Stairs & Balustrade – Tips to cut costs

May 16, 2019

We often get customers coming in with a photo or an idea of a beautiful staircase their heart is set on, for us to quote, only for them to be disappointed as it is out of their price range. Don’t panic! Before you run for the hills trying to get cheaper quotes or settling for a disappointing staircase come back and ask us what we can do to help cut costs.  Sometimes we can create a very similar look with a lower price tag or cut costs in other ways.

Timber
Timber can vary in price, in some cases quite dramatically. Changing the timber species can save you a few hundred or even a thousand plus dollars, depending on what timber you have been quoted. Remember, you can always quote for the cheapest hardwood (Vic Ash) and get it stained to match the colour you are after. Another great solution is to mix and match. What does that mean? Painted Pine and hardwood look fantastic together. Check out our gallery and see for yourself. As a last resort you can simply install a budget staircase in CD Ply and lay your flooring over the top. (See our blog for more information on our budget staircase)

 

Glass Balustrade
Glass gives such a nice, clean, modern look to any home and looks fabulous as a balustrade to your staircase, but it comes with a high price tag. Straight away people love this look and they go for glass on patch fittings to the side of the staircase. You can save money by having glass in spigots (mini posts). It still keeps that sleek, open look and can save you money. The reason for this is, with patch fittings, your glass needs holes cut out for each patch fittings. These holes are quite expensive and you may need lots of them. If you choose spigots they act like clamps, therefore, no holes required and you can save some cash. Same goes for the handrail, a handrail to the inside of glass will require holes, where a handrail on top of the glass in clamps, no holes required.

Other extras that can contribute to those high quotes are things like:

  • Powdercoating products. Keeping the look stainless mirror/satin (and sometimes black) is modern and sleek without spending the extra for powdercoating different colours.
  • Solid timber. Solid timber is always more expensive. By laminating the timber we can save you money.
  • Tread thickness. The thicker your treads, the more expensive your quote will be. Keep it simple by getting 42mm treads with riser beads. (Not relevant to all staircase styles).
  • Choosing materials for your staircase. Whether it is mild steel, stainless steel, wrought iron, glass or timber, they all can vary in price dramatically. Each product has great styles and looks. You could cut costs by looking into a cheaper materials but still have the look you want! Whether that be modern, contemporary or traditional. We can find something for you.

There’s always a way to cut costs, if you can compromise slightly! If you would like to discuss options further, don’t hesitate to contact our friendly staff in the office.