A builder at the New Jersey shore was renovating a client’s house. As part of the renovation, he was tasked with creating access to the second-floor terrace. In order to remedy this problem, the builder designed a beachfront double helical stair. We loved working on this project, but it did not come without its challenges.
One serious hurdle was to keep the double helical stairs within the setback of the building line. This really restricted the size that the staircase could be. There was discussion about creating a spiral stair instead due to the restricted space. However, the client wanted the additional comfort of a double helical stair. The main difference between spiral stairs and double helical stairs is that the walking line of spiral stairs is much tighter, and with a tray of food, etc., transgressing a spiral stair can be challenging. The walk line of a double helical is larger in diameter. This makes it much more comfortable for people to maneuver up and down a double helical stair. The decision was made for a smaller inside stringer to allow the stairs to conform within the constrained space. This small-diameter inside stringer made for a very steep handrail, but it was still more comfortable for traversing the stairs.
The design intent of the double helical stairs was for it to be a more modern and minimalist design. The stair skirt was part of the design, but not the trim detail at the top and bottom. The stair railing picket design was for a ½” round picket in aircraft-grade aluminum, the top of the picket terminating into a 1 ½” by ½” bar channel. The caprail was a 2 ¼” molded caprail that provided strength, beauty, and code compliance.
We designed the double helical stair treads to accept teak treads to add beauty and contrast. We almost completely cut out the center of the treads to allow water and moisture to escape from under the teak treads. Next, we scheduled a crane to hoist the double helical stair into place.
Then we powder-coated the entire stairs a seashell white. We installed the stairs in their precise location with literally not an inch to spare. We are thrilled to utilize the space to its maximum. This made the double helical stair as comfortable as possible for the clients. And it will be an ideal access point to the second-floor terrace to enjoy the view of the beach from this New Jersey home.
Want a custom beachfront double helical stair of your own? We are ready to help you make that happen! Contact us to get started.
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