Constructing Staircases, Balustrades & Landings: (Building Basics Series) [Paperback]

William P. Spence (Author)

Book Description

Series: Building Basics Series | Publication Date: November 1, 2000

Ten chapters cover all the essentials, including the subjects of code requirements, stairwell framing, notched and housed stringers, L-shaped, and U-shaped and curved stair construction...many color photos and drawings to explain and expand on the text. It offers great value for the price.”—Wood Design & Building

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

The author lives in Pinehurst, NC.

Product Details

• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: Sterling (November 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0806981016
• ISBN-13: 978-0806981017
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 8 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #936,450 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Not useful for railings, August 14, 2002

By 

Brian Ekins (Portland, OR United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Constructing Staircases, Balustrades & Landings: (Building Basics Series) (Paperback)

I'm in the process of remodeling my house and am replacing a stair railing. I used information from instructions the stair parts manufacturers produce and help from a stair parts salesman to figure out the parts I would need but needed some additional help in actually installing it. I found this book at a woodworking show and thought I was set. Unfortunately almost all it covers is the design and constructions of the stairs themselves. The design and construction of the railing is barely touched on. I got more information from the manufacturer's instructions and the instructions that came with some of the installation hardware.

I can't really comment on how good the stair construction information is since that's not what I was interested in, but I can't recommend this at all if your looking for information on stair railing design and construction.

If you're looking for railing information I would recommend the book "Stairs: The Best of Fine Homebuiling". (ISBN 1561581313)

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Dont judge a book by its cover, March 13, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Constructing Staircases, Balustrades & Landings: (Building Basics Series) (Paperback)

This book is not for you if you are looking for information on how to build a curved staircase. It virtually tells you nothing except that the stair manufacturer will bring it to you in pieces and install it. The curved staircase picture on the cover may lead you to believe you'll learn about how to construct a curved staircase. That is not the case. Plenty of information on how to construct straight stairs though.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars The Price Is Right - The Book Is Wrong, November 25, 2002

By 

Stephen Foster (Seattle, WA United States, via Scotland) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Constructing Staircases, Balustrades & Landings: (Building Basics Series) (Paperback)

Like the photograph on the cover, this book is not what it seems. The text is simplistic, skimming the surface of a topic that people can devote a rich lifetime to studying.

I bought it on the price and the strength of the cover photograph, because I'm Scottish (i.e. cheap), felt ambitious, and wanted to build a circular staircase from scratch.

The book doesn't touch on that subject at all. The cover "photograph" is actually a poorly-rendered computer graphic, and the text inside matches it well.

(By the way: DO NOT attempt to build a circular staircase from scratch unless you have years of woodworking under your belt, a very complete workshop at your disposal, are completely comfortable with extremely complex geometry, and have a source of income that allows you infinite free time :-)