Installing Spiral Stairs That Wind Up Beautiful

Installing a spiral staircase in your home can be a great way of adding a beautiful and functional focal point. Although most people prefer to leave the installation of a spiral staircase to a professional, there are kits available that can make the installation within the realm of the average do-it-yourself homeowner. As long as you possess some basic construction skills and the ability to carefully follow directions, you should be able to install a spiral staircase. Of course, you should always keep local building codes and regulations in mind when embarking on any home construction task.

Start with Careful Measurements

The first step to successfully installing a set of spiral stairs is to measure carefully. Whether you are an experienced carpenter and plan to build the staircase yourself, or you are simply going to purchase a kit, you will need accurate measurements in order to insure a successful installation. The primary measurement you will need is the overall height measured from floor to floor. To take this measurement, you will start from the finished flooring of the upstairs floor, and measure down to the finished flooring of the lower floor. This will insure that the landing will fall at the proper level for the upstairs floor.

Counting the Risers and Calculating the Riser Height

After you have your measurements and have done some shopping around for appropriate spiral stairs kits, you will need to calculate how many risers will be involved in the construction of your stairs. The number of risers is equal to the number of stair treads, plus the top landing. For example, in many cases, a standard spiral staircase will have twelve stair treads plus the top landing, which means that the total number of risers is equal to thirteen. The next step is to measure the riser height. Divide the total floor to floor measurement that you took earlier by the number of risers to get this measurement.

Installing the Spiral Stair Base

Once you have taken all your measurements and have purchased your kit, you can begin the installation. Always follow the manufacturer's directions closely to insure a successful and safe installation. Decide which corner of the wall opening the landing will be attached to. Then, plumb down to the floor from that corner to determine where the center post will be secured. The base plate can be secured to the floor with the included hardware. You will need a helper to position the pole until all the stair treads have been attached and the pole secured.

Installing the Stair Treads

The stair treads are positioned on the pole by putting them on from the top. To keep the pole from becoming unstable, alternate a left or right positioning of each stair until they are all installed. The newel post support can then be installed, and the top landing secured after insuring that the landing is level. Then, the treads can be properly lined up and secured in place, adjusting them to the proper riser height as calculated previously. Finally, install and secure the handrails, set the newel post in its proper position, and make sure everything is tight and secure.

The beautiful new wood and metal spiral staircase is ready to use and can be perfectly accented with wood wall decor or metal wall art in an adjacent wall or landing.