Baluster installation
 

Hello all,

I'm having one hell of a hard time trying to figure out what to do with my baluster spacing. Now the place i'm getting stuck is, how do i lay out the railing ?

I have 6 straight stairs and 6 curved stairs. The run of the rectangular stairs is 8 1/2" without the nosing.

So by code where i live, the maxiumum distance between posts is 4". So i decided to go with 3 posts per straight/rectagular stair, and 2 for the curved. Will this look weird? the spacing will not be the same between the curved stairs balusters and the rec stair balusters, only the first bal, which i'm thinking of having a 1 3/8 spacing for every stair for the initial bal.

i thought about using 1 3/8 from the riser for the first baluster and 1 3/8 from the edge of the nosing and put the middle spindle in the middle. Unfortuantely all the stairs are not exactly the same. Some are 8 1/2" some are 8 1/4". Do i adjust the middle baluster to fit?

I'm using 1/2 iron balusters. I did not start the spacing at the newel posts since i have a curved railing. I'm actually starting on the 6th rectangluar step.

Any help is appreciated.
the first pic in my photobucket is my stairs.
http://i1270.photobucket.com/albums/...ps9f759936.jpg

iron balusters? I thought I saw wood ones in the photo

1/2" round iron

Previous balusters were 1.5" wood

You see the wood ones because I'm using it to prop up the railing

take a look at this sketch and let me know what you think ......

The actual tread is 9 3/4 with nosing . In the diagram it's 8 1/2. Do I ignore the nosing for the calculation?

Thanks man!

you had given 8-1/2" as the tread depth with no measurement for the nosing. I calculated the spacing based upon the 8-1/2". You'll notice there is equal spacing of the balusters.

Yeah I see, that I guess I was getting confused with some manual I was reading about spacing.

8 1/2 is usable space on the stair for the balusters, But the tread is actually 9 3/4. There's a 1 1/4 nosing.

I'm getting confused about the nosing part.

I suppose with 9 3/4 I have to use 3 balusters per stair until I hit the curved ones?

the spacing shown in the sketch provides for 3-3/4" between all balusters, why would you need 3?

I found out why I'm so messed up.. My risers are not all the same thickness. Oops
Thanks for the diagram, ill just measure from the original riser.