# Winder Staircase



## Stormer1940 (5 Sep 2018)

https://www.dropbox.com/s/60eluzhul30ns ... 9.png?dl=0

Hi, 

I'll be honest I don't have much experience when it comes to staircases, especially winder. I see that you generally fit the winder box and then fit the main stair to that after it is secured. With the winder stair in the picture above is this still the case or can it be constructed as one unit?

It's going to be sitting between 2 walls, so mopstick handrails and no balustrades.


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## MikeG. (5 Sep 2018)

The reason that staircases are at least partially built in-situ is that they are generally too big to manouevre into place if they are fully constructed first. If the adjacent walls are in place for the stair you are proposing, then the same problem will apply. You can look at each case (see what I did there?) individually, and decide how much of the thing to pre-construct, but obviously you need enough at the top and bottom such that the basic case hangs together as one. With your stair, the upper newel is the biggest obstacle I should think to getting the thing into position, but it will have to be built in before-hand. They're damned awkward things, stairs.


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## Mike Jordan (5 Sep 2018)

The illustration shows a balustrade and newel posts,I assume that these are not part of your staircase! If the whole flight is between walls then the normal method would be to fit the strings to the walls and then fit the treads and risers in situ . The exceptions being the bottom riser and tread and the top nosing, riser and first tread.These are fitted with strings lifted above the finished position to allow them to be fitted and wedged in place. The secret of making the flight is to set out the winders full size on a sheet of ply. This will allow you to see any problems involved in fitting the "kite" shaped winder. I once provided a number of flights with winders at top and bottom between walls, the builder was no fool and cheated by building one wall after the flight was installed in each instance.


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## Stormer1940 (5 Sep 2018)

Ok I should have explained. New stairwell opening will be cut into the joists to accommodate new stairs. Lefthand wall is already existing but the second wall is yet to be built (Studwork), so will work in my favour if not there.

P.s I just did a screen grab of the stairs from a website I found online, so ignore the handrail and balustrades


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## Mike Jordan (5 Sep 2018)

Much easier then, the winders and main staircase can be assembled in the usual way and the outer strings secured with temporary props befor securing them to the studding.


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