Stair Flashcards
One of a flight or series of steps for going from one level to another, as in a building.
Stair
A support for the foot in ascending or descending.
Step
The vertical face of a stair step. Building codes required a height between 4” and 7”; residential and utility stairs may have a rise height of 7 3/4”(197mm).
Riser
The horizontal upper surface of a step in a stair, on which the foot is placed. Building codes require a minimum depth of 11inches; residential and utility stairs may have a minimum thread depth of 10in (254mm)
Thread
The usually rounded edge of a stair tread that extends over the riser.
Nosing
A rail providing a handhold and serving as a support at the side of a stair or platform.
Handrail
The clear vertical space from the nosing of a stair tread to any overhead obstruction, usually required by building codes to be at least 78in (2m).
Headroom
The top or top landing of a stairway.
Stairhead
A riser that is inclined inward to permit more footroom on the tread below.
Raking Riser
The measured height of a stair step or a flight of steps.
Rise
A passageway from one level of a building to another by a flight of stairs.
Stairway
A continuous series of steps between one floor or landing of a building and the next.
Flight
A vertical shaft or opening containing a stairway.
Stairwell
The horizontal distance between successive risers or between the first and last risers of a flight of steps.
Run
A structure of wood, metal or rope, usually consisting of two sidepieces joined at suitable intervals by bars or rungs, forming a means of climbing up or down at an angle of pitch between 75d and 90d.
Ladder
One of the crosspieces, usually rounded, forming the steps of a ladder.
Rung
A fixed stepladder having an angle of pitch between 55d and 70d, usually equipped with handrails.
Ship’s ladder
The angle of pitch above which a stair is considered to be unconfortable or unsafe, usually 45d.
Critical Angle
Thre preferred ratio between the riser and tread of a stairstep, specified by either of two formulas: 2R + T = 24 to 25; R x T = 72 to 75.
Riser : Tread Ratio
For a light of stairs, any angle of pitch btween 28d and 36d, or for a ramp, an angle of pitch less than 5d.
Preferred angle
A sloping floor, walk, or roadway connecting two levels. Building codes require the maximum slope of accessible ramps to be 1:12 with a maximum run of 30inches (762mm) between landings.
Ramp
A fixed stepladder having an angle of pitch between 55d and 70d, usually equipped with handrails.
Ship’s ladder
A series of ramps connected by steps.
Stepped ramp
A curved ramp.
Helicline
A stair extending from one level to another without turns or winders.
Straight-run stair
One of the steps in a straight flight of stairs.
Flier
A platform between flights of stairs or the floor at the foot or head of a flight of stairs.
Landing
A flight of stairs having no turns or winders.
Straight Flight
A more or less wedge-shaped stair step for changing direction.
Winder
The central of three stair winders making a 90 degree turn.
Kite Winder
A stair making a right a right-angled turn, consisting of two straight flights connected by an intervening landing or a series of winders.
Quarter-turn stair, L Stair
A square landing connecting two flights of a stair.
Quarterspace landing, quarterpace landing
A line 18in (457mm) in from the centerline of a handrail, along which the run of a winder is the same as a flier.
Walking line, Line of Travel
A raised step or platform, esp one serving as a landing or resting place at the end of a short flight of steps.
Pace, Footpace
A stair that turns 180d or through two right angles at an intervening landing.
Half-turn stair
A half-return stair consisting of two straight flights immediately side by side and connected by an intervening landing.
Dog-leg stair
A landing connecting two flights of a half-turn stair.
Halfspace landing, halfpace landing
Any of a series of winders so arranged that they are nearly as wide at the inside of the stair as the adjacent fliers.
Balanced Step, Dancing Step, Dancing Winder
A half-turn stair having two intermediate landings, each offering a 90d change of direction.
Double-L stair
A stair requiring a three-quarter turn for continued ascent or descent.
Three-quarter-turn stair
A stair having one wide flight from the main floor to an intermediate landing, and two side flights from that landing to the floor above.
Double-return stair
Any stair constructed chiefly with winders, such as a geometrical or spiral stair.
Winding Stair
A winding stair having a circular plan.
Circular Stair
A circular stair having wedge-shaped treads winding around and supported by a central post.
Spiral Stair
A central post from which the winders of a spiral stair radiate.
Newel
A winding stair having an elliptically shaped well.
Elliptical Stair
A winding stair constructed around a circular or elliptical well without the use of newels and often no landings betwen floors.
Geometrical Stair
A curved section of handrail.
Wreathe
A curved section of a staircase string.
Wreathe Piece
One of the sloping boards running alongside a staircase to support or cover the ends of the treads and risers.
String, Stringboard, Stringer
A stair string set against a wall, usually notched or housed to receive the ends of risers and treads.
Wall String
An inclined beam for supporting the steps of a stair.
Carriage, Horse, Rough Stringer
A stair having a housed string on both sides so that it may be more or less completely finished before being set in its final location.
Box Stair
A Stair string receiving the ends of risers and treads in a series of housings.
Housed String, Closed String
A header receiving the ends of stair carriages, strings, and the joists of landings.
Apron Piece, Pitching Piece
A plate for anchoring and absorbing the thrust of an inclined member, such as a stair carriage.
Kick Plate
A board directly over the uppermost riser in a flight of stairs, having an edge matching that of the nosings on the stair treads/
Landing Tread
A flight or series of flights of stairs, including its supporting framework, casing and handrails.
Staircase
A stair having an open string on one or both sides.
Open-string stair
A staircase string having its upper edge cut to the profile of the treads and risers.
Open String. Cut String
The outer string of a staircase, usually of better material or finish than the carriage which it covers
Face String, Finish String
A metal rod for holding a stair carpet in place against the bottom of a riser.
Stair Rod
An ornamental piece filling the angle between a riser and the overhanging edge of its tread.
Bracket
A continuation of the rounded nosing of a tread beyond the face of an open string.
Tread Return
An open string having the vertical edges of the notches mitered with the ends of the stair risers.
Cut-and-mitered string
A short concave slope or bend, as one connecting the higher and lower parts of a stair railing at a landing.
Ramp
A barrier composed of one or more horizontal rails supported by spaced uprights or balusters.
Railing
An upright post or support, as in a window or railing.
Stanchion
A railing with supporting balusters.
Balustrade
Any of a number of closely spaced supports for a railing.
Baluster, Banister
An ornamental, downward projection of a newel post, often through a soffit.
Newel Drop
A horizontal, spiral termination to the lower end of a stair rail.
Curtail, Volute
A starting step having a scroll termination to one or both ends of the tread.
Curtail Step
The terminal feature of a newel post, often molded or turned in a decorative manner.
Newel Cap
A post supporting one end of a handrail at the top or bottom of a flight of stairs.
Newel, Newel Post
A nosing having an abrasive, nonslip surface flush with the tread surface.
Safety Nosing
A tread having a roughened surface to prevent slipping.
Safety Tread
The least thickness of a reinforced-concrete stair slab.
Waist
A step projecting from a wall with no real or apparent support at its outer end.
Hanging Step, Cantilevered Step
A stair having open spaces between successive treads, allowing light to pass from above.
Open-riser Stair
An open space between two successive treads; building codes limit the size of the opening.
Open Riser
A steel pan receiving a concrete fill and serving as a tread or as a combined tread and riser.
Pan Tread
A tread fabricated from metal plate, usually having a raised pattern to provide a nonslip surface.
Plate Tread
