Cool Staircase

In the San Antonio 2010 Parade of Homes, every builder will go for certain "wow" factors in their homes that showcase craftsmanship and unique design. One of ours this year will be a metal and wood stair case with open risers. In staircase language you normally deal with a few basics:

• Treads- the flat steps that you walk on
• Risers- the up and down vertical backs that you see as your walking up the stairs
• Stringers- the long run of material that leads up to the top and actually supports each individual tread
• Hand Rail- the grab rails that are used for assistance as you walk up the stairs
• Landing- sometimes there may be a midway point that is flat and allows you to stop and redirect the stairway in a different direction as shown in the above photo

I know this may sound crazy but I've probably had 5-6 meetings with different subcontractors on this detail alone. The "devil is in the details" and we like to make sure we've considered all design options to give you something really cool to look at.

We are going to have a combination wood and metal staircase that will incorporate a welder for the skeleton, custom hand rails and wooden treads that I think will create quite a buzz. It's not easy to do but that's what makes it fun. Hopefully you'll get an opportunity to come see it the first week of September when the show opens and see this remarkable work of craftsmanship for yourself.