A guide to buying wooden stairs

Wooden stairs have been around for centuries. It is believed that the first ones may have been used in 600 BC. These early steps consisted of wooden trunks that were secured together. The first granite stairs were made in 55 BC. Spiral stairs were included in castle towers, and were part of the castle's defence. This article provides a guide to buying wooden stairs.

Stair kits

In the 19th century's end, there were stairs made of metal and wood. In 1980, stairs were made from steel and glass. You can buy wooden stairs in three ways. Stair kits can be made in spiral, modular and space saver. The spiral stair cases are distant cousins from the tower steps, and can be made with wood treads, wood banisters and metal balusters. Space saver wood staircases are made in a similar fashion as the spiral staircases in that they can be a mixture of wood treads, wood banisters and metal balustrades. Modular stair kits can be in various styles from abstract to traditional. These also can have wood treads, bannisters and metal balustrades. The stair kits can also be customisable.

Stair parts

Stair parts are another way to have wooden stairs without building an entire staircase. You can buy elements separately such as oak stair treads, newel posts, balusters and more. Some companies offer a variety of woods, such as hemlock, ash, beech, and dark hardwood. Some of the companies will also install the stair parts for you, or you can install them yourself.

Folding stairs

Wooden folding stairs are often used for accessing loft spaces. The stairs tend to be rather plain and resemble old-fashioned ladders. These ladders are often jointed so that you can unfold them and lower them to the ground. When they are folded, these ladders can tuck up out of sight without taking up much space. The folded ladders are often counter-balanced so that they swing up without much effort on your part. They can be lowered by pulling on a string, or they can be operated with a long pole. Another style of folding ladders are the concertina ladders which slide up, and then swing out of sight. The ladders are custom-made so that they fit within the required space.