The Well Built Stair - Shipway Stairs

STAIRS
Almost there:
Installers for a
custom-built stair
set it into a framed
opening in a house
on San Juan Island,
Washington.
104 MAY 2011 holmesmagazine.com
Railing Association, Rob Cabral, place hard and
fast rules on what is safe and strong.
For example, the rules may change governing
winders, those wedge-shaped steps that turn
corners as they rise. That’s an important consideration
for renovators of older houses to address
when speaking to their contractors. In the
U.S., winders must now allow for a 10-inch space
for the foot to land on as the user climbs them. “In
Canada,” Cabral says, “some of these winders only
allow for five or six inches for the foot to land.”
Cabral and his contemporaries are currently involved
in the largest review of the Canadian code
to date, and this winder issue is just one that he
hopes will be improved there.
But even with improved codes, the pros agree
that an educated and observant homeowner is
still the best defense against unsafe job.
Decisions, Decisions
OF COURSE, it’s not every day that you shop for
stairs. So, a smart way to narrow down your
choices is to learn about the three ways that stairs
are built—before you face such an important
decision mid-renovation.
FACTORY. Plants with long production lines that
fully complete them on the factory floor and ship
them to the site wrapped in protective layers of
plastic are how most stairs in major suburban
developments get made. The big advantage is the
cost. Developers tend to order from them in large
batches, but individual homeowners can order a
single set of stairs. Orders of 25 or one are built to
a home’s actual measurements and assembled
on the production line. These manufacturers
produce computer-measured (and therefore
Courtesy of Seattle Stair & Design
1
ultra-precise) stairs for both new builds and
renovations. One caveat: The prefab stairs cost
money to ship, but because the factory stairs are
built to suit, they tend to be sturdier and hold
up longer of course, than cheaper site-built
stairs. They’re commonly made of red oak,
which is finished later.
CUSTOM SHOP. “This is where you go if you’re
looking to spend a bit more money,” says David
Cooper. Comprised of fewer artisans, using more
hand tools and rarer wood, these shops are a goto
for people who decide to make a unique custom
staircase the centerpiece of their homes. Some
larger manufacturers also maintain a custom
department, separate from their mass production
floor. As stair builders gain expertise, they can
move on to the custom department to do more
detailed and complex jobs. Expect to pay at least
40 percent more for custom work.
SITE-BUILT. Less common in Canada, but prevalent
across the U.S. are contractors who
construct stairs on-site. This route has pros and
cons. The upside is the low price, which can be
30 percent less than factory-built for basement
stairs. “People like the idea of this one guy, this
builder, coming in and doing the whole house,”
Cooper says. The reality is different, however,
with the temporary stairs erected during con-
“In my 35 years of stair building, maybe once or
twice somebody has asked me for a safe stair.”
2 3
struction—ramshackle numbers made from the
same wood as the home’s framing—often
simply becoming the main stairs. “Framing carpenters
will just throw some oriented strand
board on top of the treads and cover it with
carpet,” Cooper adds. Even if that material gets
glued and screwed, it will start to squeak as the
framing wood underneath it dries. Instead, you
really need a stair specialist to build the safest
and most durable stairs.
BEFORE SIGNING OFF ON ANY ORDERS, remember
that in a new build, stairs should be commissioned
based on the house’s floor plan, before
the ground is broken. Meanwhile, moving an
existing staircase will involve significant reengineering
of the upstairs floor supports, which
translates to additional labor and manhours
beyond just having your stairs built. When speaking
with your builder, it will also help to know that
stairs placed near the center of the house are
often more space-saving and that a straight run is
the simplest to build and therefore should take
less time to produce.
Conscientious builders know that spiral stairs
are not permitted everywhere. Yours should guide
you on such design decisions. Even in places that
allow them, a spiral staircase cannot serve as a
home’s main stair. Likewise, expect a careful
builder to make you aware that landings for an
—David Cooper, Stairway Manufacturer’s Association.
1
For a set of oneoff,
shop-made
stairs, a craftsman
fits a mortise at
the base of a newel
post. After the
pieces get joined, he
will fine-tune them.
2
A massive
blank for a custom
newel post spins
on a wood lathe
for hand detailing.
Mechanical shapers,
planers and saws
are used for heavy
cuts and carving.
3
The stair stringer,
built for an opulent
private residence,
is receiving careful
work with a spokeshave,
a handheld
shaping tool.
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