Spiral staircases are a beautiful addition to any home especially  those with small space requirements.  They are elegant pieces of fine furniture in themselves and add they character to any structure. Because of the helical design, many people think that building or installing one is very hard.  While they are difficult to manufacture from scratch, WoodStairs.com offers spiral kits that have been custom manufactured out of solid wood with wood or iron balusters.  These are not your typical cheap spiral staircase kits however but custom manufactured stairways that are completely assembled in our mill then disassembled and shipped in pieces that are relatively easy to reassemble onsite.  These kits include everything that you need, including instructions, all of the components and hardware. Hence, you can create your own wonderful spiral staircase on your own.

Ordering your Spiral Staircase Kit

Before you pick up the phone to order your spiral staircase kit, you have to take the necessary measurements so that you would know what size of staircase you need.

• Measure the height of the staircase by measuring from floor to floor.
• After you have determined the height of the staircase, you can now decide the diameter.  Often this is predetermined by the size of the opening if it is passing through a hole in the upper floor.  Sometimes however, the staircase will be beside an upper balcony so the diameter is up to you.  In most areas the minimum diameter allowed by code is 5’ 6” which gives you a usable width of about 2’ 6” after the center column and handrail have been deducted.
• You should also decide what kind of materials you are going to use for your spiral staircase. You can choose wood or metal staircases or a combination of both. It is up to you. WoodStairs.com offers Solid Wood, Wood and Iron or all Iron staircases.  Our iron staircases are designed for interior or exterior use. 
• One last thing to consider is where you would like to enter the stair at the lower level and exit at the upper level.  A typical situation allows for several options to this question as determined by the floor to floor height but if you have a starting point in mind we can then use this to calculate the degree of turn to achieve the solution that best meets your desires.
• Next you will want to consider the balustrade design.  WoodStairs.com offers our spiral staircases with any of our wood or wrought iron balusters and turned or box newel posts.  Handrails are a little more limited because of the typical tight bending radius of a spiral staircase.  We will be happy to discuss your options.
• Finally, there are often additional rails adjacent to the staircase.  If you are simply adding the staircase to an existing area, a small section of handrail can be removed to allow you to exit the stairway at the top.  Sometimes you will need to consider additional balustrade components.   A WoodStairs.com Stair Specialist can not only help you determine what you will need for your stairway but all of the other related stair parts as well.

Installation of Spiral Staircases

If you’ve ordered one of WoodStairs.com’s full metal spiral staircases, these come preassembled and you have only to move it into position, attach the upper landing to your floor.  If however, your staircase is wood or a wood and iron combination then some assembly is required.  Following is a brief explanation of what you  can expect although detailed instructions will arrive with your package.  So, once your spiral staircase kit has arrived, it is time to begin the installation process. Here are some tips on how to make your installation procedure quick and easy.

• If you have an existing staircase, this obviously needs to be removed prior to assembling your new spiral.
• You will then need to make any repairs that may be left behind from the removal of the original staircase.  This includes texture, paint, wallpapers and finish carpentry.  It is typically much easier to access and complete this work before your new spiral staircase is in place.
• Next layout all of the components in the area in which you plan on assembling your staircase.  Assembling the spiral can be done several ways depending on your situation.   We will help you determine which is best for you.  This is basically because if you are passing through a hole in the floor it may be difficult to maneuver the staircase in place after it is assembled so you may choose to assemble it in place.  If possible it is easier to assemble the stair beside its final position then stand the staircase as one unit.
• Once you’ve determined which of the above options work best for your situation, simply assemble the spiral staircase according to the instructions provided.  Make sure that you follow the instructions carefully so that your staircase will be sturdy and stable to avoid accidents.  It is basically.  Basically you attach the treads one at a time, either with the column laying down on two sawhorses or standing in place.
• After the staircase was assembled you have a choice.  You can install the balustrade before the staircase is moved into its final position or you can move the staircase into position and install the balustrade in place.  Either method is acceptable and it simply depends on how much room you have to maneuver the completed staircase/balustrade.  Basically though, the process is the same.  You begin by installing the Balusters, Newel Posts and Treads.  Finally, check on final time to make sure that the column and balusters are level and the treads are plumb.  Then you are ready to plug, and if your kit was unfinished, sand and stain.

WoodStairs.com manufactures high end custom spiral staircases with the full  understanding that the majority of our customers are not contractors or wood workers.  Over the years we have developed a system that makes this process as simple and painless as possible to insure that even someone with virtually no construction experience can assemble them in a couple of hours with very basic tools.