Landing newell, knee wall, baluster; these terms are not in the usual vernacular of our everyday person, but probably more common to a stair builder. They refer to something we use daily; stairs. If you’re unsure about adding stairs to your home and how to do it there are many options to consider. We can break the decision down into two parts: why you should have stairs in your home and deciding to hire a stair builder.
Why should you add a staircase? The answer is aesthetic. Your house has an overall feeling, whether that be warm, cozy, open, closed. Stairs add to this aura in an important way and will add to the essence you are hoping to achieve in your house.
The stairs and banister alone leave you with many choices; from straight, curve or spiral to partial open, full open – the possibilities are endless. You’ll also have to decide what type of wood you want to use. Options such as Red Oak, Hickory, or Brazilian Cherry are only scratching the surface.
The final artistic decision you must make is on one of the most structurally important pieces; the balusters. These are the middle pieces of your staircase that hold up the bannister and run along the edge of your stairs.
You’ll have to ask yourself, what shape and size you prefer? Do you want a hammered metal look or a sleek finished wood design? Pairing deep mahogany wood stairs and banister with a specially designed iron baluster will make a strong, beautiful statement. Asking friends or a stair builder for creative ideas is a good idea.
Now, the most important part of this process is to discuss why it is critical to hire a stair builder. The reason is that decorative options such as balusters actually have great bearing on whether or not your stairs will be safe. A stair builder will know this and therefore make sure that the installation is done properly.
Also, depending on the location of your home there are certain codes and requirements for building. It’s best to hire a stair builder who will be prepared with this information and waste none of the time you might if you had to do your own research.
I know it may seem more economical to do them yourself, but if you breech a building code, or make a mistake it will end up costing you to fix the problem. Hiring a stair builder will ensure that the work will be done error free.
Building stairs, as you can see, is a lot to take on. Though most of the creative decisions will be made by yourself, the rest should be placed in the hands of a stair builder to not only save your wallet, but make sure you and your family can run up and down those stairs safely, and without worry for many years to come.