Stunning Double Floating Helical Stairs

UPDATE 4-27-2017
This project won Gold in the National Top Job competition. Other entries were elegant, contemporary, and very modern. Each had it’s own details and specific obstacles to over come and the finish projects worked well with the rest of the design of the homes they were installed in. A very tough competition!

What garnered this project the most votes was the difficult helical challenge, the exceptional harmonious transitions of all the members of the horizontal railings and extreme installation challenge.

This award symbolized another milestone for Compass Ironworks, our first foray into high end residential metal stairs. Creating this phenomenal double floating helical stairs was no east feat for a first time. For it to be awarded the best nationally was truly rewarding to the craftsmen at Compass Ironworks.

These visually stunning stairs were created for an exceptional property at Ocean City. The client wanted “stairs that are unlike anything else in the world.” The center stringer was 8” round, with ½” thick wall pipe that had to radius to the extreme challenge of a 4 ft. plan view radius. We needed the strength to be able to suspend from floor to floor, but that same strength created difficult challenges in implementing the radius. This was done in steel, the treads and risers were steel as well, then the whole unit was hot-dip galvanized and powder-coated a contemporary silver. Our special powder-coating process has been tested and proven to last far longer than the most challenging specifications, so these stairs will stand up to the harsh ocean weathering for many more decades than is typical.

This project was a challenge like no other, particularly with the difficult radii on round bar and the horizontal rod with the sweeping transition everywhere. Creating all the smooth transitions horizontally and vertically with the correct radii and space in a visually pleasing way was quite a difficult feat that we were all pleased with.

The final challenge was the install, as we couldn’t crane through roof and had to spend 3 extra days of work with a special carrier. The work was all worth it. In the sea of featureless plastic railing that is ubiquitous at Ocean City, these extraordinary stairs help this dazzling home to truly stand out.