Design & Price a Wood Slat Divider for Stairs
A divider that follows your staircase — flat along the ceiling above, angled along the pitch of the stairs below. Give us three measurements: the height at the bottom of the stairs, the height at the top, and how wide you want the run. Your estimate comes back with the approximate height of every slat and a cut plan to match, and your order ships with a jig set to your stair angle for the cuts you make on site.
Not sure how to measure? See the measuring guide →
How the staircase cut works
A staircase divider is square at the top and angled at the bottom. The slats meet a flat ceiling in a straight line, while their bottom ends follow a straight diagonal set by the pitch of your staircase. That means every slat in the run is a different length, so the designer works out each height individually from your two end heights and the width.
Every slat is cut down from a 9 ft slat. Because a tall slat and a short slat from opposite ends of the run add up to less than 18 ft, the offcut from one becomes the other — this saves you money. See Nesting cut plan — how each 9ft slat is cut in the generated estimate showing how to cut the slats.
How to measure for a staircase divider
- Tall side height — measure from the floor or tread at the bottom of the stairs up to the ceiling. This is your longest slat, and it's capped at 108″ (9 ft).
- Short side height — measure the same way at the top of the stairs, from the finished floor or top tread to the ceiling.
- Width — measure the horizontal run the divider will cover, wall to wall or wall to open end.
Take the ceiling height at both ends rather than assuming it's level — those two numbers are what set the pitch of every slat in between. If your staircase has a landing or a turn, treat each straight run as its own divider and price them separately.
See also: finding plumb points and how many slats do I need?
Cutting the slats on site
The angled bottom cut is made on site, not in our shop. Your order includes a jig set to the stair angle shown in your estimate — the same angle as the bottom brackets — so the cut repeats identically on every slat. The estimate gives you the approximate height of each slat and a nesting cut plan showing which two heights come out of each 9 ft slat.
Mounting along the stairs
Because the bottom of each slat lands at a different point along the stairs, a standard flat base plate won't sit square against the angle. Your estimate includes custom bottom brackets matched to the staircase pitch shown in the results, so every slat stands plumb. The top of the run mounts to the ceiling on the standard FIXERA fixed plate. See the FIXERA installation guide for the full sequence.
Finishes and slat profiles
Staircase dividers are available in Walnut, Dark Walnut, White Oak, Unfinished/Stainable and Paintable MDF, in three profiles: 2″ × 4″ standard, 2″ × 5″ mid and 2″ × 6″ bold. A wider profile reads heavier and draws more attention to the stair line; the gap setting controls how much you see through the divider. Order a sample before you commit to a finish — screens never get wood colour right.
Questions about staircase dividers
Can the tall side be more than 9 ft?
The designer is capped at 108″ (9 ft) because that's the length of a single slat. If the bottom of your stairs needs more height than that, contact us before ordering and we'll quote the run for you.
Do you cut the stair angle, or do I?
You do. We will send you a jig with the measured angle (matching the bottom bracket) that will help you with the angle.
How much cutting is there on site?
One angled cut per slat, at the bottom. The top ends are already square, and the jig sets the angle for you.
What if my staircase has a landing or a turn?
Price each straight run on its own and order them together. The designer handles one continuous run of stairs at a time, since the pitch changes at a landing.
Is there a minimum order?
Yes, 12 slats. If your dimensions work out to fewer, the estimate rounds up to the minimum.
How is this different from a standard divider?
A standard divider has slats of equal height between a level floor and a level ceiling — price one on the fixed designer. A staircase divider gives each slat its own height along the stair pitch. For a sloped or vaulted ceiling rather than stairs, see vaulted and sloped ceilings.
