A compilation of requirements, tips and advice on installing stairway parts. Be sure to consult local building codes to be sure that you are in compliance before building a stairway.

Products should be inspected immediately upon receiving them and installed as quickly as possible.  Stair parts should be finished on all sides (especially stair treads) to reduce the possibility of warping or cracking.

Buy the right tools for installation.  Our specialty tools such as rail bolt wrenches, dowel screw driver, epoxy gun and sure-tite newel fasteners make a job much easier.

The right tool for the job of cutting iron balusters is a bandsaw, but a reciprocating (sawzall) saw, hacksaw or cut of saw with an abrasive blade will do the job.

Upside down balusters can save a lot of time in installation. Try plowing a half inch strip through the middle of your handrail and mounting your balusters upside down (with the round dowel end drilled into the tread). All epoxy isn't created equal cure times and holding strength vary greatly. Our epoxy is designed to have the proper working time and the strength for a stairway application.

Do not precut all of the balusters before installation. Setting up a stop block at your saw is helpful to for as a guide, but each baluster should be measured before cutting, because handrail height may vary from tread to tread. Wrap tape around the the top of iron balusters so that any epoxy that runs out of the hole will run onto the tape. After the epoxy has cured, remove the tape and the excess epoxy will come with it.

Dowel screws for installing wood balusters will save lots of headaches in the future. Dowel screws firmly hold balusters in place for years where wood to wood installations tend to work loose over time. A laser plumb tool is an excellent for ensuring that iron balusters are installed straight. It is much more noticeable if iron balusters are not installed perfectly plumb than it is with wood balusters.