3 Cool Old Staircase Features You May Recognize In Your Own Home

We have always lived in old homes, and our current home is the oldest at 150 years old. Our old home has many character-filled features including transom windows, massive baseboards, intricately carved pocket doors, and the original cast iron vent covers. The house also has an old, winding staircase with a few unique features characteristic of old homes. If you live in an old home, you may recognize one or more of these cool staircase features common in historic houses!

1. Stair Rods

Many staircases in old homes are outfitted with a stair runner to protect the stair treads and to also make the stairs less slippery. In old homes with runners, you may see long, metal rods at the point where the stair tread meets the riser. Way back when, stair rods were used to secure the runner in place as stapling carpet didn’t exist yet. Now, stair rods are mainly installed to add a bit of character to a home’s staircase.

2. Dust Corners

If you ever notice decorative metal corners in the inner corners of your stairs, these are called dust corners. In the late 1800s, long before vacuum cleaners were invented, it was very difficult to sweep the dust out of the corners of the stairs. These metal corners were installed to keep dust out and make the treads easier to sweep off. Smart and decorative!

3. Winders

Common in old homes, winders are when one side of a stair tread is far narrower than the other side. This type of stair design was meant to follow the curve of the staircase without needing to add in landings in order to change the direction of the stairs. Watch your step when these are present!

Old homes have many quirks and interesting features that new builds simply don’t offer. If you or someone you know lives in a historic home, check out the staircase to see if you can identify any of these unique features!