, risers, handrail, balusters and newel posts that a stair builder fits on site or in a shop. Stair part factories make these parts in standard profiles and sizes for distributors, and to custom drawings for builders and millwork shops. Treads and risers are flat millwork. Balusters and newels are turned or square. Handrails and their fittings are moulded and shaped, and the curved fittings are the hardest parts to make well.
The price depends on species, the share of turned and curved parts and the finish. A box of paint grade poplar balusters is a simple, high volume item. A curved white oak handrail with a volute and matching goosenecks takes CNC work and hand fitting. Local building codes set rise, run and rail height. The stair builder owns code compliance, so the factory makes parts to the sizes the builder gives.
Name the type on the RFQ. Factories that make one type well do not always make the others.
| Type | What it is | Fits |
|---|---|---|
| Treads | Solid or edge glued treads with a bullnose or eased front edge, often with a return nosing on open sides. | New stairs. Width, depth and nosing shape are set by the stair design. |
| Retrofit treads and risers | Thinner tread caps and risers that fit over existing treads after the old nosing is cut off. | Remodels that replace carpet with wood without rebuilding the stair. |
| Handrails and fittings | Moulded rails, often plowed on the bottom for balusters, in common profiles such as 6010. Fittings include easings, goosenecks, volutes and turnouts. | Every open stair. Fittings must match the rail profile exactly. |
| Balusters | Turned or square balusters, often about 1-1/4 to 1-3/4 in square at the blocks and 31 to 41 in long, typical. | Open stairs and balconies. Turned designs are usually ordered by pattern. |
| Newel posts | Solid turned newels or box newels built up from panels, about 3 to 6 in square, typical. | Starting and landing posts that anchor the rail. Box newels suit large and paint grade designs. |
Starting points used across the trade. Your drawing sets the real values, and each factory confirms what it can hold on the quote.
| Spec | Typical value | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Tread thickness | 1 in or 1-1/16 in, retrofit treads about 5/8 to 3/4 in, typical | Give finished thickness after sanding. |
| Tread depth and width | About 10 to 11-1/2 in deep, 36 to 72 in long, typical | Send your cut list. Codes set the run on the stair, not on the part. |
| Riser | About 1/2 to 3/4 in thick, typical | Paint grade risers are often poplar or primed MDF. |
| Handrail profile | Common profiles such as 6010, or your drawing | Send the profile drawing. Rail and fittings must come from the same profile knives. |
| Baluster size | About 1-1/4 to 1-3/4 in square blocks, 31 to 41 in long, typical | Give the pattern drawing, block lengths and end type: pin top, square top or dowel. |
| Moisture content | 6 to 9 percent for interior stairs, typical | Treads too wet shrink and squeak once the house is heated. |
Typical values, not a guarantee. Confirm every value that matters to you on the quote and the approved sample.
The usual process chain, from dried lumber or panels to packed goods. Ask which steps happen in-house and which go out to another plant.
Distributors order standard parts by container, mixed across species and patterns. Builders order per job with a cut list. Turned balusters and custom fittings usually have a minimum per pattern so the lathe or CNC setup pays off.
Stock standard treads, rails, balusters and newels in several species. They need repeat runs that match their catalog profiles.
Buy parts to a cut list for each job and assemble on site. They care about exact sizes, profile match and delivery dates.
Buy retrofit treads and risers to match new floors. They need prefinished or matched species and quick lead times.
With these points stated, every matched factory quotes the same product.
Approve one sample in writing and keep it as the reference for every shipment.
The problems that cost buyers of stair parts the most time and money, and how to head them off in the RFQ.
Related guides:
Reference: Wikipedia: Baluster
Most US stair treads are 1 in or 1-1/16 in thick finished. Retrofit treads that cap an existing stair are thinner, often about 5/8 to 3/4 in. Give the thickness you need on your cut list.
Yes. Send a profile drawing or a short sample piece. The plant grinds knives to match and makes the fittings to the same profile. Ask for a sample joint before the run.
Local building codes set rise, run, rail height and other limits, and the stair builder is responsible for meeting them. The factory makes parts to the sizes and patterns you send.
Red oak is the common choice in North America for its hardness and cost. White oak and hard maple are harder and used for modern looks. Paint grade risers are often poplar or MDF.
Yes. Many buyers order one part type, such as turned balusters or retrofit treads, and source the rest elsewhere. Send drawings for the parts you need and the quantities per pattern.
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