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A client on the New Jersey shore was building an exceptional home. This build featured a second-story deck. In order to access the second-floor deck, they needed a staircase. They went with an exceptional double helical stair design.

The initial idea was to have the double helical stair start from the first-floor deck and lead to the second-floor terrace, but due to space constraints, it had to go from the ground to the second-floor terrace. A challenge we faced with this was when we reached the top of the stairs, where it was to connect to the terrace, but it was not the right angle. So, we had to engineer a straight section of stairs to attach to the terrace. This created a chain of events that we needed to address. We now faced an engineering and craftsmanship challenge. We had to change the angle of both the inside and outside stringers of the stairs. Because of this, we had to change the inside and outside stair railing angles as well.


The stair design called for ¼” thick aircraft-grade aluminum sheet with trim detail at the top and bottom. This really gave the double helical stair strength as well as visual dimension. We formed the stair treads from high-strength aluminum sheets, ready to accept their wood treads.

Then the double helical stair railing structure was created from 3/8” x 1 ½” bar with a ½” X 1 ½” flat bar to accept the mahogany wood caprail. Next, we powder-coated the entire exterior stair to withstand the harsh shore environment and installed the horizontal stainless rods before transporting the project to the job site. A crane was set up on-site to hoist the double helical stairs into place. The contrast of the powder-coat finish, wood treads, caprail, and brushed horizontal stainless rods makes this stair a masterpiece that can be appreciated by all at the New Jersey shore!

Do you want a custom double helical stair of your own? Contact us to start your job! Need more inspiration? Check us out on social media or our galleries!

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We love our front porch railings! They certainly add a lot of beauty to our home and they fit the period of our home. When elderly guests come to visit, it’s always good that they have something strong to hold onto, and they fit perfectly what we were looking for. Thanks to everyone on your team for their artistic work. We are very happy with our final products!

Indiana Cleint

Compass delivered absolutely amazing, high quality product. They are true masters.  I am also pleased with their timely communication and guidance, as we worked through the design and transaction process. 

I would definitely recommend them and work with them again.

Wisconsin Client

What an excellent experience we had with Compass Ironworks!! We have spent four years restoring and remodeling a Pre-Civil War home in North Alabama. We have learned a lot through the process and made more than a few mistakes. But choosing Compass Ironworks was not one of those. From the very first interaction, Amos and his team have been a pleasure to work with. Old homes are quirky! No right angles. No two measurements are precisely the same. So using a company in Pennsylvania was a risk. And we are SO GLAD we took that risk! Absolutely flawless!! The designs, the collaboration, the execution, the QUALITY, the timeline and the finished product were all first class!!! We will absolutely choose Compass again for our next project and recommend them to anyone who asks.

Alabama Designer

The railing is installed and is beautiful … a work of art, to be sure!

My expectations were high and certainly met. I was able to visit the shop and see the railing in progress. It was a thrill to see it then, and very exciting when it arrived at my home.

I have already recommended you to others!

Massachusetts Client
Front entrance metal gate