Your best option is to use a preassembled staircase system if you want to install the staircase yourself to save some money. These complete staircase/handrail kits include all the materials you will need and very detailed installation instructions. There are many design options to select from to provide any decor that you want.
If you cannot find catalogs of preassembled systems at your home center store, try these companies: AJ Stairs, Deer Park Stairbuilding, Duvinage Corp., Mylen Stairs, Designed Stairs, and Stepstone Inc.
The key to a successful job is providing proper measurements to the staircase company to build your staircase. The most important measurement is the vertical distance between the two finished floors. This will determine the exact height of each stair. If the final stair ends up not being the same height as the rest, people will surely stumble on it.
First, you must determine what floor finishing material you plan to use on both floors and its thickness. When measuring, do not just drop a tape measure straight to measure the height between the floors. If it is an older house, it may have settled, and the floors may not be truly level.
Using a level, make a perfectly level line on the wall of the upper floor (remember to add in the finished flooring thickness). Measure vertically upward from where the stairs will start to the line on the wall. This is the exact measurement that the stair building company will want.
If you measured properly, the staircase should install easily. You should have two helpers to handle and position it properly during installation. Follow every detail in the installation instructions. If you try to take shortcuts and miss a step, you may not be able to install some other piece. Once it is glued or nailed in place, it is difficult to go back.
There are two basic types of handrails: over-the-post and post-to-post. Over-the-post, a continuous rail from top to bottom, is more difficult to install, but it is the type that kids love to slide on. Post-to-post is often more decorative, with newel posts extending up at a midpoint.
The handrail is supported by the newel posts (usually 3 to 4 inches in diameter) at top and bottom, not by the thinner balusters. The balusters are really for aesthetics and to keep children from falling out the side. The supporting newel posts have large dowels, hidden when they are installed, that attach them securely at the base.
Your selection of the balusters can give your new staircase and handrail a unique appearance. The staircase manufacturer will have many designs for you to choose from. Alternating two different designs or repeating a sequence of three different designs can produce a stunning effect.
