Wood handrails, stair treads, newel posts and balusters for your stair remodel, including exclusive House of Forgings designs you won’t find anywhere else. Stocked in our 4 U.S. warehouses, orders ship within 1 business day. Most parts ship unfinished, ready to stain to match your home.
By Douglas Lovin, owner of Cheap Stair Parts, 20+ years in stair parts · Updated 10/19/2026
Wood makes up most of a staircase, and it takes the most cutting, prep and finishing work. Measure twice, cut once. The advice below will help you plan so you only have to order once.
Red oak, white oak or another species?
Red oak is the most popular wood for stair parts, with white oak a close second. Red oak is a high-quality hardwood that costs less because it’s so abundant. It’s easy to cut and prep, and it takes a wide range of stains well. Learn more about the Types of Wood Species on Stair Parts.
Stain grade vs. paint grade
Choose stain grade if you’re staining, and paint grade if you’re painting. Paint grade parts are usually primed white or made from poplar, which has a tight grain that paints very smooth. You can paint red oak, but its open grain needs a thick primer and a lot of sanding, so we don’t recommend it.
Unfinished vs. prefinished
Everything we sell ships unfinished, except a small selection of primed white paint-grade balusters. Every staircase is different, and many customers stain their parts to match their flooring or other wood in the home. We don’t offer staining or painting services.
How the parts fit together
Most stair remodels only replace the treads, risers, handrail, newel posts, balusters and trim. You only rebuild the stringers or frame in new construction or a major remodel. We don’t sell stringers or framing parts, since they’re usually built on site from local lumber. Learn more about the Parts of a Staircase.
Wood Stair Parts FAQ
Can I mix wood newels and handrail with iron balusters?
Yes. In fact, most stair remodels today use wood newels and handrail with iron balusters. Only customers going for an all-wood look, an updated take on a traditional style, use our Röhe or Skandi lines from top to bottom. Most customers still pair Röhe, Skandi or ForestKraft newels with iron balusters.
Can you match the wood on my existing stairs?
Yes, we can help. Send us photos of your stairs and we’ll help you find a matching wood species and profile. Matching your stain is a separate step: take a sample to a local paint store.
Can I stain wood stair parts to match my floors?
Yes. We don’t sell stain or do stain matching, so we suggest taking a piece of your flooring or a stain sample to a local paint store and letting a professional find you a match.
Should I pick my handrail or newel posts first?
Neither. Start by deciding on the style of your staircase: modern or traditional. For a modern look, pair a simple newel post, like our 4000 post with a cap, with the 6084 handrail. For a traditional look, we recommend a turned newel from the Röhe or Skandi line, paired with a 6010 or 6500 series handrail.
Are your wood parts solid wood, laminate or veneer?
We don’t use plastic laminate or printed veneer on any product. Most of our wood parts are solid wood, 100% the species listed, made from multiple solid wood layers glued together to resist warping. A few treads are engineered (part numbers with -E). They have a 1/8 in. thick real wood top layer over a wood core and are labeled as engineered.
