Riser

Riser –  The vertical component of a step.

The treads rests on the risers. Each step is composed of the tread and riser.

A staircase or a section of stairs will have 1 more riser than tread since there is one at the bottom and another at the top before reaching a landing or 2nd floor hall. (the landing nose or hall/floor nose rests on the top riser.)

We refer to stair counts as the number of treads/number of risers. Example: a single run on a straight staircase with 12 treads has 13 risers. When there is a landing within the staircase, the thread/riser counts should be broken down by each flight or run. If those 12 treads were instead split into 2 sections, let’s say 5 and 7 – your count is 5 treads/6 risers + 7 treads/8 risers OR a total of 12 treads and14 risers. This is important when calculating linear footage required.

The total number of risers is always greater than the total number of treads.

Return to GLOSSARY