Wood Staircases

When it comes to designing wooden staircases, you want to use your wood for both aesthetic and functional considerations. Let's consider the fastening properties of different kinds of wood. Softer woods and lighter woods tend to prove very amenable to metal fastening. If you're using a more difficult kind of wood, such as a hard hardwood, like birch or sugar maple, you should prep thoroughly.

On the other hand, if you're using an easier wood, like redwood or cedar, you don't have to worry about the fastener causing cracks or perforations. The workability of a piece of wood isn't necessarily related to its hardness. Softwoods and hardwoods are so-called not necessarily because of their workability. Indeed, many hardwoods are actually mechanically softer than some softwoods.

Tips for Building a Wooden Staircase

Staircase builders often face a conundrum when working with wood. In order to create the most ornate and intricate wooden balustrades, for instance, you might want to use a more malleable, easier to finish cut of wood. However, if you choose a wood that's too soft, you may not get the stability you want. Particularly when you're designing an important anchor, like the newel post, you need be careful to choose a stable wood--for instance, you would never want to build with balsa wood, even though the material cuts and stains very easily.

Although pine staircases are perfectly functional, you may opt for a more top-of-the-line wood cut, such as hemlock. In my opinion, some of the finest staircases are made of oak. However, you may not have the budget to build an entire staircase out of hand hewn oak or maple.