Exterior spiral
staircase kits are great ways to access a balcony, upper level doorway or
roof terrace, and most are within the reach of an experienced DIY’er if you
want to build your own. There are several advantages with spiral staircase kits
compared to ready-made spiral stairs, they are cost-effective, they can be
easily transported, you don’t need a crane to get one into your back garden,
and you can usually complete one in a day or two from start to finish.
Finishes
There are 2 types of finish we recommend, neither of which requires
maintenance. Firstly and usually most economically, there is the hot dipped
galvanized finish, where the treads and spindles are zinc plated at the
factory. When new, a hot dipped galvanized spiral staircase will look quite
bright and shiny - a bit too “bling” for some people, but give it a couple of
years and the finish will weather to a more subtle “grey” which is actually
very attractive. Good examples of this type of staircase are the Gamia Zinc,
and the Civik Zinc. Both are very similar to look at, and are virtually
identically priced - but the Gamia does comply with British Standards so if
that’s important to you, go for the Gamia.
The second type of finish is galvanized but with a powder coated
or electrophoretic finish over the top. This means that you get a colour coat
finish, which being powder coated will be very tough, weather resistant and
maintenance free. The finish is applied at the factory and never needs
re-painting. A good example of this type of finish is available in the Neptune
range of exterior spiral staircases.
Unless your idea of fun is painting a spiral staircase every year,
we don’t recommend the cheap “exterior” stairs which use a spray painted finish
- they never last and need re-painting often.
Start with good foundations
Never put an outdoor spiral staircase onto a wooden
decking base or similar - the constant movement of the decking timber through
the seasons will in turn cause movement in the staircase components, and
eventually tiny cracks can appear in the finish which allows water to seep in
and corrode the metal underneath. Always put the staircase on a solid base such
as concrete, or on a patio. If installing to a patio slabbed area, to prevent
slabs cracking ensure the slab on which the spiral staircase is resting is
fully supported with mortar, or is on a level base of sand.
Assembling the kit
Follow
the manufacturer's instructions for staircase assembly. Some manufacturers
suggest sliding the upper landing and steps on to the center support post and
then tipping the post up and into position. Or you can fix the centre post in
place first, and then simply slide the components over the top of the post,
ending with the landing platform at the top. It is crucial that the centre post
is perfectly plumb, otherwise you will never get your treads level. At this
point you can usually choose which way you want the staircase to rotate,
clockwise or anticlockwise. Once decided, simply attach the balustrade spindles
to each tread with the fixings provided.
Installing
an exterior spiral staircase from a flat-pack kit is really straightforward,
and with modern modular techniques of construction and kit design you can save
a great deal of money too.