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.
