DIY Network

Balusters From "Restoration Realities" episode DRTR-101

The banister continues to take shape as new banister spindles are made and the newel posts are installed.

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Making New Balusters (Banister Spindles)

• Procure baluster to match your staircase. In this project, we used 1" x 2" clear fir boards.

• Cut the balusters to length to match the originals.
  

  Figure A

• Next, cut the ends of the balusters to fit the type of staircase joinery you have. The balusters in this project have a tongue (figure A) that fit into the slotted edge of our stair treads. This is a simple mortise and tenon type of wood joinery.

Making and Installing a Newel Post Base

If your banister is missing a newel post base, look at the existing newel post base as a model to make a new one. The one we made is a hollow type that matches the radius on the opposite side of the existing pair. We first determined the radius by carefully measuring the existing one on the floor.

Figure B

The existing newel post in this project was made of four boards assembled into long box shape. That hollow box fits over a four inch by four inch post to create a solid base for the newel post (figure B). Your newel post may be solid and require different joinery methods.

• For a hollow type newel post base, cut thick plywood boards into two radius shapes to match the curve of the existing newel post base.

• Cut one inch by two inch risers to separate the radius shapes, matching the height of the existing newel post.

• Assemble the two radius shapes, matching the height of the existing newel post.

• Cut a square hole in the top radius shaped plywood to fit a short four inch by three inch post. Check the position of your existing newel post and make sure they match.

• Insert the post into the new base and plumb the post, making its position on the bottom radius shaped plywood.

• Drive screws in from the bottom of the bottom radius shaped plywood into the bottom of the four inch by four inch post.

• Position the entire assembly against the existing staircase, then fasten the assembly to the floor with screws.
  

Fitting the Bottom Tread on the Newel Post Base

• Position your newly cut tread in place.

• Cut the tread so it fits half way around the four inch by four inch post on the new newel post base. It doesn't have to be perfect, since the finished newel post will slide over the top of the four by four and cover where the four by four and the tread meet.
  

  Figure C

• Cut another short (return) section of tread for the back portion of the newel post base notching around the back half of the newel post (figure C).

• Use the plate joiner on edges where the two tread sections meet. Insert biscuits and secure using bar clamps.
  

Regardless of whether your post is made from a solid piece of wood or is hollow, it's important that the newel has attachments that make it strong enough to lean against. Commonly, the newel post is attached to the outside of the staircase stringer and sometimes inside the stringer...and, sometimes into the floor joists below.

• Screwing the newel post to the stringer or other staircase framing in more than one location, a solid connection can be made.

• Make sure the newel post is plumb as you fasten it in place.
  

For the staircase landing, the balusters will each be the same length for a given side of the landing.

Baluster/spindles vary in design and in how they are attached to the handrail. Turned or decorative spindles, or even square baluster/spindles as we see in this project, can attach directly into the handrail. In other designs, the baluster/spindles are attached to the rail with pieces called "spline" used to infill and equally space the balusters.

Figure D

• Depending on the design of your staircase, insert the baluster into the slots in the handrail (figure D).

• Leave the end spindles for last, so you'll have room to attach the handrail to the newel posts or wall.

• Flip the handrail over and attach the handrail in place; between newel posts or between a newel post and the wall.

• Next, place the floor nosing piece at the edge of the staircase landing.
  

  Figure E

• Nail through the bottom of the nosing (figure E) to fasten each spindle in place.

• If the nosing on your staircase is already in place, you can toe nail the spindles to the nosing or you can use a wooden dowel and glue to make this connection.
  

  ALSO IN THIS EPISODE:
  	Assessing the Staircase
  	Removing the Staircase Treads
  	Balusters
  	Finishing the Staircase