How much does it cost to install cantilever stairs? Is the price their only downside? What conditions must be met for the installation of cantilever stairs to be feasible? Why should the installation of cantilever stairs be left to professionals?
Cantilever stairs are not something you see often in every home. They are usually a feature of minimally styled, modern, and luxurious interiors and exteriors, often seen on television. This has led to the perception that this type of staircase is luxurious, prestigious, and expensive. And in reality, they are.
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Cantilever stairs are not unattainable, but they are costly enough that most people don’t consider them. Additionally, aside from the installation cost, the complexity increases because it’s best to plan for cantilever stairs before the actual construction. Retrofitting them later is not cheap, as certain conditions must be met.
Ideally, cantilever stairs should be installed on a reinforced concrete wall. The significant moment of force and load transmitted at the point where the stair is fixed to the wall from one side requires a solid support. If installed later, cantilever stairs are fixed to a metal substructure hidden in the wall.
Cantilever stairs can be made from various materials, such as metal, stone, concrete, or wood. Typically, the tread, regardless of the material, contains hidden steel rails that attach to a metal rail hidden in the wall. This ensures the entire structure has adequate rigidity.
As mentioned, it’s ideal to plan for cantilever stairs before construction begins. Otherwise, the installation job should be left to a professional who will assess if the technical conditions for installation are met at the given location.
It’s not enough for cantilever stairs to simply stay in place after installation. They should not bend, creak, or cause cracks in the wall where the consoles are fixed when walked on. Cantilever stairs must have adequate strength to serve for many years without the need for repairs and, of course, to be safe.
All this requires the job to be left to a qualified professional, which, along with the expensive materials, certainly increases the cost of the work. The installation of cantilever stairs is not cheap, with costs starting from around $440 per tread, depending on the materials, dimensions, and scope of work.
Additionally, it’s essential to assess if cantilever stairs can be safe at the given location. Typically, they are designed to be minimalist, often without a railing, which is not a good solution for homes with children or for the movement of older people.
Installing a railing is possible but often disrupts the minimalist look of cantilever stairs and negates the visual effect of them floating. Therefore, railings are either not installed, or a minimalist solution that visually impacts the stairs as little as possible is chosen. One good solution is glass railings.
Photo: Rintal