A staircase has to do two jobs. It has to be safe and it has to fit the space you have actually got. Everything else is detail.
We make timber staircases and balustrades from scratch in our workshop in Mansfield. Straight flights, quarter turns, half landings and kite-winder staircases. Every one is set out for the specific opening, the specific floor-to-floor height and the specific headroom in your house.
There is no catalogue and no standard kit. There is a survey, a drawing, and then a staircase.
Getting the geometry right
This is the part that matters and the part nobody talks about.
The total rise between finished floor levels decides how many steps you get. Building regulations set limits on the rise of each step, the going of each tread, the pitch of the flight and the headroom above it. Get any one of those wrong and the stair is either uncomfortable to walk on or it will not pass.
We work all of that out from a proper survey before anything is made. If your opening is tight, we will tell you honestly what will fit and what compromises are involved. Sometimes the answer is that the opening needs altering, and it is better to know that early than halfway through.
Kite winders and turns
A kite winder is a turn made from tapered treads rather than a flat landing. It buys you height in a shorter run, which is why it is so common in cottages, terraces and loft conversions where there simply is not room for a landing.
They are also fiddly to set out and to build. The treads have to be cut so the going stays legal where people actually walk, and the strings and handrails have to follow the turn cleanly. We have built kite-winder staircases and we are happy to take them on. If someone has told you your space is too tight for a stair, it is worth asking us before you give up on it.
Balustrades, spindles and handrails
The balustrade is the part everyone sees and touches, so it is worth getting right.
We make newel posts, spindles, handrails, base rails and strings to whatever pattern suits the house. Chunky square newels and plain square spindles for a clean modern look. Turned spindles and moulded caps for a period property. Stop-chamfered newels. Continuous handrails that sweep round a turn instead of stopping at a post.
We can also do glass panels or metal spindles set into timber handrails if you want to keep light coming through a stairwell.
Renovating a staircase you already have
You do not always need a new staircase. Sometimes the flight itself is sound and it is the balustrade that has been butchered, or the treads that are worn.
We can replace spindles and newels on an existing stair, fit new treads and risers over a sound carriage, or make a matching section where a wall has been taken out. If your house is old and the original spindles only exist on your staircase, we will copy the profile and turn new ones to match.
Period and conservation work
We work on period property regularly and we are used to conservation area requirements. Matching an original moulding, a spindle profile or a newel cap is normal work for us because we cut and turn our own profiles.
If your property is listed, get the conservation officer's view before anything is ordered. We will work to whatever they specify.
Timber
Oak is the popular choice for stairs that stay natural. It is hard-wearing, it looks the part, and it takes a beating in a family house.
Ash, beech and other hardwoods work well for treads and handrails. Painted staircases are usually made with paint-grade timber for the strings, risers and spindles, often with a contrasting hardwood tread left natural. That combination has become very popular and it looks good in old and new houses alike.
We will talk through what each option costs to maintain, not just what it costs to buy.
How the job runs
We survey, we set out, we make it in the workshop, and we fit it. You get progress photos over WhatsApp while it is being built, so you can see the strings being routed and the treads going in rather than waiting in silence.
Fitting a staircase is disruptive for a day or two because it is the only way up and down. We will tell you upfront how long you are likely to be without it and how we plan to work round it.
TC Joinery has been making things since 2004. Tez is City & Guilds qualified and still on the tools. Tina answers the phone and knows where every job is up to.
What you get
- A staircase set out for your actual opening, rise and headroom
- Straight flights, quarter turns, half landings and kite winders
- Newels, spindles, handrails and base rails made to your chosen pattern
- Original spindle and moulding profiles copied where you need a match
- Glass or metal infill panels if you want to keep light in a stairwell
- Renovation options where the existing flight is sound
- Made and fitted by the same small team, in our own workshop
- Progress photos over WhatsApp while your stair is being built
Staircases we have made
Stairs and Balustrade
Our services range from new installations to alterations of existing stairs, machining of newel posts, treads and forming risers. This not only creates a whole new look and style to your home but vastly improves the strength and structure of your stairs, making the entire staircase safer and quieter.
All work on stairs must comply with part K of the building regulations.
These stairs were an off the shelf standard flight. Due to the layout of the extension the straight flight didn’t comply with building regulations. The solution was to make a landing, which at the same time gave the staircase more style and improved the overall look of the hallway. All the cutting and machining of the stairs, newel posts and forming of the bottom riser was completed on site.
This is a made to measure single kite winder in Ash, the underside of the stairs are finished in veneered boarding.
In this project we were asked to replace the handrails and spindles. We needed to install one newel post at the base of the stairs which would be installed at the second riser for maximum strength and replace the bottom tread and riser as shown in the photos. The second newel post on the landing also required replacing for more strength. The newel posts were machined on site to match the fluted stop chamfer design of the spindles. We used Hemlock timber for the newel posts and handrails, the bottom tread was solid oak and the riser was a pre formed plywood with an oak veneer. The spindles were pine as they were being painted.
Frequently asked questions
Will a bespoke staircase meet building regulations?
That is the starting point, not an afterthought. We set out every stair against the current requirements for rise, going, pitch, headroom and guarding, including the gap between spindles. If your opening makes any of that difficult, we will tell you before you commit, and we will explain what would need to change to make it work.
Can you fit a staircase into a really tight space?
Often, yes. A kite winder turn is usually the answer, because tapered treads gain height in a shorter run than a straight flight plus a landing. There are limits, and sometimes the honest answer is that the trimmer opening needs enlarging. Send us the dimensions of the opening and the floor-to-floor height and we will tell you straight.
Can you just replace the spindles and newel posts?
Yes, and it is one of the most cost-effective ways to change how a hallway looks. If the flight itself is sound, a new balustrade transforms it. We can match an existing profile if you are only doing part of the stair, or fit something completely different if you are doing the lot.
How long is my staircase out of action while you fit it?
It depends on whether it is a full replacement or a balustrade upgrade. A new flight means you will be without stairs for part of the job, and we will tell you what to expect before we start so you can plan around it. A balustrade replacement is far less disruptive because the treads stay usable.
What drives the cost of a bespoke staircase?
Timber choice, the number of turns, whether there are winders, the complexity of the balustrade, and the finish. Turned spindles and continuous sweeping handrails take a lot more workshop time than square spindles and straight rails. Site conditions matter too. A straightforward replacement in an accessible hallway is easier than a stair going into a loft conversion.
Oak or painted. Which lasts better?
Both last well if they are looked after. Oak treads take heavy traffic and can be sanded and re-oiled when they get tired. Painted strings and risers look sharp but will scuff along the skirting line and want touching up every few years. A lot of people go for painted risers and strings with natural oak treads and handrail, which gives you the best of both.
Get in touch
Thinking about a new staircase or a new balustrade?
Ring 01623 530838 with your floor-to-floor height and the size of your stairwell opening, or send a few photos. We will give you a straight answer on what will fit and what it involves. We cover Mansfield, Sutton-in-Ashfield, Ashfield and the wider East Midlands from our workshop in Mansfield.
We work across Mansfield, Ashfield and the wider East Midlands from our workshop in Mansfield. See the areas we cover.