Spiral Stairs 101: Everything you need to know

You will need to know your finished floor-to-finished floor height. If you are going through a hole in the floor you will also need to know the size of the floor opening. Keep in mind that our smallest diameter stair is 3’6” (42 inches) and therefore the minimum opening size that you must have for a Paragon stair is 44 inches x 44 inches. You will need the two extra inches so that you fingers can travel along the handrail unhindered as you walk up and down the stairs. No matter what stair diameter you choose, you will want to have a finished floor opening that is two inches bigger than the stair itself.

Diameter is basically the width of the spiral stair. Imagine standing at the top of the stair, looking down and drawing a straight line through the circle and connecting two points across the width of the stair. Your diameter would be the length of that line. The smallest diameter that we offer is 3’6” (42 inches) and the largest that we offer is 6’0” (72 inches).

Balusters are just an industry term for “spindles” or “pickets”. When you’re walking up the stair the balusters are the vertical bars that attach the treads (the steps) to the handrail. The emphasis remains on ‘CENTER’ balusters because the basic Paragon stair build comes equipped with one square baluster that connects to the front of one tread and to the back of the tread behind it. All of the treads lock together in this way so that when you step on that first tread you are essentially stepping on all of the treads at once because they are all locked together in this way. Your center balusters attach in the middle of the tread and provide additional safety and are required for building code.

Paragon spiral stairs ship to you in kit form with all of the parts broken down for easy assembly. Please note we do not ship one piece welded stairs. Your Paragon stair will ship to you via common carrier freight and the shipping company will call you to schedule a delivery time at your location.  When the stair arrives you will have a brand new box with individually wrapped treads, hardware and a few simple tools to help you build your stair. You will also  have a pre-formed handrail that matches the exact diameter and height of your stair as well as a long steel center column. You will be able to unload the box in about five minutes and because we ship the stair to you in kit form you will be able to easily maneuver the stair parts through your home or job site.

Assembling a spiral staircase can be a simple do-it-yourself afternoon project for the average homeowner. On average, it takes two people half a day to assemble a spiral stair kit. The stairs have only 2 attachment points: an 8” round baseplate that is pre-drilled with 4 holes and the supplied steel platform (platform sizes vary with the diameter of stair). The steel center column slides over the baseplate and the steps/treads and platform slide over the center column.  Once the treads and platform are set screwed into place, you attach the balusters, handrail and then finally the platform rail/rails. Although installing a spiral seems intimidating, it’s really not at all! If you have more questions about installation before your purchase please call our customer support line.