This is a three sided balcony on top of a long winder stairway shown below. One of the most beautifully designed stairway winders my company has had the honor to repair and upgrade. We are not limited to new construction, Artisan Specialties doe’s staircase repairs, upgrades and remodeling of old staircases! Believe me, when you have a gorgeous winder stairway next to the wall that has $120.00 per role of wallpaper, you better get someone who knows what they are doing. Once finished repairing and upgrading this beautiful winder stairway that was custom designed for a member of the DuPont family. I have seen few winder stairway railings over 16 feet. So this was a treat being able to work on their custom designed stairway! Great people to work for too! Very nice family.
This homeowner had a real problem. Their house was not even nine years old when their oak handrail on their winder stairway started coming apart. Modern winder handrails come in sections that allow you to bend it without a steam kettle. All you have to do is glue it, form it to the pitch of the staircase, and then shape and install. Sounds simple right? The builder did not use enough glue, so what happened is it just started falling apart. He also did not use baluster screws so needless to say it was a very week handrail that you could not hold on to. This handrail was over 26 feet long. We even built a new newel post for the curved rail. The owner was having a wooded pineapple custom made to fit on top of the post.
Now days you will see prefab stairways where all you have to do is install the oak handrail, but with this picture you will see that Artisan Specialties is a member of the old stick built club, (cut in stairway). My company can install all the skirt boards, treads, risers, and supporting trim on any winder stairway, or for that matter any other stairway! Your problem is finding someone who is good enough to frame one up, right? All winder stairways are custom designed and have either a homeowner or builder who wants to make that all important statement when you go through the front doors into the foyer. Yep, you know what I'm talking about. Their mouth just drops open in disbelief of what they are seeing. Have a stairway that is custom designed on your newt home, or upgrade the one you have now. Artisan Specialties has many references from our clients whose stairway was custom designed on a renovation.
It’s true, nobody is perfect, we are all are human and prone to mistakes. The reason I say that is because on most stairway jobs there is always a hidden problem somewhere just waiting to surprise you. This is a prefab stairway coming with risers and treads. Here you have a post to post oak handrail with an upeasing and gooseneck going into the second stairway post. Look how the end of the oak railing is split going into it. That’s what you call thinking on your feet, and taking pride in your work.
This is a simpler stairway design. You have one long half wall on the left side of this stairway opening up to a vaulted ceiling, with a shorter half wall on the right of the stairway. Building a half wall helps save some by using square edge yellow pine stairway treads. It also helps out slightly with the cost of the balusters. I custom built a standard newel post for the handrail to run into on both sides.
This is the other side of the above picture to show you how the handrail and balusters have been finished off next to the wall and ceiling. Artisan Specialties takes great pride in our stairways. A stairway is one of the major expenses a person will have in building a beautiful second floor. Don't waste material thinking that you can do it without any experience
Here you have a rustic style stairway for a traditional log home. Artisan Specialties made the balusters out of spruce 2 x B’s that we ripped down and dressed up. The handrail is a spruce 2 x 4 with a round over, with the stairway treads and risers being yellow pine. Nice loft up on top to read and relax after a day of work. My company has built numerous custom stairways in log homes. On the left wall in the loft area you can just make out the custom built in cabinetry. Not only did we build this rustic stairway, my company built all the cabinets, and installed all the interior trim moulding. Basically, your one stop, interior trim company.
This is a post to post handrail system on the stairway to the left. Seen is one landing with two short sections of balcony rail on the top. You can not see it from this side but there is a thirty foot long balcony behind. Paint grade stairway risers and stain grade red oak treads. The benefit of having stain grade risers on any stairway is that the risers will not look as obvious when the black scuffs appear on the front from shoes. That little tidbit of information was given to me by Mr. Billy Kistler of Traditional Custom Homes LLC, and makes since to me. How about you?
Why is it so important to choose a stairway style before you start? EASY, it costs so much more to redo what you have already built. This is the scenario. Homeowner has his framer frame for his stairway. Homeowner wants two different styles combined. A starter step that is open on both sides, with short paint grade balusters going down into the paint grade wall cap on the left and right. A standard oak railing tying everything in. Advice, don't do it. Directive, go for it, “wink”. I don't wink much, only when I can't stand it any more … You see how I needed to cut the framing back to have a starter step with both sides open. Following is the process of this special stairway.
Who said some people do not think ahead of what they are doing? I got a whole lot of blisters scraping off the liquid nails that had been used by the framer to hold down the temporary stairway treads.
Yep, you see the head of one of the 16 penny common nails used to hold down the stairways temporary treads so it would not squeak if the liquid nails became loose.
After I removed the temporary treads of the stairway. I cut back the small walls like you see in ITEM 074A and installed MDF wall cap, and risers. Also installed are standard red oak square edge stairway treads. This did not look as bad as I thought it would. This is the front side of their stairway.
NOTE: If you do decide to build a stairway with small walls on the side, do this. Have your electrician install low voltage lighting on every second or third step where the skirt boards go. And make sure the outlet will be on the inside of the skirt board at rough in, not during trim out! You can thank me for it later.
This is the left side of the stairway. Look close and see how I planned to turn the casing down and under the wall cap. Here is the custom designed stairway incorporating two different styles of stairs. The open starter step and the closed wall design on the rest of the stairway. The plan was to have double volutes going up from the starter step with the balusters dying into the small walls. It looks ok, but really does not do anything for me.
A wider view of the stairway standing inside the front door of the foyer. This just did not do anything for me with a home that had white marble, with the most unusual etched design that you would ever see on the first and second floors. The stairway design just did not do anything to come close to what the owners already had.
Looking down from the second floor balcony you can see how I just started to work on the last section of stairway. You can also get a small view of the beautiful marble covering both floors.
This is the last section of stairway to install the risers and oak treads onto. Look to the right and you can see the open balcony.
This is the front of the stairway landing and balcony. By this time the owners wife has seen what I was trying to get them both to do. One style, not multiple styles. Updated directive … Patrick, can you re-frame my stairway for an open stairway? Schedule conflict, don't have the time.
Weeks later I come back to start over. The framer has re-framed for all sides to be open. Doing this will allow more light onto the stairway treads, no shadows from the small walls on the sides, and open the stairway up like it really needs to be with such a grand entrance foyer. I change out the skirt boards, and stairway risers. Notice how the ends of the risers are forty fived into the skirt boards? This gives a clean cut off for the paint grade sides.
The left side of the stair is visible here. You can see the oak volute railing on the starter step, and the solid oak starter post in the middle of the balusters. The design on this rail is the standard 6010, but the balusters under the oak railing are an entirely deferent, not your standard variety. These beautiful balusters are diamond cut solid red oak complementing the combination of oak railing, risers, and treads for a gorgeous entranceway to a beautiful new home!
I was missing a few of the oak balusters to finish this stairway, but thought I should show you how I install my balusters before finishing up. You can see on the left and right side one baluster missing. See the small metal screw in the oak tread where they are missing? That’s right. With every baluster I install I use short metal wood screws with a couple of drops of glue on top to fasten them to the treads for all time. You can also see the Styrofoam that is installed over the marble to help protect it from being damaged.
The one thing I like is to have everything flowing together. On the right side see how I added a transition to the outside of the skirt board on the inside wall of the foyer, allowing it to continue back up the rake of the stairs and across the landing. The left side had to have a termination point for the casing of an opening, but other than that it runs up the stairway, landing, and balcony front terminating into the wall. Only the skirt boards, base on the landing and apron under the balcony nosing with are painted. Everything else will be stained.
You might believe me when I say I did the work now. A picture of myself, chief carpenter, bottle washer, window washer and humble WebMaster, and I do vacuum. Hey if it doesn't work on this site drop me an email. If you see bad spelling drop me an email. I never said anything about being a full time web guy.
Now you know who took my picture. Mr. James Smith pictured here, was in charge of three trim crews for my company. He ran one crew himself and oversaw the work and helped me with quality control with the others. Understand this. Most construction people like me have a good part of their lives dedicated to building. Mr. Smith is no different, and on occasion, said he could outwork just about everyone. So this is what happened. Mr. Smith told two of my men, another Lead Man and a helper that he could outwork both of them together. The race was on the next day! Both of my men took the upstairs of a large home to hang all the single piece crown molding. Mr. Smith took the downstairs to run the same all by himself! End of the day? Let me put it to you like this. He finished well before the other two men, and yes all of his joints were tight, outside corners glued and sanded! If I did not see it myself … I would not have believed it possible!
Right side of stairway, finished with marble floors shining. New cabinets in the living room with renovated mantle. To see those cabinets that I custom built click HERE.
Finished stairway looking at the right inside corner of the wall showing the transition of the skirt boards and base cap moulding going up the rake of the stairway.
Finished left side of the stairway. This shows the termination of casing from the opening into a block designed to run the base cap of the skirt boards into. You can just see the fireplace mantle and cabinet that I built at this wonderful home.
Finished left side of the stairway. Close up picture. Custom designed and installed oak risers, oak treads, and diamond cut oak balusters, oak rosettes, and oak posts. Here is another tidbit for you if you are considering upgrading your existing stairway or building a new home. Stain grade risers do not scuff up as bad as paint grade risers with black shoes. Just thought I would throw my two cents in for your next design.
Finished left outside of the stairway. Close up picture. Once again see how the casing for the opening has a small transition block to terminate base cap and chair rail into.
