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Made-to-measure staircases
External staircases built for the Weald weather
An outside stair has to work in the rain, in frost and in the dark, and still look right against the house. That is a steel job, and it is what we do most.
The jobs we see every week
A first-floor flat that needs its own front door. A garden that sits a storey below the kitchen. An annexe or office over a garage. A rotten timber stair that has to be replaced before somebody goes through it. Each of these is a straight or landing staircase in galvanised steel, and each is measured, drawn and priced before we start.
Built to last outside
After fabrication the whole staircase is dipped in molten zinc, which reaches the inside of the hollow sections as well as every outer face. It comes back a matt silver-grey that many customers keep, or we powder coat it in the colour you choose. Treads are open grating or chequer plate so water and ice drain away, and every fixing is galvanised or stainless.
Regulations and neighbours
Rise, going, headroom and guarding are set by Approved Document K. When the stair is also an escape route, the fire requirements of Approved Document B apply too. If the flight looks straight into next door we can add closed risers or a screen, or swing the flight the other way. Drawings are supplied for planning or building control whenever they are needed.
Questions we are asked about External staircases
Will an external staircase need planning permission?
A rear stair on an ordinary house often falls under permitted development, though height, position and listed status all change the answer, and a stair on a flat or a commercial building usually needs an application. We check the position for you at the survey and can prepare the drawings for an application if one is required.
Can the staircase be fitted while tenants are in the flat?
Yes. Most external stairs are fitted in a day with the old one removed the same morning, and we plan access with the occupants beforehand.
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Same-day estimates
Have a drawing, a photo or a tender pack? We will price it today.
Email it, send it through the form, or ring the workshop in East Grinstead and talk it through with the person who will design it.