If you’re investing in a home overlooking the water at Noosa, Queensland, you will almost certainly want the fittings to be impressive.
Sunshine Coast ASSDA Accredited Fabricator, Bell Stainless, rose to the challenge at this Noosa property by designing and building a single stringer staircase and balustrade that leaves a lasting impression.
The curved staircase features 15 timber treads which are bolted onto 6mm grade 316 stainless steel plates, which are then welded onto the stringer.
The handrail is made from grade 316 with a No 4 finish and the balustrade in-fills are made from 10mm solid rod.
Bell Stainless General Manager David Vine said the more than 90 degree curve of the staircase created some design challenges.
“Because you can’t roll the pipe in a corkscrew for the stringer we started with a curve on a flat plane then used a series of cuts to corkscrew it,” Mr Vine said.
“Of course, we also had to be careful not to distort the angle when the tread plates were welded on. It was an interesting challenge.”
Mr Vine said even though the staircase was indoors, the salty coastal environment meant grade 316 stainless was the logical choice for this upmarket home.
“We steered away from stainless steel wire for the balustrades because of the inherent difficulties with teastaining in the crevices, and because we needed to maintain an even curve to match the top rail,” Mr Vine said.
The stringer was fabricated in two halves and assembled on-site.
Mr Vine said because of the high tensile strength of stainless, there was very little flexing as people move up and down the staircase.
“The owners were really happy with the final outcome and we’ve had a number of enquiries from people who’ve seen it.”
The stainless steel was supplied by Fagersta, Brisbane.
This article featured in Australian Stainless magazine - Issue 42.