Featured Projects

  Wood Stair Kit

Stairways Inc. is always happy to help our customers problem-solve when it comes to our products and what is right for a particular situation. A recent visitor to our website (www.stairwaysinc.com) liked what we have to offer, especially the wood versions, and the fact that we could ship to him in Capitola, California. When he called our toll free number (800-231-0793) to speak to a sales representative, he was assisted with assessing his specific requirements. Due to space constraints (only 6 ft square), the customer and our representative agreed that a spiral stairway was the best choice for his home.

Once all the necessary specifications, pricing, and logistics were established, the customer had the opportunity to choose either a fully assembled version or a DIY kit. After assessing the situation, he elected to put his funds toward a higher-end wood stair but to offset the cost by assembling and installing it himself. His idea was to purchase a kit with bare wood so he could finish it to match his existing flooring.

After completing his stairway project and applying a finish to the wood, our customer contacted us to say he is very happy with the stairway and with the results. That’s what we like to hear.

  Caterpillar Mustang Distributor

The Caterpillar Mustang Distributor of Houston, TX approached us with the idea of using a spiral stair to access their upper mezzanine in the warehouse. Space was the biggest issue and a straight run stair just would not cut it. Since they did not have enough room to install a straight run stair, they came to us with the idea of using one of our spiral stairs as a primary means of egress. After clever designing, we came up with a 96 inch diameter stair with both a 36 inch high grab rail and a 42 inch high guard rail around a 6 inch column. This stair was easy to manufacture and install, and was also very cost effective, giving the Caterpillar Mustang Distributor the best way to the top.

  South Cobb County Pump Station

An open bid job awarded. In late 2008 we bid a project in Atlanta, Georgia at the South Cobb Pump Station. We were awarded this job in February of 2009. As in most pump stations corrosion protection is a high priority. These spiral stairs are specified to be built in aluminum. They needed two, 42 foot tall, eight foot in diameter spiral stairs and had to have them with bar grate steps and landings. While planning and working with their engineers to get a firm grasp of what they needed, drawings were developed and approved. Once the production schedule was established, we developed, manufactured, and shipped on time the stairs to the South Cobb Pump Station in the heart of the ever expanding Atlanta infrastructure.

  Splashway Waterpark, Sheridan, Texas

No job is too big. From start to finish, Stairways Inc is hands-on. Splashway Water Park in Sheridan, Texas (off I-10 between Houston and San Antonio, south of Columbus on Hwy 90-A) approached us last fall. They were looking for a way to get their customers up 40' to a waterslide.

Their main concern was safety. Unlike most spiral stairs, this stair has the potential to be fully loaded. Strength being another major concern, we built this spiral stair using a 12", schedule 40 center column. The column being the structure of a spiral stair, this size gave us the ability to weld steps with the capacity to support a person on every step. The majority of the people that will be using this stair will be children; therefore, rail safety was another major concern.

Our customer flew to New Orleans to visit one of 18 stairs that we built for the levy rebuild after Hurricane Katrina. Our design for the water park stair consisted of a single outside rail at 36" high. The stair in New Orleans used a guardrail at 42" and a grab rail at 36" and the inside rail was attached at the center column. Upon their return, they agreed this was a better system. Even though this was a more expense project, they decided that this was a safer system and it was added to their stair. Making only one change, we made the guardrail 54" instead of 42", making the rail much more difficult for someone to climb over.

The steps were another concern. Rubber, Wood, and Bolted overlays were all considered. The final choice was checker plate. The steps were cut from 3/16" plate and bent size-proportionate for the necessary weight requirements. This being a good material for this application, it was welded at the center column connection at both the top and the bottom. The steps that were galvanized with the stair will last in the wet environment of a water park.

A lot of thought went into connecting this stair at both the top and bottom. The bottom is connected with a 1" thick by 22" diameter plate. Round plate was used instead of square to prevent corners to bump bare feet on. The top was designed with the help of Bludau Fabrication. At the landing, a frame was made using 6" channel. This was important, not only to support the weight of the users but for the connection from the stair to the structure. Hank Novak had the idea of using slotted holes to simplify the bolted connection. On both sides of the landing we made a 60" high guardrail. Once again, hard to climb over.

The stair was built and delivered in one section. It weighed over 7800 lbs. The coating is galvanized. Not many galvanizers can handle a part this size. After a local company re-worked their galvanizing vat, they were no longer able to accommodate a stair of this width. The owner of our company located Sabre Galvanizing in Alvarado, Texas, just outside of Fort Worth, Texas. This was our first time to work with this company - but a quality outfit. The stair was coated in a timely manner with a great finish. We highly recommend them.

Once back at our plant, we offloaded and inspected the stair and setup delivery. On a Monday afternoon, the truck arrived. It took us about two hours to load the stair onto the truck and secure it for the ride. About 11 a.m. the next day, I received an email from Hank Novak, with Splashway Water Park, informing us that the stair had been installed - it took us longer to load it onto the truck.

In this bad economic time we are not seeing the bigger jobs that we have grown accustom to. It was great to be a part of a project that challenged our abilities. Working for good people encourages you to work hard. It was no effort working for Hank Novak and his family at Splashway Water Park. We wish them a very successful future.