Ornamental Vs. Assembled Stair Construction

Fully Assembled Stairs

• Spiral staircases can be shipped fully assembled, but this severely limits the carriers capable of delivery; limited options usually translate to inflated prices. Fully assembled units are available in most materials, including aluminum, steel and stainless steel, finished or treated and ready for the client to finish.

Partly Assembled Stairs

• Spiral stairs are not typically shipped in an entirely disassembled state. The treads -- and the risers, if such are part of the design -- are commonly preassembled. Technically, “step” does not mean the part you stand on; it means the tread-riser combination. Having erected the central spindle, the installer next fits the stringers and then the stair units, the balusters and the handrails, as well as any midpoint, top or bottom platforms. Manufacturers who ship partly assembled staircases for end-user installation plan the delivered state so as to maximize convenience to the customer. As an example, Decorative Iron of North Carolina notes that, “It takes two men and one day to assemble a spiral kit.”

Options

• Partly assembled units can be designed for welded or nonwelded assembly. Staircases that incorporate nonmetallic treads can be shipped with only the stringers that the tread material will be attached to; the customer can then locally source the wood or slate, for instance, to save on shipping costs. “Balustrade” identifies the combination of both the balusters -- the uprights -- and the handrail; the balustrade is commonly shipped disassembled.

Ornamental Stairs

• Function very often determines the size and footprint shape of the stair. Beyond that, especially with bespoke projects, ornamentation is limited only by the imagination of the end-user, architect and manufacturer. That said, ornamentation should be designed to complement the pre-existing style of the exterior of the building or interior space. The most common ornamentation is in the balustrades. “S”-shaped filigrees -- one per step, usually -- are common, with more utilitarian installed rods between them to avoid a cluttered feel. Cast iron scrollwork is often featured to give a more Victorian feel. Fancy starter steps, which are larger and more intricately shaped than those that follow, are another common embellishment. Planters can usually be fabricated to match the design of the stairs.