subject: How To Install A Do-it-yourself Spiral Staircase [print this page] Spiral staircases have become one of the most popular and most gratifying DIYs or do-it-yourself projects for aficionados and home owners worldwide. The feeling of self-fulfillment gained from completing a project as intricate as building an outdoor spiral staircase is to many a reward in itself.
Most DIY kits for building an outdoor spiral staircase can be purchased from specialty shops. Manufacturers will include all the components necessary for starting a DIY spiral staircase project. A typical kit will include a base plate, a center pole, treads, railing spindles, a handrail, a landing platform, landing rails, and a center pole cap.
For starters, measurements must be taken at the project site in order to determine the ideal position of the center pole in reference to the existing structures and the landing platform. Once the position for the center pole has been precisely measured, the base plate is installed and the center pole is mounted on top of the base plate.
The next step in the construction of typical DIY spiral staircases is to position the treads. The treads will serve as the steps, and are hinged around the center pole. Initially, the treads are slid down the center pole and stack together until the railing spindles are installed. The treads are stacked on top of the other in an alternating fashion in order to keep the center pole balanced.
Next, the landing platform is attached to the center pole while one side is connected to the upper floor. The landing platform should be on the same level as the upper floor to ensure stability. Then the railing spindles are connected to the treads, starting from the landing platform, distributing the treads down the central pole at equal distances. This step gives spiral staircases their helical orientation.
The hand rail is then attached to the top of each railing spindle, and the landing rails are mounted on the exposed side of the landing platform. This secures the structure and holds the treads and the spindles together in most spiral staircases. Finally the center pole cap is placed at the top of the center pole, holding everything in place.
