Differences between interior and exterior spiral stairs

At Great Lakes Stair we design and install a great many spiral staircase projects and often our customers have questions regarding the differences between an interior spiral staircase and an exterior spiral stairs.

The main differences between exterior and interior spiral stairs are related to the material compositions of the stair. In the majority of exterior spiral stairs projects, we like to use aluminum spiral stairs that are powder coated with the color of choice. Aluminum doesn’t rust or necessarily corrode, and basically has a much longer lifespan than exterior spiral stairs made out of steel. While there is a cost savings when using steel, it will rust when used for an exterior spiral stair project and there will also be costs involved in the long term maintenance. Aluminum based spiral stairs will last for generations before really needing anything done in the way of maintenance.

We will use steel frequently for interior spiral stair projects to capture the material costs savings over aluminum.

Another key difference between interior and exterior spiral stairs is the composition of the treads (the part of the stair you step on). For exterior spiral stair treads we can often match the composite deck material that is used on an outside deck that the spiral staircase will service. For exterior spiral stairs we can also provide treads that are all aluminum and use an anti-skid diamond plate look or materials such as anti-skid tape. There are many different tread options when doing an exterior spiral stair project.

From a design perspective, there aren’t many major differences between interior and exterior spiral stairs. We can handle nearly any design for which we are asked by customers. We do occasionally see different balcony heights on exterior projects so we will sometimes raise railing heights to add an extra safety feature for a project.

Great Lakes Stair – the experts in interior and exterior spiral stairs!

When potential customers ask us “why should we choose Great Lakes Stair” for their spiral staircase project, we always reply that it comes down to our experience. We have been designing and building spiral staircases since 1990 and have learned what works and doesn’t work for a spiral staircase project. After completing a spiral staircase project, we very rarely have any call backs from customers with issues, and this is a testament to our experience, expertise and longevity in the custom staircase industry.

Give Great Lakes Stair a call today or fill out the request form on this page to discuss your spiral staircase project. 330-225-2005