New curved stair project

[Colin anoski]

This is a new stair project we just finished the design on. It is going to be Walnut treads and handrail. Not sure how I am going to finish the center beam yet. I am new to this forum and welcome any comments good or bad.

Colin

[tjbnwi]

Welcome.

Looks interesting.

Do a members search for Stan Foster, he is one "twisted" fabricator when it comes to staircases. Keith Mathewson also. They have some great posts on curved staircases.

Tom

[Colin anoski]

Thank-you Tom. I have looked at all of Stan's and Keith's posts. I am very interested to hear what they have to say.

Colin

[timberwrestler]

The treads look pretty straightforward, but the handrail is going to be tricky. Have you seen the tangent handrail article on 'this is carpentry?' Check out Jim Baldwins's posts as well. He also cuts tangent handrail parts, and you could sub that part to him. From the rendering it looks like the handrail doesn't meet IRC requirements.

[Colin anoski]

timberwrestler,

I have read his article. Most of the stairs I do incorporate some sort of desending fitting. Although I have not made the patterns with the tangental method. I may try to lay it out with that method for this stair to see if I can fiqure it out. I currently use a method developed with the use of Auto-Cad. It seems to work not to bad.

Colin

[dlhunter]

What type of material for the balusters?

[Colin anoski]

The balusters will be made from 1" x 2" steel power coated black. I used the same style on a similar stair. They work well because I can weld inserts into the bottoms to accept bolts from the bottom of the treads. Also I like to tie the back of each tread to the front of the one above to add rigidity to a center beam stair. In the renderings we only drew in 1 baluster per tread but there will be 3.

Colin

[Keith Mathewson]

This type of stair is well described in Mannes's book. It is an elegant solution for a stair bounded on both sides which would otherwise be a platform or winder. The handrail shown, as well as the one in the book are built similar to the skirt and are not code complaint in the USA. To make the handrail you would have to use tangent handrailing techniques or as suggested employ someone like Jim Baldwin, Dan Bloomer, Paul Savino, Shawn Christman, Steve Guenzel, etc.

[Jim Baldwin]

You might add finger grooves to the handrail to legalize it. Other than that I have a few comments with regard to design...

I see some protruding side ledger walls, which I'm assuming have some purpose?

Walnut treads are a little soft to be walking on without carpet pad.

I think I might remove the top balcony wall in favor of a continuation of the stair rail. This opposing elliptical stair is intentionally "continuous" from the ground floor to that point (so why stop there?)Plus the bowed wall with a straight cord-line looks a little odd to me. This formidable walnut stair, stuck between solid walls and blocked-out rectangular surfaces, may not benefit from a barricaded solid balcony.

At the start of the stair, I would roll the raked rail down to the floor and eliminate the bisected angle. (Why not demonstrate complete mastery over the rail since you've spared no expense anywhere else?)

The use of a large central beam is most often seen supporting a completely free-standing stair with double-cantilevered treads and not in conjunction with side walls.

The truth is, this stair and it's surrounding walls are an interesting mix of geometric curves and rectangular "building-block" surfaces (and perhaps that's the whole point).

[Colin anoski]

Hi Jim,

I use this handrail profile quite often without any issues in our area. There is no outside stringer, although it does look that way in the rendering. The offset shown is a 1" space from the treads to the wall. The stair is intended to be freestanding in design, but the landing had to be there for the front entry. I may change the belcony wall, but there is to be built-in desk so I cannot continue the rail. I do agree that having rail across would be the best option. I am going to really do some thinking about rolling the rail into the post. I have never done it that way and think it would look pretty clean on this stair.

Colin

[Stan Foster]

Colin- Very interesting and challenging to say the least! Please keep us posted with progress pictures. I have had some challenging stairways in my life....and would love to have the experience you will have when you have completed this one.


Stan Foster
Illinois
www.stansstairways.com

[Colin anoski]

Hi Stan,

I will really enjoy working on this stair. Most all of the stairs I do are similarly challanging. Not much exciting progess, just tread glue-ups and more tread glue-ups. Then on to the rail blanks. I am also working on another freestanding open riser stair at the same time. Maybe I will Start another thread with some drawings and a couple pictures as I had to work on the belcony to start, almost ready install. The homeowners are moving in before I can complete the stair, but they do have a secondary stair.

Colin