Basic Spiral Staircase Design

• To make your homemade spiral staircase structurally sound, take time in choosing the material for your central pole. All the stairs will revolve around this pole and the pole will set the aesthetic tone for the rest of the staircase.
  
  Steel poles offer the greatest structural integrity and have the smallest diameters. If you are making a staircase for a tight space, every inch counts. Generally, a steel pole from 2.5 inches to 4" inches in diameter will provide plenty of strength. If you choose a wood center pole, a minimum diameter of 3.5 inches to 6 inches is recommended, depending on the type of wood.
  
  Each stair step will be mounted to a circular ring. This ring will slip-mount over the central pole. You may insert circular spacers over the pole between each stair to give each stair the spacing it needs from the other stairs. Whatever spacer length you choose, make sure to insert them at regular intervals so your stairs have a smooth, graduated quality.
  
  The stairs themselves should be of a material that complement or match the immediate surroundings. If you wish to feature more expensive woods, you may build your spiral staircase out of steel and then inlay specially crafted pieces of wood onto the steel. The steps also should have a length of at least 36 inches to give adequate support to those who climb the stairs. If your stairs are too narrow, climbers may become disoriented and fall.
  
  

Handrails

• The handrail on the spiral staircase is the design element that allows you the greatest amount of creativity. You may construct a handrail that is supported with vertical beams from each step and terminates at hand level. Or, you may opt to construct more of a shroud-like design for your staircase, with an enclosed, mesh-like material fastening to vertical support beams from the steps. You can carve the wooden handrails elaborately, or leave them unadorned. You may opt to seal in the bottom half of the handrail and plaster it. The only constraint on your handrail design is to make sure that your handrail is adequately supported, and is not heavier than the stairs that hold it up.