We designed and manufactured this unusual staircase for a recently renovated studio, providing access to the mezzanine level above whilst working around the layout of the room on the ground floor.

The project presented a couple of key challenges. The pitched roof above the mezzanine meant that access at the top of the staircase needed to be in the centre of the room. However, the position of a wash basin in the centre of the space below meant the foot of the staircase needed to be offset to the side. To solve this, we worked with the property owner to create an S-shaped design made from cast aluminium.

We designed the staircase to run parallel with the mezzanine with the base turning out into the space. This made access more straightforward than would have been possible with a straight staircase and meant we could limit its linear length to fit well within the space.

The design comprised two wide straight diamond treads at the base, smoothly transitioning into four anti-clockwise treads curving around the fitted washbasin. From there, three straight treads ascended to the required height, leading to three clockwise treads that met perfectly at the centre of the mezzanine level.

We developed the initial designs using our computer-aided designs (CAD) software. This allowed the designs to be easily fine-tuned and allowed the client to approve the final appearance. Once the design was agreed, our foundry team produced the cast aluminium parts which were then finished by our workshop team. Cast aluminium offers all the aesthetic benefits of cast iron but is considerably lighter. In fact, cast aluminium staircases can be a third lighter than cast iron counterparts.

For the finish, our in-house powder coating facility offered the property owner the luxury of selecting any of our RAL options for their staircase. In this instance, they went with RAL 8019, a grey matt brown finish, complimenting the space perfectly. In addition, the overall project was enhanced by incorporating a striking glass balcony, elevating the aesthetic appeal of the space further.

Once installed, our aluminium staircases add value and provide a beautifully crafted, unique statement piece for any space. BSC’s commitment to excellence ensures that clients experience a seamless journey from the conceptualisation of their staircase to its final installation, with unwavering support and expertise at every step. The property owner said: “Everyone I dealt with at British Spirals and Castings was professional, courteous, and patient. Nothing seemed too much trouble. Their experience and creative input were invaluable.”

If you are interested in having a bespoke staircase in your own property, you can visit our gallery and submit a quote, or get in touch via phone or email.

The post Bespoke ‘S’ plan staircase elevates art studio renovation appeared first on British Spirals & Castings.

The benefits of laser scanning 

We manufacture pieces for projects all over the world and take real pride in being able to support our customers to take accurate measurements, ensuring we can manufacture spiral staircases, straight stairs and balconies which fit perfectly without having to carry out a site visit. In fact, for most projects, a tape measure and level are perfectly adequate to get the measurements we need.  

When we’re dealing with an especially large or tall space, or an older building where walls and floors may undulate in and out, the LiDAR camera often provides a better option.  

The LiDAR camera is a laser scanner which works in a similar way to radar, firing out a signal and measuring the time it takes to return. By doing this again and again, it is able to plot where points are in space. Unlike radar, which uses radio waves, LiDAR uses laser signals. This means it can create an incredibly accurate 3D point cloud which can then be used in computer aided design (CAD) modelling software.  

We use a Leica model of LiDAR camera which not only generates this “point cloud” but also takes a normal picture of the building. By positioning the camera at different points in the room or around the building (if it’s an external staircase), it’s then possible to produce a recognisable digital recreation of the space, as you can see in the images below. This can all be completed with just a few hours work, first capturing the images, then processing them in the CAD software.  

3D LiDAR image being converted into a CAD computer model.

Once the image is processed, our team can easily make adjustments within the CAD model to aspects such as the design and orientation of treads and landing plates, the location of fixings and the dimensions of openings in the upper floor or balcony. It also makes it much easier to visualise how the staircase will actually look at the design stage. This means you can get a clearer sense of how different design choices such as the staircase materials, spindle or tread patterns, types of handrail and even finishes will look in your property.  

Flattened 3D scan of multi-storey home (left) and the CAD design for the three-storey spiral staircase.  

We can then manufacture the piece with a high degree of precision, regardless of how complex or out of square or plumb the space is. This helps to ensure a much easier installation process – avoiding any unnecessary delays or surprises. The LiDAR images and outputs can also be useful for your architect, allowing them to plan further features in as part of their own design processes.   

Get in touch 

If you are interested in having a bespoke spiral staircase, balcony or railing designed and installed in your own property, visit our gallery to view some of the options and submit a quote or get in touch via phone or email. 

The post Laser scanning for refurbishments and conversions appeared first on British Spirals & Castings.

In cities across Britain, it’s fairly common to find larger townhouses from the Victorian and Georgian periods which have been converted into separate flats over time with an external staircase fitted to reach the upper floors. With older conversions in particular, this can lead to some odd internal arrangements. For this project in Scotland, we designed and manufactured a new, multi-storey spiral staircase to provide access whilst allowing the owners to make more of the internal spaces.

Rearranging the property

The three-storey property was originally constructed in the 1890s. In the 1930s, the upper floor was converted into a self-contained flat. However, the existing access arrangements for the flat were a little unusual as property owner, Peter Charlesworth, explained:

“The flat above was accessed via an external staircase to a room on the first floor and then an internal staircase from there to the second floor. This meant our house on the lower two levels had two bedrooms upstairs but no bathroom, or anywhere to build a bathroom. Instead, we had two bathrooms on the ground floor. We took the room on the first floor (which would have been the drawing room of the original house) back as a bedroom and built a bathroom and en-suite where the internal staircase used to be. This also allowed us to build a kitchen in the flat where the internal staircase was. We demolished the concrete external staircase, blocked up the entrance on the first floor and made an opening at the second floor for a new staircase.”

Full Height Spiral Staircase

To provide external access to the upper floor, Peter and his wife Paula contacted us to explore some options, settling on a Victorian spiral staircase design.

“The home is Victorian with Georgian revival features so the staircase matches well.” Peter said “We also like that it is manufactured mostly from cast aluminium. This makes the structure lighter and stiffer which was ideal given it needed to go almost as high as an external stair is allowed”

We designed the staircase with two resting landings along with a small balcony outside the entrance to the flat. The treads feature a metal riser plate and a perforated pattern which, along with decorative styling, also provides traction and allows them to drain. The baluster features spindles with a simple decorative pattern with four spindles supplied per tread.

As with all our cast aluminium staircases, the parts were all produced at our traditional Staffordshire foundry and then manufactured in North Derbyshire. Normally we would powder coat our staircases but as this was situated in a coastal environment, we worked in conjunction with Mulberry and Pier Protective Coatings Ltd who offer high quality specialist marine grade wet sprays to give longevity to the finish. For this project, they used a C5 corrosion class paint which is specifically designed to prevent corrosion in marine environments.

The height of the staircase meant the design would need to be carefully scrutinised by the local building standards department to ensure it was compliant with the Scottish Building Standards. We worked with the site team and client, providing the department with clear information to ensure the staircase was approved and that everything could move forward to schedule.

“We were very happy with the service British Spirals & Castings provided” Paula explained.

“Because the spiral is so tall, building standards had lots of questions to ask. We also had a coronavirus pandemic to deal with. Ben and Richard Harding were both very helpful. They know what they are doing. The finished result is even better than we expected, and it looks like it could have always been there.”

If you need a staircase, railing, balustrade or balcony for your own project then get in touch. You can view a wide range of our designs in our gallery and submit a quote directly from there.

The post External Access for an Upper Storey Flat appeared first on British Spirals & Castings.

Before designing a bespoke piece for a client, whether it be a staircase, balcony, balustrade or railing, we always sit down with them (either in-person, on the phone or via email) to try and get a clear idea of their vision. Customers are often surprised by the amount of choice and design decisions they need to make. For a typical spiral staircase alone, common questions can include:

• Would you prefer wooden or cast aluminium treads?
• If wooden then what type of wood (we offer a wide range of grade-A timbers)?
• If cast aluminium then which pattern (options include Victorian, LCC, Modern Art Deco, Diamond or a completely bespoke pattern)?
• What material would you like the handrails to be made from (we can match any handrail design with our treads)?
• Would you prefer the riser bar to be metal or timber?
• How many spindles and/or railing panels would you like per each tread?
• What design of spindle and/or railing panel would you like?
• Would you prefer a wooden or metal handrail?
• Do you need an inner handrail?
• What colour would you like the metalwork to be powder coated?

This is before we even get to more practical questions about the diameter of the staircase, depth of treads and height of handrails.

Understandably, all these choices can be a little overwhelming. To make things easier, it is a good idea to gather together examples of designs you like in one place. This might include images from our website, ones found on social media or sites such as Real Homes or Houzz or even pictures of staircases, railings or balconies you’ve seen when out and about.

Whilst it is possible to simply collate these all in a folder on your computer, we’ve found that the approach which works best is to create a Pinboard on Pinterest. If you’ve not used it before, Pinterest is basically a digital version of a noticeboard, allowing you to “pin” images together and add notes to them. You can either search for images on Pinterest, link to other images by pasting in their URL or even upload pictures from your phone, tablet or computer.

Pinterest offers a useful beginners guide to help anyone who is new to the platform to help you get set-up.

What to include in your inspiration board

To give you an idea of what to include, we’ve created an example inspiration board. In this case, the customers are looking for a spiral staircase for their new home.

As you can see, when you open each image in the pinboard there are useful notes pointing out what we like about each image, whether it be details like the thickness of treads and design of spindles or simply the design of the entire staircase.

To add some context, we’ve also included some interior images to help communicate the overall feel of the property. These can be really helpful in narrowing down the design options.

You don’t have to pin hundreds of images but if you can gather around 7 or 8 it should provide a useful starting point, meaning we can get on designing your staircase more quickly!

Once the board is ready, simply click the three dots next to the board name, select “Share” and then click on the “copy link” button as shown below. Then simply paste this link into an email and send it over.

Visit our Pinterest board and start gathering your ideas today!

The post Creating an inspiration board for your project appeared first on British Spirals & Castings.

During a typical week, we receive many phone calls asking us about whether we supply cast iron staircases? Over the course of the conversation, it usually becomes clear that what they are actually looking for is a traditional design of staircase such as our decorative Victorian spiral staircases or our Georgian style LCC staircases. Cast iron is synonymous with metalwork from these periods as it was relatively cheap and easy to produce. Since then, however, manufacturing has moved on and new materials have become available. When we were deciding what material to produce our staircases from, aluminium was the standout choice.

Lightweight

Cast aluminium is virtually indistinguishable from cast iron, both in terms of look and feel, but it is significantly stronger and lighter. In practice, this means our cast aluminium staircases weigh around a third of cast iron alternatives.

This has plenty of advantages most obviously during the initial installation. Because the staircase is so light, its actually practical to install your own staircase (with a little assistance positioning the larger items such as the handrail). Even if you don’t fancy fitting it yourself, the lighter design will make the whole installation much faster and simpler for your fitter.

Beyond the erection of the staircase itself, the reduced weight also means that upper floor staircases, for areas such as loft conversions, can be fitted without the need for additional steel supports and associated disruption and structural engineering costs. Similarly, when used externally, our cast aluminium staircases do not need the extensive concrete foundations that cast iron requires. This means less time spent digging out the ground and waiting for the concrete to set.

Resilient and weather resistant

Whilst cast iron may conjure up images of highly durable old machinery or kitchen equipment, it is actually quite a brittle metal, due to its high carbon content (around 4%). As such, whilst cast iron has good compressive strength, it can fracture at joints over time if not cared for properly. This is particularly true for external staircases which are exposed to more extreme hot and cold conditions. The cast aluminium we use for our staircases is much less brittle and will stand the test of time.

Another common issue with cast iron metalwork is rust. Over time, cast iron can be vulnerable to corrosion so it is usually necessary to coat it with a water-resistant finish such as paint and to keep this regularly touched up and maintained. Any signs of rust have to be dealt with quickly before they become more serious. In contrast, our cast aluminium staircases offer excellent corrosion resistance and require far less maintenance to keep them looking and performing their best.

Quality control

Above and beyond the advantages that cast aluminium offers as a material, the other major benefit for us is that we own our own non-ferrous aluminium foundry. This gives us complete end-to-end control on our cast aluminium items. We continuously engage with aluminium suppliers to ensure that we are sourcing the best quality material on the market for our staircases. Once the ingots arrive at the foundry, we can completely manage the flow of castings, which means that we can have complete confidence in the quality of our products – delivering the perfect results each time.

If you want to see just how good cast aluminium staircases look in person, come and visit our Derbyshire showroom where our staff will happily show you some of our most popular designs. You can also browse our full range in our gallery and, when you’re ready, send over a quote request for your preferred design.

The post What is the difference between Cast Iron and Cast Aluminium? appeared first on British Spirals & Castings.

Photography by Phil Jackson: www.harbourviewphotography.com

A staircase is rarely just a staircase. As you climb or descend you are taken somewhere new or, on rare occasions, somewhere extremely old.

The Etches Collection: Museum of Jurassic Marine Life sits in the Dorset village of Kimmeridge, along England’s Jurassic Coast. It is home to a unique collection of some 2,500 fossil specimens, lovingly curated over 30 years by local expert Steve Etches.  With his ever-growing collection steadily taking over his house, Etches began seeking a permanent home for these ancient treasures and in 2016 that dream became a reality.

At one end of the museum, Etches’ workshop, which provides access to his office from a small mezzanine, is visible to the public through a glazed screen. From the point of planning, Janie Price, of Kennedy O’Callaghan Architects, knew they needed to find a spiral staircase solution that both worked practically in the small space and fitted with the contemporary design of the rest of the museum. Janie explained: “I looked on the internet for something suitable. We needed a very small diameter spiral staircase and I liked the image of the British Spirals & Castings Scandinavian staircase as it was modern and simple and had timber treads to suit our interior, which is exposed CLT.”

The balustrade continues around the mezzanine and, with its prominent visibility, it was important that the appearance be consistent with the surrounding space. In particular, Janie was keen that it matched that of the main staircase, which is in-situ concrete with a white steel balustrade and beech handrail. In keeping with this simple, clean-cut feel, the workshop staircase is a cast aluminium spiral staircase with plain metal balusters, powder coated white, and with Birch Faced Ply treads.

The main challenge was the size and setting of the staircase. “[It] had to be as small as possible,” Janie explained, “and it had to be set out carefully to avoid the danger of walking into the area of low headroom.” To this end, the staircase has a compact 1194mm diameter and the appearance has been kept minimalistic, omitting the central newel in favour of continuous balusters. In order to achieve this, the size of the balusters was increased to 32mm with a 40mm newel, making it barely noticeable. The architects also wanted a continuous handrail, without a projecting newel mid-span, and Janie was pleased to find that British Spirals & Castings were more than happy to adapt the original proposal.

Size and setting weren’t the only challenges to contend with on this project: “Building Control would not accept an open-riser staircase in a public building because the fossil collector, Steve Etches, is able to invite the public into his workshop.” To overcome this particular problem, a standard 10mm riser bar was included and a sign was made to indicate that the staircase was only for private use.

The final result is a staircase of modern design and organic shape, which beautifully reflects the natural patterns of the ammonite fossils so carefully housed and preserved amongst the collection in Etches’ workshop and the museum beyond. Following the curve of the stair takes you not just into the heart of the museum but back into deep time and England’s Jurassic past.

Commenting on the fully-installed staircase, Janie Price said:

“British Spirals & Castings were helpful in developing the design and details to suit our requirements. The staircase sits comfortably in its setting.”

Interested in a bespoke staircase or balcony for your own property? Take a look at our website, request a quote or — if you have any queries — get in touch via phone, email or by visiting our showroom here in beautiful Derbyshire.

The post Staircase To The Past appeared first on British Spirals & Castings.

Types of Staircase

Straight — The most common type of stairs. They rise in a single direction.

Combination — Introduce a 90 degree turn in a straight staircase. These staircases use spiral treads to create the turn.

Kited/Winder — Also have a 90 degree turn but with flat edge treads which follow the lines of a wall. 

Spiral Stairs — The treads on these stairs rotate upwards around a central post. The outer edge of the treads is curved to create a circular outer diameter.

Squarial — An adapted version of the spiral staircase with flat edge treads which follow the lines of the walls.

Helical/Curved — Do not pivot around a central post but ‘sweep’ in an elegant curve.

Parts of Staircase

Baluster/Spindle – decorative or plain vertical shafts which help to support the handrail and close the gap between it and the baserail/tread for safety.

Balustrading – The name for the full construction of spindles, newel post, cap, baserail and handrail to form a guarding.

Base Plate — The fixing at the bottom of the centre post of a spiral or squarial staircase which secures it to the ground.

Baserail — The bottom flat steel section on which spindles can be fixed too. It is usually only used on balustrade sections that are used as guarding but depending on the shape and construction of the stairs can be used on the rake of the staircase also.

Cap/Finial — Decorative top piece for the newel post.

Handrail — The railing which sits on top of the spindles and can be used as a support by staircase users.

Nosing — The leading edge of a tread that protrudes out.

Centre pole — The central pillar in a spiral or squarial staircase which supports all of the treads.

Newel Post — A square or round post which is used to support the handrails at the top and bottom of the staircase and also where there is a change in direction of balustrading. On long runs of balustrade it acts as a support to strengthen the balustrading.

Riser — The vertical facing between treads. This can either fully or partially fill the space between the treads.

Step — the name for the combination of tread and riser.

String/Stringer — This covers the sides of the treads and structurally supports them on straight, combination, kited and helical staircases.

Tread — The top surface of the step where you stand.

Measurements for a Staircase

Rise— The measurement from the top of one tread to the top of the one above it.

Headroom — The height measurement from the nosing to the ceiling.

Flight — The stairway from one floor to the next.

Going — The depth of a tread minus any overlap from the nosing of the tread above it. On a straight staircase this is typically taken from the centre of the tread. For tapered treads, inner and outer goings are also measured at a 270 mm distance from the edge of the tread.

Pitch Line — A notional diagonal line from the nosing of one tread to the nosing of the next.

Pitch — The angle between the pitch line and the horizontal.

The post Glossary of Staircase Parts appeared first on British Spirals & Castings.

External metal staircases offer a practical solution for building owners looking to provide a safe means of evacuation. Usually customers who need these functional pieces tend to opt for simple designs such as our LCC or Diamond staircases. On a recent refurbishment, however, we had the opportunity to create a grander set of fire escape stairs – a double storey Victorian spiral staircase with matching balconies.

The staircase was manufactured for a 19th Century villa in picturesque spa town of Harrogate. Over time, the three-storey house had been converted into three separate flats and, in the 1960s, a metal fire escape was installed. Whilst serving its purpose, the industrial style stairs clashed with the traditional sandstone of the building and intruded on the privacy of the lower flats.

In 2016, the owners agreed to purchase a new staircase which was both safer and more in keeping with the architectural style in the surrounding conservation zone. After looking around, they got in touch with us.

“We found British Spirals & Castings via a search engine and then visited their manufacturing site” homeowner, Alison Gould explained. “We were impressed by their work, their ethos, culture and their staff.”

The first challenge was finding a design which complimented the building and was to the taste of all the flat owners. Given the age of the property, our Victorian style cast aluminium spiral stairs and balconies seemed a good fit. For the balustrading, the owners opted to alternate between a simple spindle and an ornamental panel. This reflects the more ornate style of the Victorian period whilst also meeting the Building Regulation requirements. As a final touch, fleur de lis style finials were also used to top the uppermost balcony.

At 28 feet tall, the staircase posed some engineering challenges which were further complicated by the age and form of the building. In addition to an array of gutters and drain pipes, the walls themselves weren’t actually straight!

To ensure a strong structure, the expanded balconies were designed with two main posts (including the central post of the spiral staircase) and decorative gallows brackets. The balcony gratings were carefully measured and manufactured to slot around the existing down pipes. A narrow diameter spiral staircase was selected to prevent the stairs directly passing any windows — giving each homeowner privacy.

Once the design was agreed, our team got to work casting, refining and powder coating all the elements before delivering them. Despite the narrow site dimensions, Marshall and Wallace’s experienced installation team were able to complete the work quickly and efficiently.

“This project was far from easy but the staff at British Spirals and Castings went out of their way to help us,” Alison Gould said. “Any issues were always sorted cheerfully and positively, and I’d strongly recommend them to anyone looking for something similar. The simple description ‘balcony and fire escape’ doesn’t really do it justice. It looks awesome and beautiful!”

“We were very pleased with the price, quality and customer service” flat owner, Neil McFarthing, added. “The increase in size to the previous balcony now gives a bigger space to sit and have a drink on a warm evening so this is a big plus for us, but also the look of the balcony from ground level is superb for all occupants of the property. In fact, a number of people have said that it looks like it has always been there.”

Interested in a bespoke staircase or balcony for your own property? Take a look at our website, request a quote or — if you have any queries — get in touch via phone, email or by visiting our showroom here in beautiful Derbyshire.

The post Fire Escape Stairs with a Difference appeared first on British Spirals & Castings.

How many times have you reached the end of a summer holiday and wished you could just forget about coming home? One of our Victorian staircases is living out that dream in the Mediterranean sun after it was installed externally on a renovated village house which is one of three individual charming dwellings available for holiday rental.

For owners, Jo and Alan Boyd, it was love at first sight when they saw the homes in Gavalahori on the west of the island. The couple decided to take the plunge, breathing new life into the properties and creating a perfectly formed community of homes which are now available for holiday rent.

To help visitors to make the most of the warm Greek evenings, Jo and Alan wanted to provide guest access to a roof terrace. The issue they faced was that the only way to reach it was through their personal bedroom. They needed an outdoor staircase; as Alan explained:

“We wanted a period exterior staircase which would be in keeping with the village architecture. After searching around online, we came across the British Spirals & Castings website and were impressed with the designs, so we got in touch.  From the moment of enquiry to delivery in Crete, it was a seamless operation”

Jo and Alan chose a Victorian spiral staircase with two railings per tread. The spiral design helped them to retain space in the lower level courtyard whilst adding further character to the space. We forged the staircase from lightweight aluminium at our foundry before refining it in our workshop. Finally, a cream coloured powder coating was then added, helping the staircase to blend with the building render, and we sent it on its adventure.

“The assembly was done by myself and brother in law” Alan explained.  “Providing you have a scaffold tower, assembly is very straight forward. I have had local builders asking to see it and they have been impressed by the design and quality.”

Here at British Spirals & Castings, we supply straight and spiral staircases to projects right across the globe and take pride in ensuring we can deliver products which precisely match the measurements you supply. The items are supplied with clear instructions meaning that they can be easily installed by relativity experienced DIYer’s as you can see in the pictures below.

If you need some tips for getting crafty in your garden then it is worth checking out the DIY Garden blog. Their new beginner’s guide to woodworking is great place to start if you’re unsure.

The Install:

Creating an opening – Alan and his brother-in-law first created a space in the terrace wall.

The numbered treads all ready to be installed.

The central post is installed and the first tread is slotted into place.

The team hard at work on the scaffolding as the staircase starts to take shape.

Once the treads are fitted the balusters can also be fixed in place

Finally the railing is installed over the staircase with the landing plate balusters ready to receive the final railing.

The post Outdoor Staircase Completes Idyllic Greek Houses appeared first on British Spirals & Castings.

Fortunately, under stair spaces aren’t usually hiding ghouls, ghosts or other types of monsters. In fact, you can make it downright uncomfortable for them to hide there by converting the dead space into handy storage. Here are some of the best staircase storage ideas we’ve come across over the years:

Playing it straight

Most multi-storey homes have a cupboard under the stairs. They’re a useful spot for hiding hoovers, shoes and even the occasional boy wizard. However, the awkward dimensions of these enclosed spaces can make it difficult to really make the most of them. A good alternative is to leave this area open-plan.

Open-plan spaces are, by their very nature, highly adaptable. You can put in a display cabinet, bookshelf, shoe rack, or even a bean bag or seat to make a reading nook. Our straight and kited solid wood stairs are ideal for homeowners looking to add a touch of traditional style and class to any open-plan room.

Creating space with spirals

Most people are aware that spiral staircases provide a compact footprint, making them ideal for small spaces. But the benefits don’t end there. As the spiral rises, it also creates usable floor room underneath.

Spiral staircases often provide the ideal access solution in slightly awkward corner spaces or alcoves. With a little imagination, these areas can offer a great location to showcase art, sculptures or store your spare Ghostbuster’s proton packs.

Even the compact space beneath a square spiral staircase is perfect for smaller items such as books, boots or pet’s beds.

As spiral staircase only take up a small section of floor space, there’s no need to close off the area beneath them. That means they can be fitted in the centre of a room, and the ‘problem space’ beneath the staircase can simply function like any other area of the room.

Wine-ding downwards

Of course, the space below the staircase isn’t the only place you can store things. One of our particular favourites recently was the fantastic Stockholm Winebar. What could be a better distraction from the dark than picking up a bottle of full bodied red on your way down or up the stairs!

We have lots more staircase inspiration on our Pinterest Boards, so take a look if you need a creative spark to start your staircase story.

The post What lies beneath? – Staircase storage ideas   appeared first on British Spirals & Castings.