A staircase banister that is loose and moving while you hold onto it is not a safe banister. If you are a do-it-yourselfer you probably want to be able to fix that yourself.
The Basic Balustrade System Components- The architecturally correct term for any railing system is balustrade -- or balustrade system. A balustrade system is a row of short pillars or spindles, called balusters, with a top railing and typically, but not always, a bottom railing. A balustrade system can also include a newel post and is used to edge porches, patios, veranda, porticos, decks and other exterior facades. Balusters are the upright support of a balustrade system. They can be square, round or circular or an ornamental bar and can be wide or narrow in dimension. The widest part of the baluster is called the belly, and the narrowest part is called the sleeve. The newel post of a balustrade system refers to the end element of a run. Newel posts are used when a railing changes direction at either a 90 degree or 45 degree angle, at a transition point to a stair or at the end of a run and, sometimes within a run.
A handrail will usually shake if the balusters loosen in the mortises where they meet the handrail. A mortise is a hole cut into a piece of material in which another piece, the tenon, will be inserted. For the first solution you should prepare: a hammer, wood shims, carpenter's glue, a small block of wood and an utility knife. You will coat a shim in glue and hammer it into the joint between the handrail and the baluster. Use the small wood block to drive the shim in, keeping it between the shim and the hammer. Your purpose is to fill the gap and not to drive the pieces that join apart, so hammer with care. Trim the part of the shim that is left outside of the hole.
A second solution asks for: safety goggles, electric drill, screwdriver matching the screw head, combination bit corresponding to the used screw, flathead wood screws, 220 grit sandpaper, wood putty and wood finish or paint. Drill a pilot hole upwards through the baluster and into the handrail using the combination bit. You will drill under a 45 degree angle. Drive the screw in, countersink it and tighten it. Fill the hole that is left with wood putty, allow it to dry and then sand the repair spot and cover it with wood finish or paint for the aesthetics part.
If the baluster got loose in its bottom mortise where it meets the tread, you will need the same tools and expendables like in the second solution. You will drill a pilot hole down through the baluster into the tread at an angle. Drive in the screw, countersink it and tighten it. Just like in the previous case, you will then fill the hole with wood putty, let it dry, use the sandpaper to sand the area and then finish.
The Basic Balustrade System Components- The architecturally correct term for any railing system is balustrade -- or balustrade system. A balustrade system is a row of short pillars or spindles, called balusters, with a top railing and typically, but not always, a bottom railing. A balustrade system can also include a newel post and is used to edge porches, patios, veranda, porticos, decks and other exterior facades. Balusters are the upright support of a balustrade system. They can be square, round or circular or an ornamental bar and can be wide or narrow in dimension. The widest part of the baluster is called the belly, and the narrowest part is called the sleeve. The newel post of a balustrade system refers to the end element of a run. Newel posts are used when a railing changes direction at either a 90 degree or 45 degree angle, at a transition point to a stair or at the end of a run and, sometimes within a run.
A handrail will usually shake if the balusters loosen in the mortises where they meet the handrail. A mortise is a hole cut into a piece of material in which another piece, the tenon, will be inserted. For the first solution you should prepare: a hammer, wood shims, carpenter's glue, a small block of wood and an utility knife. You will coat a shim in glue and hammer it into the joint between the handrail and the baluster. Use the small wood block to drive the shim in, keeping it between the shim and the hammer. Your purpose is to fill the gap and not to drive the pieces that join apart, so hammer with care. Trim the part of the shim that is left outside of the hole.
A second solution asks for: safety goggles, electric drill, screwdriver matching the screw head, combination bit corresponding to the used screw, flathead wood screws, 220 grit sandpaper, wood putty and wood finish or paint. Drill a pilot hole upwards through the baluster and into the handrail using the combination bit. You will drill under a 45 degree angle. Drive the screw in, countersink it and tighten it. Fill the hole that is left with wood putty, allow it to dry and then sand the repair spot and cover it with wood finish or paint for the aesthetics part.
If the baluster got loose in its bottom mortise where it meets the tread, you will need the same tools and expendables like in the second solution. You will drill a pilot hole down through the baluster into the tread at an angle. Drive in the screw, countersink it and tighten it. Just like in the previous case, you will then fill the hole with wood putty, let it dry, use the sandpaper to sand the area and then finish.
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