The Spiral Staircase – The Do It Yourself Kit vs The Pre-Assembled Professional Kit

Congratulations! You’ve made the decision to make a beautiful spiral staircase an addition to an indoor or outdoor element of your home. While making precise measurements is most likely the first step you may take, you still have other factors that will help you choose and install the perfect stairs. Have you decided on a finish that will not only match your current décor, but be durable and timeless? Let’s go over these options a little bit more in depth.

Now that you have decided to install spiral stairs, you need to start with the measuring the opening that will soon house the top of your steps. Basically, the size of the opening depends on the width that you are choosing for your steps. You want to make sure that your stairs are going to be easy to use for all people that come in contact with them. Yes, you can choose the minimum in width, however, that is not always the best alternative and not highly recommended for heavy traffic use.

Have you decided on a finish: Hardwood, Iron or Aluminum?

Finally the most important aspect in the installation, are you planning to purchase a do-it yourself kit or will you install your stairs using pre-assembled parts? While a spiral staircase kit may be less expensive than a purchasing a pre-assembled model, you have to weigh the pros and cons. Cons that may arise from a standard spiral staircase kits can include the following:

What if parts of your kit are missing? What do you do? Who do you contact?
Some kits can come with plastic banisters. Are you comfortable with this type of banister as opposed to having a full metal or wooden banister? How about steps made with veneer?
Do you feel comfortable installing stairs? Unless you’re a carpenter or a home improvement guru, projects like this can be tricky and frustrating.

The pros of a standard kit include affordability and are a great option for those who love to take on a challenging home improvement task.

Now take a look at the cons of a pre-assembled kit. These kits are more expensive than a standard kit you would purchase online or at your local home improvement store.

The pros of this type of product definitely outweigh the cons. For instance, you can purchase a pre-assembled kit from a “Made in America” company that is most likely a family owned company. Products made there are produced with the highest quality materials by workers who are experienced and take pride in the products they make. Also, you can tailor your stairs from a variety of sizes and widths to a variety of finishes. Pre-made stairs come with all components and are made with your local zoning regulations in mind. That is not something that you can get out of a box. Now that you have your options, you can get moving on installation. Good Luck!