Balusters, railing systems, and methods of assembling and installing the same

1. A railing system comprising:

a bottom rail portion defining a plurality of bottom openings;

a top rail portion defining a plurality of top openings; and

a plurality of balusters, each of the plurality of balusters extending between (a) a respective one of the plurality of bottom openings and (b) a corresponding one of the plurality of top openings, each of the plurality of balusters including a body portion, wherein a width of an end portion of the body portion configured to be inserted into one of the plurality of bottom openings is less than a width of a central portion of the body portion,

wherein a side of the body portion defines a slot adjacent the end portion, the slot extending along a non-perpendicular angle with respect to a longitudinal axis of the baluster, wherein an interior surface defining a portion of the slot rests against a surface of the bottom rail portion after installation of the railing system.

2. The railing system of claim 1 wherein each of the plurality of balusters is formed from at least one of a plastic material and a composite material.

3. The railing system of claim 1 wherein a width of another end portion of the body portion is less than the width of a central portion of the body portion.

4. The railing system of claim 1 wherein a side wall of the end portion is tapered such that the width of the end portion varies along a length of the end portion.

5. The railing system of claim 1 wherein the railing system is a stair railing system, and wherein during installation of the stair railing system each of the plurality of balusters is oriented at a non-perpendicular angle with respect to a longitudinal axis of each of the bottom rail portion and the top rail portion.

6. The railing system of claim 1 wherein the width of the end portion is 5-15% less than the width of the central portion.

7. The railing system of claim 1 wherein a width of another end portion of the body portion is less than a width of a central portion of the body portion, and another side of the body portion defines another slot adjacent the another end portion.

8. The railing system of claim 1 wherein each of the plurality of bottom openings are defined by a pair of side walls, each of the side walls extending along an angle that is non-perpendicular with respect to a longitudinal axis of the bottom rail portion.

9. The railing system of claim 1 wherein the railing system is a stair railing system.

10. A method of installing a railing system, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a bottom rail portion defining a plurality of bottom openings;

(b) engaging an end portion of each of a plurality of balusters in a corresponding one of the plurality of bottom openings; and

(c) engaging a top rail portion with the plurality of balusters, step (c) including aligning each of a plurality of top openings defined by the top rail portion with another end portion of a respective one of the plurality of balusters,

wherein a width of the end portion of each of the plurality of balusters is less than a width of a central portion of each of the plurality of balusters,

wherein a side of each of the plurality of balusters defines a slot adjacent the end portion, the slot extending along a non-perpendicular angle with respect to a longitudinal axis of the baluster, wherein an interior surface defining a portion of the slot rests against a surface of the bottom rail portion after installation of the railing system.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising the step of (d) moving the top rail portion with respect to the bottom rail portion after step (c) such that each of the plurality of balusters is oriented at a non-perpendicular angle with respect to a longitudinal axis of each of the bottom rail portion and the top rail portion.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising the step of securing a bottom rail reinforcement member to each of a first post and a second post, and then engaging the bottom rail portion with the bottom rail reinforcement member after steps (a), (b), (c), and (d).

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising the step of engaging a top rail reinforcement member with the top rail portion, and then securing the top rail reinforcement member to each of the first post and the second post.

14. The method of claim 10 wherein each of the plurality of balusters is formed from at least one of a plastic material and a composite material.

15. The method of claim 10 wherein a width of the another end portion of each of the plurality of balusters is less than a width of the central portion.

16. The method of claim 10 wherein a side wall of the end portion is tapered such that the width of the end portion varies along a length of the end portion.

17. The method of claim 10 wherein the railing system is a stair railing system, and wherein during installation of the stair railing system each of the plurality of balusters is oriented at a non-perpendicular angle with respect to a longitudinal axis of each of the bottom rail portion and the top rail portion.

18. The method of claim 10 wherein the width of the end portion is 5-15% less than the width of the central portion.

19. The method of claim 10 wherein the railing system is a stair railing system.

20. The method of claim 10 wherein each of the plurality of bottom openings are defined by a pair of side walls, each of the side walls extending along an angle that is non-perpendicular with respect to a longitudinal axis of the bottom rail portion.