There are several methods banisters can be arranged on a stairway.  Depending on your preference, banisters may be positioned with an angled top/horizontal base, angled top/angled base, or closed stringing. 
Before I go into detail about the differences in each structure, let me breakdown a beneficial term. Rake or rake angle is the angle of the railing above the horizontal plane. This angle is easily discovered by measuring the rise and run of your stairway. If your rise is 7 ½ inches and your run (tread depth) is 10 inches, then your rake angle is 7 ½ over 10. 
In an angled top/horizontal base arrangement the bases of the banisters are horizontal with the treads. The peak of the balusters mirror the rake angle or the angle of the handrail.  These balusters require the machined segment to fluctuate in measurement from piece to piece to achieve the angle between the tops of the banisters.
Angled top/angled base describes the tops and the bases of the balusters mimicking the rake angle.  Although the general length of these balusters varies, the “turning length” of the banisters is the same.  In other words, the machined portion of the baluster remains the same while the final length varies to sustain the constant angle.
Closed stringer is similar to the angled top/angled base arrangement except the banisters are not connected to the treads. Instead there is a small “knee” wall that rises above the treads so the bases of the banisters are trimmed at an angle permiting the tops and bottoms of the balusters to match the rake angle of the hand rail.  To attain the closed stringer, the banisters are crafted identical to each other.
Alternating banisters is contrary to the discussion but it may be useful to those planning stairway project. One illustration of an alternating banister system would be where the balusters alternate between a spiral and plain.  Alternating banister methods can be build incorporating the angled top/horizontal base, angled top/angled base, and the closed string systems.  It should be noted that if you are constructing this technique, the baluster profiles should be identical.  The only exception should be that one piece has a circular taper while that segment on the second banister includes spirals, twists, or fluting.
I should also insert at this point that banisters can be set up two per tread or three per tread. The count of balusters per tread is not always a matter of selection but, in many communities, a matter of complying with codes.  Some building codes stipulate that a 4 inch sphere cannot be inserted between two banisters (This is because a child’s head is larger than 4 inches and would prevent his or her head from being lodged between two stair banisters).  It is possible to get by with two balusters per tread but, generally, when employing a small banister and a deeper tread, you will be required to use three banisters per tread.
Hopefully this brief article is useful to those in the midst of designing your next staircase project.

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