Friday, April 4, 2014

Basic Stair Planning Tips

PLAN EARLY
Plan your staircase positioning early. It is never too early to involve the stair manufacturer in the planning process. The earlier we can be involved, the more successful and comfortable your final staircase can be. As often as 50% of the time when we receive a home plan, changes are required to the stairwell opening. It is much more cost effective to address the changes before framing stage rather than afterwards.


ALLOW SPACE
Allowing appropriate space with your architect or designer can make a great difference for the comfort of your stair. Quite often just a few inches can make the difference.

RAIL POSITIONING
The width of a staircase must also work along with finger clearances and rail positioning. With regards to our finished straight staircases the stringers overlap the walls and spindled railing needs room to pass the succeeding stairs.

DESIGN ADVICE
If you are unsure about which style will best suits your home do not hesitate to ask. Our experts have backgrounds in Architectural Design and will be more than glad to help.

WINDER WOES
Winders are often a last resort for a staircase design. They serve the purpose of making an abrupt drop in a stair run, but can often be uncomfortable. If your home allows the space always opt for a landing instead of a winder.

STAIRS ARE STRUCTURAL
When dealing with hardwood stairs in particular, it is important to remember that the balance between keeping the stair protected or completely away from the rougher trades is extremely important. The most conflicting question is what time to install the stairs is best? If drywall is in place we are careful to respect the drywall, but touch-ups in mudding will later be necessary. The structural connections are crucial with these staircases. In turn our stairs are also finished woodwork, and with this in mind, no different than your cabinets and therefore follow the same policy – It is the builders responsibility to make sure all later trades do not damage the stairs. If they do get damaged after installation we are able to repair them, but only by means of an authorized purchase order for the repair costs.

ROOM TO WORK
Our custom railing installers require more tools and equipment than any other trade that works on your home. Please allow the space and room they need for them to complete the job in a time effective manner.

ORGANIC DETAIL
Hardwood is a natural product and the same properties that give it it’s beauty and character can sometimes be misunderstood as blemishes or inconsistent colouring. It is important to understand the product and that some woods have more variations than others. We like to respect the wood and where it comes from and that is why our millworkers and installers use the time and care to bring out the natural beauty of all our hardwood products.

DURABILITY IN FINISHING
As mentioned, we cannot stress enough how important a good final finish of the hardwood product is for a long life and professional looking appearance. Allow us to provide a separate breakdown of our stain and lacquering options.

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