Balusters Facts

There are many tools and materials in home building that can be bought from hardware stores such as balusters. If you have seen carved posts installed and placed under railings, then you have already seen a baluster. A row or series of balusters is the balustrade. The architectural post can be used in many ways to enhance ornament or design a structure.

In history, it was in Assyria where the earliest balusters were utilized. Architectural structures and elements resembling modern day balusters were used in the homes of noble men and their families. Look-alikes of baluster designs were unearthed worldwide, implying that balusters were already widespread and popular. Nowadays, different variations of balusters can be seen all over the world.

A baluster is a carved post installed under a railing such as a stair rail or balcony railing. These architectural elements can be used ornamentally in a variety of ways of settings. The earliest known use of the baluster dates to ancient Assyria, where structural elements which strongly resemble modern balusters appear to have been used by the nobility in the architecture of their homes. Today, variations on the baluster can be seen all over the world, in a variety of settings and guises, and numerous archaeological examples have been uncovered all over the world, suggesting that the design has always been very popular.

Speaking of designs, there are balusters which have a minimalist layout while others are heavily detailed. Architectural settings which are too formal usually use very elaborate designs of balusters, like those seen in mansions and palaces. Balusters with simpler designs are typically placed in homes and more humble places. For old homes which need restoration, sometimes one or two balusters are already broken or missing from the rail. What builders and homeowners do is remove one baluster from the balustrade and have it replicated by a baluster manufacturer.

Baluster’s etymology is said to have come from the French and Italian terms for the pomegranate flower, which also refers to the unique shape of a classic baluster. This classical baluster is bulbous and in a curving shape which looks like a partially opened pomegranate flower.

Various materials are used to make balusters. There are woods or stones shaped using a lathe. There are also plastic, iron/metal balusters, plaster and concrete balusters manufactured by casting and molding. The balustrade or baluster rows are often seen in homes, public plazas, rooftops, churches, parks, etc. Some balustrades are just meant to be a decoration, especially those which are placed on higher locations. Some balustrades are of lower heights so people can sit on the railings. Balusters may also be placed in areas where they could serve as safety means for people to be prevented from falling. An example for this application is balusters lined along staircases.

By itself, the baluster cannot support the structure. Posts and other means of support are placed on the length of the railing to hold the baluster up. Thus balusters are more for decorative purposes than functional formations. O baluster removed from the balustrade system will probably not weaken the railing but will surely diminish the good looks of the architecture.