All staircases shown have been designed constructed and installed by our team of experienced craftsmen at Hythe Joinery, Kent.

For more information on our designs and work, please contact the above number or email us. Please ask for a copy of our DVD which shows a wider range or staircase designs.

Staircases explained:

Balusters - The guard-rail along the exposed edge of a landing - normally forming an extension to the banister.
Banister - The handrails down the side of a stairway.
Curtail step - The bottom step of a staircase where it projects sideways and curves around like a 'cur's tail'.
Fascia - The vertical board under the edge of an exposed landing.
Finial - A turned or carved ornament usually in the shape of an urn, ball, bun, spike or figure, often used to decorate the ends of staircase newel posts.
Half Landing - The flat area of flooring where a stairway makes a turn between floors.
Inner (closed) string - The side of a stairway locating the treads and risers which is set against a wall.
Landing - The flat area of flooring at the top and bottom of a stairway leading to rooms.
Newel post - The vertical post at the turn or end of a banister.
Outer (open) string - The side of a stairway locating the treads and risers which is open to view.
Return nosing - The moulding applied to the ends of the treads where there are exposed in a hallway.
Riser - The vertical part of a step.
Riser wedge - The, normally wooden, wedges used vertically underneath a staircase to secure the risers to the stingers.
Tread - The horizontal part of a step.
Tread wedge - The, normally wooden, wedges used horizontal underneath a staircase to secure the treads to the stingers.
Tread/riser blocks - The, normally wooden, blocks used to secure the top of the risers to the front of the treads along the front edge of steps

Description of Stairs - Stairs are variously named according to their shape and plan, or the method of constructing the strings, and they may be roughly divided into two clases, newel and non-newel. In the first of these the newel post is an essential part of the construction, and this includes dog legged, open newel, and spiral or circular newel stairs. In the second class the newel is usually dispensed with, or when used it is merely as an ornamental finish to the balustrade, and is in no sense a constructive part of the stairs. To this class belong the continuous string or geomatrical stair, the elliptic, polygonal, and circular well stairs. All of these names refer to the disposition of the stairs in plan, and they are otherwise designated, in reference to the manner of treating the strings, as close or housed string, open or cut string, and bracketed strings.

A straight Flight is one composed entirely of flyers, and differs only from a ladder in that the spaces between its steps are filled with risers.

Dogleg Stairs are those without wells or spaces between the outer strings, the return strings and rails being in the same vertical plane, and both are framed into the same newel post and turns. The stairs occupy less space than any other variety with the exception of the spiral, and for thisreason are the kind mainly used in cottages and smeller houses.

Open Newel termed often as open well stairs are those having rectangular planes with an open space or well between the strings successive flights. These are both from a constructive and an artistic point of view, the best form of stair there is. They are substatial, massive in appearance, and convenient in use. Most mediaeval and Renaissance stairs still in existence are of this type.

Geometrical or Continous Stairs So called because the setting out of the strings and rails is based upon geometrical principles. In these stairs one or both strings and hand rails run continuously from top to bottom of the successive flights. The well holes are always curved at the ends, this being the main characteristic of this type, usually the curve is circular, and occasionally elliptic.

Circular Geometrical Stairs are similar to ordinary continuous strings atairs, with the difference that the space occupied by the stairs in plan is circular instead of rectangular, and there are no flyers - double width steps are used as the landings.When these stairs stand clear of the surrounding walls, thay are termed 'independent' or 'self supporting'.

Elliptical Geometrical Stairs differ only in having their plans elliptical instead of circular or rectangular.

Circular, Newel or Spriral Stairs are composed entirely of winders radiating from a central newel post running through the entire height of the flight. They are usually built within a circular wall, but are sometimes treated as 'independent' the steps are framed into the newel, and carried on bearers, fixed to the same cantilevers.