A New Jersey architect was designing a spectacular home on the Delaware shore for a distinguished couple from Washington DC.
The shore home was strategically designed to be directly behind the dunes, providing the clients with incredible panoramic views of the beach from their upper terrace.
To provide access to the upper terrace of this Delaware beach home, a double stinger helical staircase was designed. And, with the proximity to salt air, the best material to ensure corrosion resistance for this helical stair was aircraft grade aluminum.
What made this stair particularly special was the many custom elements that were incorporated into the design. The Iron railing design specified a custom forged medallion as a unique flair to the overall design. Additionally, with a shadow box design, custom cast rosette’s, and trim detail, the structural aspect of the stair also became a phenomenal design statement.
The stair treads were dressed in custom designed IPE. The helical stairs were powder-coated to CIW-2604-A specs in statuary bronze color. This particular color was selected because of its complementary soft pull to the masonry that is not aesthetically accomplished with a traditional black Iron railing finish.
The install of these extraordinary stairs was no cake walk to say the least. The stairs were bulky and, with all the tight corners of this shore home, there was minimal area to setup a crane to lift them into place. Even the street was not an ideal lifting location. So, specific carriages were utilized to transport the stairs through the opening between the 2 houses. And then, with the use of customized attachments that connected to the skid loader, the stairs were maneuvered into place. This was the best installation method for this bad installation scenario.
So, with the helical stairs in place, the Washington DC couple can now enjoy the beauty and ease of use of their stairs off their extravagant Delaware Beach home terrace.
