With so many options available, selecting a material for a new outdoor spiral staircase can certainly sound overwhelming. It’s difficult to determine which materials will hold up to the harsh winter weather and still provide a polished, stylish appearance for you and your loved ones to enjoy during summer get-togethers.
In this post, we’ll highlight the advantages and disadvantages of some of the most common materials used by homeowners, so you can ensure you choose the right type of spiral staircase.
Different Types of Spiral Staircases
Solid Wood
Opting for a solid wood option allows homeowners a truly traditional and grand staircase. Wood is extremely customizable and allows you to stain and/or paint it to completement your home and style.
Though common for building a decking and staircase, it does require a good amount of maintenance. Wood must be treated and sealed frequently to maintain its integrity, durability and appearance. Neglecting its upkeep can and will result in your material warping, possibly even causing nails and screws to lose grip over time.
Stainless Steel
Stainless steel staircases are a durable option that contributes more of an industrial vibe to any decking area. Since it is a metal material, it is incredibly strong and stable and can be incredibly long lasting.
In very wet or cold climates, you may experience some rusting on your steel spiral staircases if the proper measures are not taken. If you opt for stainless steel, you will need to do some weatherproofing to maintain its integrity and prevent rusting. When steel rusts over time, it loses some of its impressive strength that makes it a durable option. Much like wood, the maintenance required with stainless steel makes it a less popular outdoor staircase option.
Powder-Coated Aluminum
Aluminum is an easy and affordable staircase material. Like steel, aluminum is extremely strong and durable, despite its lightweight nature. Unlike steel, however, aluminum requires no maintenance to ensure it lasts, as it is naturally rust-resistant. Aluminum also has a powder coating that protects the metal even more from harsh elements like wind, rain, and snow. Because aluminum is powder coated, it’s completely maintenance free, requiring no upkeep or future treatments to maintain its integrity, durability and appeal.
Not only does the powder coating help protect this already-rust-resistant metal, but it’s completely customizable, as well. You can choose from a variety of powder-coating colors and textures that will complement your home and speak to your personal style, making powder-coated aluminum spiral staircases a stylish yet resilient and weather-withstanding option for any homeowner.
About UglyDeck.com
Deciding upon a material can be a tough decision. Our professional UglyDeck.com team is here to help support you in all your decking decisions and needs. By visiting one of our showrooms, you can get a feel for the different spiral staircase materials and see how you can combine materials to make something truly unique.
To help inspire some spiral staircase and decking ideas, be sure to check out our photo gallery of previous projects. If you’re ready to get started, contact us to receive a free consultation and estimate or use our virtual stairbuilder to begin customizing your outdoor spiral staircase; we always look forward to helping customers like you transform an outdoor space to be exactly what you want and need it be!
