Using Metal for Spiral Staircases

Wood, stone or concrete, glass and metal are the most commonly used materials in making spiral staircases. These structural materials are known to be both strong and flexible, and if designed properly, any combination of these materials can make exquisite-looking stairs, especially spiral staircases. Building spiral staircases requires more flexible materials since its shape isn’t what you’d call regular. Thus, this is why metal is the most used material among all other materials mentioned above to make spiral staircases. This is because metal is tough, adaptable and lightweight. The only disadvantage is that metals tend to rust and more quickly if they are placed outdoors. This is no longer much of a problem due to the development of stainless steel and a variety of finishing treatments that can be applied to metal, specifically iron alloys, to keep them from corroding and rusting. And while pure metal spiral staircases look good and function well, metal also makes good addition to staircases made of the other structural materials. If you notice, most world-famous spiral staircases are made of combinations of these materials like the edgy wood and steel Umschreibung in Munich, or the wood, concrete and steel Vertigo Staircase at the QVB Building in Australia. These staircases are only famous examples because for sure you’ve seen one personally somewhere. While these combinations are often remarkable, and sometimes even breath-taking, metal is still the most widely-used material especially for making railings and for ornamental details like that on the Vertigo Stairs. Metal, unlike all other structural materials, can be formed and bent into almost whatever shape in whatever size the imagination of the architect or engineer is limited to. We can see this not only in spiral staircases abut also in great works of architecture and feats in engineering like the Eiffel Tower. And so if you are thinking about having a spiral staircase made, consider the material from which great spiral staircases across history are born from. Whatever design you choose, or whatever other material you want to go with it, metal can only improve both the look and strength of your spiral staircase.