Circular Stairs
We have done many winding stairways over the years, some of which have been featured on this page. We can do free standing on one side or both sides, however most of our jobs utilize a supporting wall underneath the staircase. This is the most economical option, as large curved laminated beams must be fabricated for the self supporting type. We have built circular stairs with a long flowing radius of 10 feet and more, or those with a very tight curve, such as one we did recently on a 28” inside radius. These are more difficult, as the bendable handrail tends to reach its stress limit. The staircase that is featured on the home page is actually a true elliptical curve with a constantly changing radius. At the tightest point the radius is only around 12 inches. The rail and stringer required 1/8” thick laminations at the critical point, to form the super tight curve in the apex of this staircase. This particular project had many interesting challenges, such as the fact that not only did the radius constantly change, but the actual slope of both the stringer and handrail varied drastically along the entire length of the staircase. The handrail and stringers actually curve up and down, as well as sideways.
We build all our curved stairs on site. There is a lot to be said for this technique. First of all, they fit much better than the factory type. Many times with the pre-fabs the base cap does not show an even reveal on the skirting. This is due to the fact that in the shop a specified radius is utilized, however the curved wall that is built by the framer may not quite match the factory stair radius. Also, they tend to not quite set in the planned position at the initial measuring. When we build a stair, we attach it directly to the wall the framers built, and we lay it out on the floor, get the approval from the superintendent, and then build it exactly in that position. Most of our customers feel that our quality is superior to the factory installations. Ours take a little longer to build, but the outcome is worth the extra time.
