Below are answers to some of the most frequently asked questions we receive. If you have a question that isn’t listed then please feel free to contact us and we will get back to you as soon as possible.
Yes, we can arrange delivery worldwide. Approximately 15% of our staircases are exported to Europe and the wider world.
We are experienced working on conservation projects and can work with you to develop pieces which meet the requirements for the project. This includes faithfully recreating existing local castings from images or samples.
The majority of our projects do not require us to carry out site measurements. We will provide guidance on the measurements that are required and our design team will develop working drawings with marked dimensions which can be reviewed by your architect and/or builder.
For more complex projects, we can come to site and carry out measurements. This includes a laser scanning service which allows us to recreate the space digitally with a high degree of accuracy.
Our delivery times may vary depending on the time of year and the size or complexity of your order. We will endeavour to deliver your pieces as quickly as possible. If you have a pressing deadline, please highlight this in comment section of the order form or wish list and we will confirm if we are able to achieve this.
Yes, our cast aluminium pieces can be finished in a RAL colour of your choice at our powder coating facility. Cast and Wrought Iron pieces require painted finishes which we can work with a partner to provide, however, site teams often find it easier to add this finish in-situ. We can also work with a partner to provide a specialist marine-grade finish if the property is located near the sea.
Our wooden pieces are typically supplied unfinished so installers can apply your chosen finish once the piece is fully installed.
If you imagine the spiral being drawn as a circle on a piece of paper, the diameter is the measurement from one side of the circle to the other so it is the overall width of the staircase. Our range now extends to over 13 diameters, and with our in-house pattern making we can make specific diameters or widths of straight stairs to order.
The floor-to-floor measurement is taken from the finished floor on the level that you are entering the staircase to the top of the finished floor on the level that you will be exiting the staircase. This means that if you are ordering a stair, you also need to take into account the thickness of finished surfaces. For example, this would include the thickness of carpets and underlay or tiles and grout.
The ‘clear width’ is the unobstructed width of a staircase. This will typically either be the full width of the treads, or where handrails overhang the treads, the distance from the inner face of one handrail to the other.
Learn more about how to measure the clear width of a staircase.
To meet UK Building Regulations, all new staircases must comply with the 100 mm sphere rule. This means that they should be designed so it is not possible for a ball that is 100 mm in diameter to pass through. This is a safety measure to prevent the potential risks for small children. This may mean that additional spindles are needed for staircase balustrades or that risers need to be closed with bars.
Separate rules apply for listed or conservation projects which may allow (or even require) that balustrades be design with wider gaps to accurately match the original designs.
We will work with you to find the best solution for your project.
The normal rule of thumb is that you need a square or circular opening that is 100mm larger than the diameter of the staircase. However, if you do not have this space, please feel free to contact us as it may be that we can get the spiral to fit another way or suggest a different solution for the stairs.
The specific Building Regulation requirements for a staircase will vary depending on where it is being installed and what room it is being used to access. For example, a staircase used to access a bedroom in a home can be much narrower than one used in the foyer of a public building. We can advise you on how to achieve full compliance with regulations in the UK.
Yes, in most cases. Balconies, verandas and other platforms higher than 300 mm are denied Permitted Development status (allowing work without planning permission). Juliet balconies can, however, typically be installed without this provided they’re not being installed on a conservation zone or listed property.
Learn more about the planning permission requirements for balconies.
We can make spiral, straight, combination (part straight/part spiral) and kited stairs in cast aluminium, wood or a mixture of both to any height and diameter. Our products are truly bespoke and every staircase is built and fully erected in the workshop prior to shipping, to meet individual customer needs.
Cast aluminium provides the same look, feel and durability as cast iron but is far lighter and more resistant to corrosion. This can reduce the support requirements for balconies or mean a smaller footing can be used for external staircases. We can also provide cast iron pieces where this is required to meet specific planning requirements (typically in conservation areas).
We typically used hardwoods for our staircases, the most popular being Ash, Oak and Sapele but we can work with other hardwoods and have built stairs in Cherry, Walnut, Beech and Mahogany so should you have preference of the timber to be used, please do not hesitate to contact us. We can also provide our Scandinavian staircases with birch plywood treads.
Yes, where needed we can provide structural calculations for our balconies.
95% of staircases do not require a site visit so unless the project is particularly complicated, site visits are not done as a matter of course. To ensure that your staircase meets your needs and will fit, working drawings are produced so that you, and if appropriate your builder and architect, can all visualise the stairs, and on these drawings will be marked the dimensions that you will need to confirm in order for us to build. We endeavour to make the process as straightforward for you as we can and are always on the end of the phone or email to answer any queries or questions that you have.
We are only able to offer a fitting service for clients in the London area. However, all our products are designed for local tradesman and DIY enthusiasts to be able to install, and because they will have been fully erected in our workshop and made to measure there is very little work to be done on site if correct dimensions have been supplied. Fitting instructions will be sent with the staircase.
All our staircases and balconies are designed for local tradesman and DIY enthusiasts to be able to install and because they will have been fully erected in our workshop and made to measure there is very little fabrication work to be done on site. Fitting instructions will be sent with the staircase.
What you see on the website is an illustration of the different ranges and the different options within the ranges, but it is in no way exhaustive, and things like balusters can be mixed and matched on almost any of the ranges. If you have a concept in mind which is not illustrated on the website, please do not hesitate to contact us and we will talk your design through with you.
We own our foundry so all our cast aluminium castings are manufactured in Stoke on Trent and our cast iron castings in London. This means we can have total control over the quality of castings. Most of our competitors import castings from the Far East with little control over quality or flexibility.
Where possible we will give advice on what has traditionally been found in the area, but if you have photos and examples of previous installations or photos of what your neighbours railings look like then that is always helpful.
Yes, our pattern-making facilities allow us to faithfully recreate existing designs. We can do this from samples, images or drawings.
To comply with the UK Building Regulations railings typically need to be 1100mm high from ground to the top of the railings. Many railings on the front of the property are wall top railings and therefore the railings plus the wall must make the height required.
You will only need to apply for planning permission if you wish to erect or add to a railing, wall or gate if:
You typically will not need to apply for planning permission to take down a railing, wall, or gate, or to alter, maintain or improve an existing railing, wall or gate (no matter how high) if you don’t increase its height. In a conservation area, however, you might need planning permission for relevant demolition in a conservation area to take down a railing, wall or gate.
The word cast iron is often used to describe a large range of railings and gates when in fact they are not. Most railings are mild steel bars with either steel or cast iron railing heads. The very old ornate railings may well be traditional cast iron but we will be able to advise you on this.
We have workshops in South and East London where our railings are made.
We are able to offer a fitting service on all our products in the London area, but a fitting service is not always required as the majority of our products can be made for local tradesman to install.
If you opt for a fitting service then the site measure is part of the price. If you opt for a product on a supply only basis then we require you to provide the dimensions or alternatively we can come and take the measurements for a small additional charge.
Unfortunately, we do not offer a service to complete any building works.
