Total Control

Starts with Components

Panel image

Stair and Rail components are made in our own 50,000 square foot mill.

At Designed Stairs we control all aspects of your stairs, from the purchase of lumber, all the way through to final assembly or installation.

Other stair sources typically buy stair parts from a supply house or big box retailer, which can give you mismatched materials, color and finish.

Where Your Components Come From

At Designed Stairs all parts are made from the same lumber sourced; this gives you more consistent color and finish in your parts.

Designed Stairs

Quality
  • Custom components are all made in our mill
  • Lumber is ordered from select premium suppliers and well managed forests
  • Starting with the highest grades of lumber available
  • Sorted for color and clarity

Stair Company A

Quality
  • Components simple to make may be made in shop
  • Components are bought from various sources
  • Components can have a great degree of color variation
  • Components are off the shelf and design is done based on available components

Carpenter

Quality
  • Components are likely bought from the local lumber yard
  • Components will be purchased for lowest cost and be lowest quality
  • Components will likely have a great degree of color variation
  • Components are off the shelf and any design issues will likely not be noticed until install, and those parts will be used then

Rails

Photo to comeSolid Rail 3 ply

Solid Rail 3 ply

GradeA+
Quality
  • Face glued solid lengths for strength and stability
  • Longest boards available used for consistent grain
  • Color matched
  • Lengths over 16' lamination have a staggered lap joint
Used by

Designed Stairs Standard

Photo to comeStave Core Veneered Rail

Stave Core Veneered Rail

GradeD
Quality
  • Made from many small pieces glued together
  • Wrapped in a veneer, which can loosen and chip off
  • Appearance of a solid rail
  • Hard to refinish or repair
  • Lower cost, due to utilization of scrap material
Used by

Production Stair Companies

Photo to comeFinger Joined Rail

Finger Joined Rail

GradeF
Quality
  • Made from many small pieces glued together
  • Exposed “finger” is unsightly and may not be color matched
  • Finger weakens rail
  • Quantity of fingers vary per section
  • Lowest cost, due to utilization of scrap material
Used by

Carpenters, available through big box retailers

Unique and Proprietary Methods

Better Structure and Quality

Designed Stairs has developed many unique designs and processes that provide a better product.

Methods for Installation of Metal Balusters

Different by Design. Our superior installation methods not only give our rails more stability, our metal balusters keep secure for the life of your home.

Baluster with Proprietary Pin

Baluster with Proprietary Pin

GradeA+
Quality
  • Solid Baluster
  • Strongest for extra stability
  • Titan locking system
  • Stable for the life of your home
  • No boot needed
Skill Level

Used Exclusively by Designed Stairs

Baluster with Dowel Pin

Baluster with Dowel Pin

GradeA
Quality
  • Hollow Baluster
  • Tight dowel pin locks in baluster
  • Dowel allows wood to wood bonding
  • Stable for the life of your home
  • No boot needed
Skill Level

Used Exclusively by Designed Stairs

Baluster with Fastener

Baluster with Fastener

GradeB
Quality
  • Hollow Baluster
  • Screw secures baluster
  • Stable for the life of your home
  • Covered with a boot
Skill Level

Used Exclusively by Designed Stairs

Baluster Glued

Baluster Glued

GradeD
Quality
  • Hollow Baluster
  • Glue loosens over time
  • Baluster becomes loose
  • Unsightly gap if no boot is used
  • Can be covered with a boot
Skill Level

Carpenters and Industry Standard for Other Stair Companies

Methods for Installation of Wood Newels

Different by Design. While newel installations may look the same on the surface, our superior installation methods will provide stability for the life of your home.

Photo to comeInterlocking Newel

Interlocking Newel

GradeA+
Quality
  • Lasts for the life of your home
  • Interlocking newel provides the greatest strength possible
  • Newel base is fabricated for its particular location on the stair
  • Large surface of newel is glued (wood to wood)
  • Concealed bolt is attached to framed structure
Skill Level

Professional high quality stair company

Photo to comeInterlocking Newel
Photo to comeSurface-Screwed Newel

Surface-Screwed Newel

GradeD
Quality
  • Loosens over time and becomes structurally unstable
  • Newel base itself has no attachment to structure
  • Only as strong as what you are screwing into
  • Safety hazard
Skill Level

Industry standard for carpenters and lower quality stair companies

Photo to comeInadequate Fixing

Inadequate Fixing

GradeF
Quality
  • Should never be used — totally inadequate
  • Will loosen quickly
  • Safety hazard
Skill Level

Unskilled

Methods for Installation of Starting Application: Starting Tread and Starting Newel

Starting newels are a special challenge for stability. They are the newel most grabbed on the stair — ours are ready for life.

Photo to comeMortise and Tenon Pin

Mortise and Tenon Pin

GradeA+
Quality
  • Lasts for the life of your home
  • Newel base is turned with a solid, thick 1-3/4" pin
  • Mortise and tenon pin provides the greatest strength possible
  • Newel pin is glued into wood cup for large surface adhesion
Skill Level

DSI Standard

Surface-Screwed Newel

Surface-Screwed Newel

GradeD
Quality
  • Loosens quickly and becomes wobbly
  • Newel base is set flush onto surface and screwed into place
  • Newel base itself has no attachment to structure
  • Only as strong as what you are screwing into
Skill Level

Industry standard for carpenters and lower quality stair companies

Precision Fabrication

Higher quality and less time on site

Panel media

Building your stair starts in our shop with woodworks fabricating much of the stair. Stringers are precut on our CNC. Hand rails and fittings are attached, carved and sanded, Newels are precut for each unique need. Fabricated materials are delivered to the jobsite for installation by highly skilled installers.

With so much designed and fabricated, Installers achieve higher quality stair in less time.

Getting your sub-contractors on and off the site quickly and efficiently is one of the keys to a successful project. Get your next trade in and complete your job faster!

Design in Every Detail

Care given to every intersection and alignment

Designing for alignment, intersections and connection is required for fine quality design. There may be a hundred or more components in a stair and rail and each connection must be considered from flight to flight.

Prior to a single part being cut, each connection and intersection is laid out for alignment and aesthetics.

This example may look like an architectural elevation; however, it is much more. Basement to 2nd floor is calculated and laid out to fine detail, aligning the stringers, treads, rail, glass and glass hardware, from all angles. This gets turned into CNC programs to cut stringers, drill treads, make slab landings, as well as making glass templates.

Panel image