Staircase Remodeling in Stone Mountain, GA

A straight stair is the simplest to remodel. A stair that turns a corner, whether through a flat landing or a set of pie-shaped winder steps, takes more measuring, more hand fitting and more careful railing work. Staircase remodeling on an L-shaped or U-shaped stair is very doable, but the turn is where most of the time and planning go.

If your Stone Mountain stair turns, these are the parts of the job that differ from a straight flight.

Landings and winders: two ways to turn

Some stairs turn on a flat landing, a square platform where you take a step or two before the next flight starts. Others turn with winders, a series of triangular or wedge-shaped treads that rotate around the corner without a flat stop. Winders save floor space but are trickier to walk on and to remodel, because each tread has a different shape and the narrow end is very short.

We note which type you have, how many winders there are and whether the turn is supported by a post, a wall or framing underneath, since that affects how treads are fastened.

Why winder treads are fitted one at a time

Straight treads can be measured once and cut alike. Winders cannot. Each one is traced with a template, often a thin board or cardboard cut to fit tightly against the walls, the riser below and the post or skirt at the turn. The new tread is cut from the template, test-fitted and adjusted before it is glued and fastened. That is slower work, and it is the main reason a turning stair takes longer than a straight one of the same height.

Nosings at the turn need attention too. On winders, the nosing follows the angle of each tread, and where the narrow ends meet a newel or wall, the joint has to be tight and clean.

Rails that follow the turn

The handrail has to change direction at the corner, and how it does that shapes the whole look. On a landing, the rail typically meets a newel, turns and continues from it, or flows around the corner through fittings without a newel interrupting it. On winders, the rail rises more steeply across the turn, and fittings such as easings and goosenecks keep it smooth and at a consistent height.

Baluster spacing gets harder at the turn as well. Winders have deep outer ends and tiny inner ones, so balusters are placed to keep gaps even while still looking orderly from below.

Skirt boards and walls around the corner

Where the stair turns against walls, skirt boards meet at angles and step up across each winder. Fitting them well takes patience, because every gap shows. The walls in the corner are often damaged from years of hands and furniture brushing past, so we include patching and painting where needed. Rail brackets on the wall side need solid blocking, especially at the turn where people pull hardest.

Finishing a stair with odd-shaped treads

Wood winders take stain and clear coat like any tread, but the wide, flat surfaces at the turn show sanding marks and uneven stain more readily, so they are sanded with care. Carpet is another option, and on winders it needs precise cutting to wrap each angled nosing without bunching. Our carpet installation in Stone Mountain can handle that if you prefer carpet on the turn and wood elsewhere.

The floor connections at the top and bottom are planned the same way as on any stair, with flush nosings and consistent step heights.

Check with Stone Mountain before you start

Stone Mountain is in DeKalb County. The city’s Building Department wants to hear from residents before any construction gets underway, including jobs they assume are permit-free, and it cautions that going ahead without a needed trade permit can mean penalties and a stalled project. Before your stair work begins, a short call to City Hall settles the question.

Questions about turning stairs

Can winder steps be replaced with a flat landing?

Sometimes, but it is a structural change, not a finish upgrade. Converting winders to a landing changes the number and position of steps on one or both flights, so the framing has to be rebuilt and the step heights recalculated. Whether it works depends on the available space and headroom. A visit can show whether it is practical on your stair.

Why do winder treads take longer to replace than straight ones?

Each winder has its own shape, so it has to be templated, cut and test-fitted individually rather than cut alike from a single measurement. The joints at the narrow ends and against the walls need tight fits, and the nosings follow different angles. That hand fitting is where the extra time goes on a turning stair.

How does the handrail get around the corner on a turning stair?

There are two common ways. The rail can stop at a newel post on the landing and start again from it, or it can run continuously through curved fittings without a newel in the way. On winders, easings and goosenecks keep the rail at a steady height as it climbs more steeply around the turn.

Let us look at the turn in your stair

If your stair turns a corner, call 404-409-4448 and describe it. We can visit to template the turn, check the framing underneath and prepare an estimate that spells out how the winders or landing, the skirt work and the rail will be handled.