Example (not manufactured by BS&C).

Carrying out any building work over the past couple of years has been a challenge, with rising costs and material and labour shortages meaning your initial budget may not stretch as far as expected. This can lead to difficult choices when it comes to the internal fit-out, including your choice of staircase.

Here at British Spirals & Castings, we pride ourselves in delivering the best staircase for your budget and over the past few months we have been helping customers facing budget challenges to achieve a beautiful, modern finish at a surprisingly low cost.

The secret with these staircases is the careful use of materials and design. As with our standard solid timber staircases, the treads are cut from a Grade-A solid timber of your choice, however, the stringer (the side support) and  riser (the vertical section of wood between treads) are produced from a high grade poplar plywood. This is a high-quality material (in fact some of our Scandinavian designs use birch or poplar plywood for the standard treads), however, as a sheet good it is available at a far lower price point than a comparable section of solid timber such as Ash or Oak. In addition to lower the material costs, this also means our joiners do not need to spend time dimensioning the timber to the right thickness for your project, saving on labour.

The plywood sections of the staircase can then be painted in your chosen colour. This helps to make the solid treads really stand out, whilst providing a more stripped back, modern aesthetic for the staircase. We can either supply the poplar plywood sections pre-painted or just prime them so you can add the finishing touches yourself.

We can combine these styles with a range of balustrade designs and materials including simple cast aluminium with circular or square profiled spindles, solid timber or custom steel profile. Again, these can either come pre-finished or primed and ready to be painted or treated.

As with all our staircases, your design will be tailored to your home, ensuring it makes the best use of your space, provides plenty of room for users and is comfortable to walk up and down.

You can see some examples of this style of staircase in the images throughout this blog and below. If you would like to discuss one of these designs, or a different style you have come across whilst browsing Pinterest or a home design magazine then get in touch via email or come visit our showroom. Our in-house designers are more than happy to produce a staircase which perfectly captures your vision.

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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.

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Transforming an existing property into the home of your dreams takes vision, ingenuity and determination. Homeowner Annette Andrews and her project team showed these qualities in abundance with a spectacular refurbishment centred around a stunning twisted column oak spiral staircase from British Spirals & Castings.

The extensive work at the Billericay home saw the internal floorplan torn up and walls torn down to create light, open living spaces. Right in the centre of the property, Annette chose to replace the existing kited staircase with a statement spiral staircase. “I have always wanted a spiral staircase and one with ‘wow’ factor.” she explained. “Once I saw the twisted column staircase, I knew anything else would be a compromise”.

Pivoting gracefully around a hollow, twisting column, the handcrafted staircase’s curved treads create and effortless sweeping motion. The solid wood design is made in a single piece with all fixings hidden, giving it an organic feel which emanates quality and distinction.

Measuring Up

With the staircase chosen, the next task was measuring up and finalising the bespoke design. Project manager, Rob Drumgold worked closely with British Spirals & Castings throughout the work:

“I met Richard Harding on site very early on in the work, and we discussed the complexities of the project. We were a little short on width on the upstairs landing to fit the stairs in, so between us we decided to move the bedroom wall over to give us enough room. Further on in the construction, I had several conversations with Antonia Harding to discuss some of the more accurate measurements. They provided assistance all the way through the design stage and prior to fitting. The service is some of the best I have ever come across in my 38 years working as a carpenter-builder.”

In addition to ensuring a seamless final fit, there was also the challenge of getting the wide diameter staircase into place. “The staircase was delivered when we had the front window of the lounge out. This gave us enough room to get the part assembled stairs within the house.” Rob explained. “I had discussed all the dimensions needed to get it in the house with Antonia. I would always recommend that owners make sure they have enough space to allow a staircase both into the house and exactly where it needs to be fitted.”

Once assembled, the staircase remained in the lounge for around a week whilst Rob and his team fitted the stair trimming, ready to receive the stairs. The staircase was then installed during the first fix stage, prior to plastering. Rob’s experience as a carpenter ensured the work was completed quickly and accurately- including the all-important fitting of the handrails and spindles.

“The twisted handrail and spindles all needed to be glued and fitted in one go. The mortise and tenon joints on the handrail (where they connect to the newel posts) and all the spindles were all glued and fitted at the same time. We use a foamy glue that expands to fill all the gaps, a bit like expanding foam. The only challenge is it does set quite quickly, so all the work had to be done fairly promptly. By making sure we were fully prepared before starting the work, we could ensure it all went smoothly and the end result was excellent.

Since this staircase has been fitted and coated with three coats of hard wax oil, it has had a terrific response from everyone who has visited the house. My scaffolding contractor, who has worked on many high-quality projects, could not believe how beautifully it was made and commented it was the best set of stairs he had ever seen.”

A Home Renewed

With the refurbishment work completed, Annette Andrew’s home has been revitalised. Large folding doors open out invitingly from the open plan kitchen diner area into the lavish garden. Upstairs, rooms have been re-modelled with large vaulted ceilings and electrically operated Velux windows fitted to all the bedrooms and above the galleried staircase. This fills the house with natural light and, at its heart, the twisted column spiral staircase takes pride of place – a testament to the quality of the work.

Commenting on the fully-installed staircase, Annette Andrews said:

“It looks fabulous and is now the talking point when people come into the house. Everyone has remarked on how stunning it looks and what good quality and amazing workmanship. I couldn’t be happier!”.

Rob Drumgold added:

“British Spirals and Castings should be congratulated on the outstanding quality of this product and the service they provide. I definitely will be using them again if we have a client who requires a spiral staircase. I would recommend them without hesitation. The client is very pleased with the end result, and that is the most important thing for us as a company. We rely on referrals and let our work speak for the quality we deliver so it is essential to have companies like British Spirals & Castings we can call on.”

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Owners, Roy and Carol Champion, were keen for the new home to do justice to the natural splendour of the surrounding Scottish countryside. It was in the design stage that the couple decided to include a timber spiral staircase in the centre of the open plan living space. The staircase gracefully reaches up from the ground floor to the vaulted first storey:

“We came across British Spirals and Castings whilst searching online and requested a brochure. It was not only one of the first to arrive through the post, but we were extremely impressed by what we saw.  It just so happened that we were due to travel through the area so we stopped by at the showroom to talk to the owners. Once we saw the beauty and quality of the staircases in real life, nothing else would do. Richard and Antonia Harding were helpful in working out the measurements and gave us a quote later that night.”

The Champions chose a classic solid ash spiral staircase with turned balusters, newels and centre pole bobbins.  A matching balustrade was fitted for the well opening on the landing. They also followed the Harding’s suggestion to rotate the staircase from its original orientation in order to make the best use of the space.

Richard Harding, the Managing Director of British Spirals and Castings, explained: “This was a really interesting project as it required us to build the staircase at the same time the house was being built. We liaised closely with the house manufacturer and the builder to ensure that the staircase fits the ceiling height and to clarify the positioning of the joists and other structural elements. As with 95% of our staircases, no site visit was required. All of this meant that the final installation went without an issue.”

“The staircase has completely transformed the room” Roy concluded, “it is a piece of architectural beauty that everyone comments on.”

British Spirals & Castings have been designing and manufacturing bespoke spiral stairs, straight staircases and balconies since 1980; all hand crafted here in the UK to each customer’s requirements.

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In staircase design, a fraction of a centimetre can be the difference between a perfect fit and a complete mess, that’s why we always go above and beyond to ensure precision, whether our staircase is being installed in London or on the other side of the globe.

Before our team of highly skilled craftsmen can get to work, we first have to create an accurate design. In the past, much of this drafts work was carried out by hand. For a visual aid, this technique was very effective, but our meticulous attention to detail made it a time-consuming process, particularly on more complex jobs.

To resolve this problem, we began using a highly customised Computer Aided Design (CAD) package. This powerful software handles the complex calculations and allows us to break our staircase designs down into sections. This means our craftsmen are able to work on separate sections of the staircase at the same time. As a result, we’ve been able to reduce our turnaround time, whilst still ensuring our customers receive the lovingly and precisely handcrafted staircase they’ve come to expect.

The CAD software factors in all the key details, such as the distance from walls and the height raise from the floor. These measurements can be very important to a customer when planning their spiral stairs. The side elevations drawings also really help us to bring the plans to life, and if our customers then need to make late design changes, it is very easy for us to make alterations.

One of the latest projects we’ve designed is our stand for the Homebuilding and Renovating Show at the NEC in Birmingham (14th – 17th April). Have a look below for an exclusive sneak peek!

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Stair Stains

Stair stains are a great way of adding colour to your wooden stairs, whilst bringing out the natural grain of the wood. Stains are either water or solvent based, and are available in a dazzling range of colours and shades, to suit the personality of your home. Although stair stains are ideal for adding colour, they have no protective qualities, so must also be covered with either an oil or a varnish to protect both the stain and the wood itself. Stains are easy to apply and are perfect for adding an amazing depth of colour to your spiral staircase. There are a range of tinted oils and varnishes available that combine the colouring properties of a stain, with the protection of an oil or varnish.

Stair Oil

Like a stain, a stair oil will slightly darken and enrich the grain of timber, but not to the same degree. You can get a rough idea for how much it will darken the wood by wiping it with a damp cloth. Stair oils are available in a range of sheen levels, with the most popular ones being satin, matte and gloss. An oil provides a more natural look and feel compared to a varnish, and has protective qualities making it ideal for stairs. Although an oil will need more regular upkeep, and reapplication, depending on level of usage, but it is easier to work with when it comes to spot repairs. There are also oils with anti-slip properties, adding an extra level of safety.

Varnish for Stairs

Similar to an oil, a varnish will slightly darken the wood, and also comes in a range of sheens with the main ones being satin, matte and gloss. A varnish provides a hard wearing and durable finish, ideal for stairs with high levels of foot traffic, and even commercial stairs with extreme use. If applied well, a varnish can last from anywhere to 5 to 10 years, depending on the quality of the brand and number of coats applied. Although varnishes are much harder to repair, and you could be required to sand down the stairs completely and start again. As with oils, there are many products that come with anti-slip properties, and as well as some which are fire retardant.

Stair Paint

You may want to add a spot of colour to your stairs, by painting the whole thing or maybe just one part, stair paints are ideal for this. Though not all paints are suitable for stairs, most paints you buy for walls (or furniture) are not suitable for floor or stairs, due to the high level of foot traffic and wear they are required to withstand. Floor and stair paints are designed with this in mind, meaning they will not chip or fade easily.

A well designed spiral staircase is a beautiful thing, and by choosing the right finish you can help bring out its natural character, helping it become a part of your home. Remember, always do a test area, to see how the finish looks before completing the whole project. This can save you a lot of time and money.

This month’s guest blog is by Aedan Kiernan is a Digital Marketing Executive for Wood Finishes Direct, who are one of the UK’s largest suppliers of wood finishes and treatments, including eco paints and wood products.

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Here in our Peak District home, we are lucky to be surrounded by some of the most beautiful views in the country. This spectacular setting makes us particularly aware of our responsibility to the environment, and so, we are committed to manufacturing sustainable staircases.

How do we do this?

For starters, we only use recycled aluminium in our straight and spiral staircases.  The metal is refined to British Standards specification, ensuring it meets our high standards. This means you get the perfect balance of sustainability and quality.

Planting a better future – One staircase at a time

It’s not just about the metal. When crafting our wooden staircases we only use sustainable timbers which are kiln dried. 8 years ago we also undertook to plant 5 trees for every wooden staircase that we build.

To date we have planted nearly 2,000 native species at our workshop and plan to plant a further 1,000 over the next few years.

All of this means you can have confidence in both the quality and sustainability of our products. So why not place an order today?

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British Spirals and Castings have fought off strong competition to gain acknowledgement within this category, which recognises innovation in the performance and design of joinery products, along with their appeal to self-builders and renovators.

Richard Harding, British Spirals and Casting’s Managing Director commented, “We are delighted to have been placed on the shortlist for the Best Joinery category. Our family business has grown from strength to strength over the past couple of years and we’re extremely proud of our staircases; all our Solid Timber Staircases are individually designed and handcrafted here in the UK by a dedicated team of specialists using only the finest quality timbers. Every staircase is tailor made and customers can choose from any hardwoods and partner this choice with Timber, Cast Aluminium Balusters or individual glass panels. All these bespoke staircases are designed so that local tradesman can install them making them highly desirable to the self-build and renovation market as the need for specialist contractors and expensive fitting costs is removed.”

With every staircase individually designed and handcrafted using only solid hardwoods, customers can be sure of a quality finish resulting in a stunning creation, perfect for them and their home.

All staircases are fully built in the workshop prior to being dismantled for shipping, and are delivered in sections making it very straight forward for local tradesmen to install. The handrails are made in one complete piece providing a seamless finish rather than from CNC sections which would then need to be glued together.

The Build It Awards celebrate all aspects of self-build and renovation. Judging is now taking place with the winner being announced at a Gala dinner on 24^th September.

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This allows the client to stamp their personal styles onto a staircase so that it becomes an individual and meaningful feature in the house whilst also being a very practical staircase.

At British Spirals & Castings we can use any hard wood, although Ash, Oak, Sapelle and Walnut are the most popular choices.  We only use top graded timber with no knots or distortions.

All our staircases are made by our own team of trained and experience cabinet makers with every staircase built from scratch, therefore the cost difference between using a softwood and a hardwood is minimal. Most customers tend to want a wow factor staircase, for this most customers want a solid hard wood which gives the best effect.  We have ranges that tailor for most budgets.

Due to the bespoke nature of our staircases, we can also provide you with a choice of timber, metal, cast aluminium and glass panels, the balustrade options on a solid timber spiral staircase can again add individuality to a design as well as the option of an open or closed tread.

These timber staircases and more can be seen here, and if you want to talk through any designs and ideas then please get in touch or even visit one of our showrooms.

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An attractive detached house dating back to the 18th Century, situated on the edge of this historic village of Hurley-on-Thames is one of the latest properties in the UK to benefit from a truly bespoke staircase from British Spirals & Castings; in fact not just one staircase but four!

The homeowners first came across British Spirals & Castings at Grand Designs Live when they started looking for their perfect bespoke staircases and commented “We met Richard, the Managing Director of British Spirals & Castings at the show and very much liked him, and felt confident that we could work with him well. He quickly understood we wanted something truly bespoke, and that we already had a lot of ideas which he assured us he could help develop.”

Richard Harding of British Spirals & Castings commented “They were lovely people to work with who had some fantastic ideas about what they wanted, and with our experience and ability to create something truly unique we created four different staircases for them; The main stairs (straight with a kited bottom section with enlarged dias bottom step), a squarial (spiral but with treads running into the corner of the walls) leading to the master bedroom, a second spiral leading to the home office and finally a straight stairs down to the basement.”

“There were a number of challenges when designing these staircases, as some of the original ideas did not comply with building regulations and it was a very difficult design due to the headroom on the stairs that ran underneath the main stairs. We worked very closely with the owners to get a design which complied with the building regulations yet visually gave them the wow factor they were looking for in their dream home.”All four of the staircases were made from Solid Oak, some featuring glass balustrades supplied by VISTA GLASS, and incorporated a variety of designs including straight, kited and spirals to suit each installation area.

British Spirals & Castings have been designing and manufacturing bespoke spiral stairs, straight staircases and balconies since 1980; all hand crafted here in the UK to each customers requirements. We offer an extensive range of straight, spiral and kited wooden stairs.

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