What It Means When A House Has One Upside-Down Baluster

I have always lived in multiple-story homes, but I must admit, I’ve never paid much attention to our homes’ staircases. One in particular was pretty grand, but I still never really gave it a close, detailed look. I regret not paying closer attention to that staircase as we’ve since moved, and I’ve recently discovered that in many homes with staircases, you will find a single, upside-down baluster.

If your home’s staircase has an upside-down baluster that you noticed, you may have just thought it was the mistake of a carpenter or builder. However, upside-down balusters are generally installed that way for a reason – and there is a fair amount of superstition behind it.

There is a long-standing tradition of builders and carpenters installing a single, upside-down baluster on purpose to acknowledge that “only God’s creatures are perfect,” and everything man-made will have its flaws. The other train of thought behind installing the upside-down baluster lies in the superstition that doing so would prevent the devil from creeping up the stairs and capturing anyone who may be about to pass away.

Whatever the reason, both send a slight shiver down my spine! While our current home has a staircase, it’s quite narrow and has walls on both sides – no balusters.

This is why I so badly wish I could take a peek back into my old house one day and see if its staircase had that telltale upside-down baluster!