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Avoid These Common Mistakes When Choosing Staircase Materials

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When having a new home built, or when your current home is going through some renovations, you may need to choose the baluster and balustrade materials for the staircase. These materials and the overall design of the stairs are very important, as the stairs need to be functional but should also be attractive and stylish. To ensure you make the right choice for your home, note a few mistakes to avoid in the process, and discuss these with a contractor or staircase installer as needed.

Forgetting about sun exposure

Metal railings and spindles for a staircase can add an updated, modern look and feel to any home, and tone down the look of timber floors and other wood accents and features. However, if the staircase is near a large window that gets in lots of light, this can allow those pieces to get overly warm, if not downright hot. The railing may be too hot to actually hold, which might then compromise the safety of someone using the stairs. Note if the stairs will be in hot, direct sunlight, and choose a different material than metal if needed.

Children and pets

If you have children or pets, you need to be very mindful of the stair elements you choose. Spindles are typically legally required to be a certain distance apart so that no child or animal can get their head stuck between them, but you might want to take this one step further and choose a solid baluster, for added safety. Glass may show fingerprints, paw prints, and marks from wet noses, so you might opt for a metal panel with a punched or mesh design. This can ensure the safety of your child or any pet, while also not showing marks and prints.

Not considering style

Stairs should be safe more than anything, but today's designs of  balusters and the balustrade for any staircase can add lots of style to your home. A plain wood railing over drab wood spindles may do nothing to add personality to the space, and may soon look outdated and drab. Shop around for different styles of balusters, and opt for metal wires, a carved wood panel, or solid glass, if they would work in your home. A balustrade or railing can be PVC piping for a modern look, or wood that's painted a bright and bold colour. You might even opt for a thick square column for the balustrade, for something that stands out and makes the staircase a focal point in the home.


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