.......Are these hard to build?

Not really. More often that not when I sell a set of plans the first I hear that a stair was built from them is when the builder sends me some pictures.

It's kind of hard to answer as everyone has different skill levels. I can say that some builders have written to me mentioning their project was more fun than work once they got started. I'd suggest you read through the portion of the plans I've posted and see if they seem workable for you.

The treads are not much more complicated than making a dozen or so pie shapes with notches in their corners and a hole in one end. The balusters are a no brainer, just 2 by 2s with an angle on one end and a couple of notches on the other.

The steel parts are usually best cut to length by the folks that sell you the pipe unless you have a way to play with larger pipe diameters. The handrail for the stair is just a dozen 3/4 by 1/4 inch slats that are glued together, laminated, (glued together) around a flat circular form. The railing isn't pulled into a helix until it's being installed.

.......Will you answer questions that I may have during construction?

Yes, Every now and then a builder may need clarification on some point, or needs a little advice about installing in an abnormal situation. I'm more than happy to offer any assistance I can as I also want your project to be something we can both be proud to say we made. jself@accn.org

.......What supports this stair?

The stair isn't supported as much as it's restrained in place. At the base of the stair there's a small circle of wood the center pole slips over to restrain any side to side movement. The top of the stair is held in position by the landing capturing the center pole and being fastened to the adjacent floor.

Here's a Picture of my stair here at home with a load that's probably more than you'll normally have in your application.

.......How small can I make this stair?

I never recommend making a spiral much less than 48" in diameter. There just isn't much room between the center pole and the handrail when the staircase gets much smaller than 48". There are some steel spiral stairs that can be ordered from elsewhere on the internet that are as small as 36" in diameter.

.......Do you make kits?

Although I have built several spirals for shipping elsewhere, I don't say I make kits. Almost every spiral you can find on the internet comes dis-assembled for shipping. To me, that means it's a kit. I have made parts for other peoples projects though, like the steel spacers and top posts. It's hard to say if my making the steel for you would be a cost savings for you or not. For example, shipping 100 pounds or so from Michigan to Colorado costs around $60.

.......What size hole will I need in the floor?

Normally, the finished hole should be about three inches bigger than your stair diameter. The reason for this is to allow you to keep your fingers on the handrail as you pass through the hole. More often than not though, the handrail actually passes through the floor nearer one of the corners of the opening. If the front edge of your landing is perpendicular to one of the hole edges, the handrail will be close to the next side of the hole though and the finger clearance is strongly advised.

If you're using a round hole in the floor, the hole has to be bigger than your stair diameter, no options here.

.......Can I build these for outside?

Certainly, but I'd suggest a couple of things to help with longevity. First, choose a wood type that is doing well in your area. I'd also plan on using an epoxy glue, or perhaps you've had some experience with the newer exterior yellow glues and trust them instead. If you're considering using treated wood, purchase the driest wood you can locate, wet boards don't glue well even with an epoxy.

I'd also suggest painting all the steel parts inside and out with the best paint you can locate, probably also an epoxy. You could also consider making the spacer pipes and top post using aluminum instead of steel. The lsat time I checked three and a half inch aluminum pipe was selling for around $7 a foot. A normal height spiral would use about 10 feet of that size.

.......How tall/short can I make a stair?

There's really no limit in either case, the stair will just revolve more or less than 360 degrees. There's at least one stair pictured on my site that shows one I built that's around 14 feet high. That one revolves about a full revolution and another third. I've also helped a customer alter the stair plans to make a quarter turn library stair less than four feet high.

.......How long do they take to make?

I spend around 65/80 hours for a complete installed staircase. staining and intermediate balusters consume more time. These hours don't include the hole in the floor or the handrailing around it.

.......Do you make these for other people?

Yes, I make a couple or so spirals every year, some have even been sent away for installation by others. It's difficult to put a price on a project, but normally they run from around $2,800 to $3,200 depending on the options, for example, intermediate balusters, staining, wood species and carpet routing.

.......Do you do stair design work?

At times I've used my various softwares to produce working dimensioned drawings for unique stair situations. If you have a project that you think I may be of some help with, please write to me at jself@accn.org.

.......PayPal sucks, what else can I do?

I also accept personal checks, money orders, or even cash. Please don't send me your credit card numbers, I wouldn't know what to do with them. If you don't trust your mail person either, sent the envelope registered mail.

.......I'm a foreigner, can I get a discount?

I try to help out as much as I can knowing the stair plans price is quite a bit of money in some countries. Since I began selling plans over 5 years ago I've started collecting foreign folding currencies. Upon request I've taken to accepting examples of bills in exchange for the plans and support. The denominations (value) of the bills isn't as important as the variety, I won't be exchanging the bills. It doesn't even really matter if the bills are from your own country, it's the variety that most important.

I'm sorry, but I have examples of currencies from Canada and England, I don't think those countries are impoverished anyway. I've also collected several bills from Siberia, Japan, Korea, Serbia, Jamaica, Guatemala, Venezuela, Russia, Bolivia, Libya, Mexico, Hercegovine, South Africa, Scotland, Sweden, and even a couple of Euros, but would certainly like more countries represented.

.......I have a question not answered here.

jself@accn.org Write me