A stringer is the long board that supports a stair’s length and to which other stair components are attached. Although stringers are key structural elements, they are also important parts of a stair’s overall style. They can reveal or conceal the finished ends of steps’ treads, and they can be embellished with decorative additions such as brackets.
Cut stringers (often called ‘open stringers’) allow the finished edge of the tread or ‘returned tread’ to be shown along with the decorative cove moulding. With cut stringer construction, the balusters and newels sit directly on the step.
Housed stringers (often called ‘box stringers’) conceal the tread edges, and the balusters and newels are fastened to the top of the stringer, not on the step proper. This construction method is commonly used for iron rail applications, but can also accommodate wood railing systems.
