Steel Stairs

Metal Stair Stringers

Traditionally, stringers were made from construction lumber and would be installed in threes: one stringer on each side of the stairway, and one in the center for support. Wide stairways required a few extra stringers for structural support.

What is a Metal Stair Stringer?

The metal stringer tube (that large, visible piece of metal below the staircase) is likely what comes to mind when you see or think of a metal stair stringer. Its main function is to support the floating staircase.

Most steel stair stringers weigh around 300 pounds, and they often require an arduous installation process. However, when it comes to Viewrail projects, our steel stairs will be your best friend. They are exceptionally versatile and can be installed in several different configurations, even when paired with stainless steel railing. This is because they ship pre-assembled. Our metal stringers come disassembled to keep the system lightweight and install quickly, allowing you to complete the project on your schedule. Plus, they can be powder coated in a variety of colors to best suit your design style.

Metal Stringer Bracket

A small but critical component, metal stringer brackets are designed to hold each stair tread in place. The bracket must be securely fastened to both the steel mono stringer and the stair tread. For the DIY homeowner, it’s important that brackets are shipped in a way that allows for easy installation.

Traditionally, stair brackets are welded onto the metal stair stringer prior to installation. However, this can cause issues for the DIY homeowner during the shipping process, because the stringer has to be shipped with all the brackets pre-welded onto the stringer.

Additionally, welding distorts the metal on the stair stringer, causing a scar where the bracket and stringer are joined together. It takes some serious strategic design to cover the metal where is has been welded.

Flow-drilling (or friction drilling) eliminates the weld entirely. First, we use a flow drill to create a long hole in the metal on the stair stringer. The metal is displaced by the friction that is caused from the flow drill’s quick movement, and it bends in toward itself — creating a circular tube. We change out the drill bit, then repeat the process to add threads to the circular tube so that a bolt can be inserted. Flow drilling also creates a rim around the top of this circular tube, where the bolt rests.

A bolted stringer is easy to ship and looks great. Instead of shipping the steel stairs with all of the welded brackets, we can ship the stringer and brackets separately, and the customer can easily bolt them together on the job site.

Floating Stair Treads

Our Modern Floating Stair treads have a simple purpose: to support your feet as they go up the staircase. Depending on the type of stairway, stair treads can be made from wood, metal, or plastic.
They can be made out of non-slip materials for indoor stairways, or thermally modified in order to withstand the elements outdoors.

For the DIY homeowner, thick stair treads are a dream. When we make our thick stair treads, we glue each piece of lumber together to create a strong step for your feet. It looks great, feels great, and is super supportive. Our thick stair treads are built by cutting, planing, and gluing pieces of hardwood together. Crafted from high-quality hardwood, our thick treads have unique wood grain and are capable of withstanding a lifetime of wear. They can be ordered in a variety of stunning finishes.

Next Steps

If you’re ready to narrow down your options and get more specific pricing, fill out our design help form by clicking the button below, or give us a call at (866) 261-8013. You can expect a quick conversation discussing general information about your project and you will also receive a quote either during the call or soon thereafter.