Shown are thumbnail pictures of our prefab staircases, with a description of what your looking at on the right side of the staircase.  To see an enlarged picture of our prefab staircase just click on the staircase thumbnail.  To go back to where you where, click on your browser’s back button on the top left of your screen, or right click in an open area not on the picture, then left click on back.

Artisan Specialties definition of a prefab staircase.  All treads, risers, and skirt boards have been built as one unit in a staircase manufacturing plant Like Southern Staircase.  You require only the installation of hand railing and trimming out of the top and ends of the staircase skirt boards.  The only place we will ever recommend for a prefab staircase is Southern Staircase.  They have the very best in new construction staircases, and just about everything is set up by computer.

Why do I push Southern Staircase when I can do the work?  Thanks easy.  Any staircase man worth his salt will not nail any railing or posts.  They are glued and bolted! With the balusters most of them are screwed into the stairway treads.  Only in a few areas will you not be able to do this.  With Southern Staircase they make their stairs in the factory where all treads and risers are mortise into the skirt boards!  That was the way they built staircases a hundred years ago, and the best way to do it to prevent squeaks.  With a cut-in staircase you do not have the option of mortising the treads and risers into the skirt boards.  That is why I recommend all new home construction having their staircases in the building of their homes.  I will only tell you of the best people and services on this Web Site.  They do not compromise their quality of craftsmanship and nor do I.

Some contractors call this prefab railing, idiot rail.  The reason being it is so much more easier to screw prefaf staircases that have completed sections of prefab staircase railing to the floor or half wall, rather than have to build them from scratch.  The problem is having framers who do not get those walls or floors just right for the prefab sections that are to be installed.  The extra drywall mud on the outside corner of a wall where a rosette is going to have to be attached holding the railing securely.  But the biggest problem is finding someone who is good enough to cut the ends of rail right the first time, with all the framing variables you will run into using this type of staircase system.

Depending on your location, Artisan Specialties charges $85.00 per section of staircase handrail or a minimum of $500.00 whichever is the greater.  With special angled wall transactions on the top and bottom ends of the skirt board, like what is shown on this page, the price may go up.  For an example, there will be an additional charge of $225.00 for all of the staircase transitions showed on this featured design of staircase.  With an additional charge of $55.00 for the angled back cut railing and matching rail cap where the architect did not allow enough room for a rail rosette.

This is priced at new construction cost. If you are remodeling, other charges may apply.

Gramps always said you get what you pay for...............




Shown below is the process of a not so typical prefab staircase. What makes this staircase
so different is the none typical angle on the staircase landing and the inside wall of the
first tread.  I will start on top showing how I installed the remaining sections of skirt
board, and the process I used to accomplish what it needed.

	ITEM A1 Here you see up the prefab staircase.  The balcony of this prefab staircase runs into the second floor wall on the left.  On the right there is a short section of prefab balcony that goes back about four feet at the top of the staircase.  There is a total of three prefab balcony sections that need to be assembled in this area.
	ITEM A2 This is one section of the staircase balcony that will be installed.  Here is a must with any balcony so read closely.  When your balcony railing ends at a wall, you use what is called a rosette at the end of your rail to finish it off and have a way to attach your attractive oak railing to the wall.  You need to have screws fastening the rosette into the framing of the wall, and most of the time there is nothing there.  This is what you do. Cut out the sheetrock on the other side of the wall and install one two x ten to hold the screws.
	ITEM A3 Pictured here is the short prefab staircase balcony section.  This section with go to the top left of the prefab staircase and be attached to the prefab oak railing pictured above.
	ITEM A4 You can just make out the small section of prefab balcony railing on the right.  All of the prefab staircase balcony sections have been installed and partially finished.
	ITEM A5 Looking down from the very top of the staircase you can see the angle of the landing on the outside wall, and how the skirt board ends abruptly on the end of the wall.  Another thing you need to know.  A prefab staircase does not mean everything is done.  It means you receive prefab sections of oak railing pre made to what ever length you may need.  It’s up to you to fill in all those little places that make a staircase something special to look at.  Not something that was slapped together.  Of course don't leave out installing those sections of oak railing.
	ITEM A6 This is the unfinished outside of the prefab staircase.  You can see on the bottom left I'm a firm believer of using liquid nails.  Looking at the start of the staircase you can see how the inside wall has an angle right next to the skirt board.
	ITEM A7 This is a picture of the first piece of prefab rake railing for the prefab staircase.  Notice how the left end does not have that small section you see visible in ITEM A5 on the right.  That small section I had to make infield to custom fit the oak wall cap and oak hand railing around.
	ITEM A8 With this picture you will see how I drew on the bare sheetrock walls to help me invision how I wanted to finish off the custom staircase landing.  Keep looking down this column of thumbnail pictures to see how it turned out.  There will always be areas that your prefab stairs can not be installed on.  The top, bottom, and landings of the stairs are the most common places where your prefab stairs do not work out.
	ITEM A9 Now you can really get a look at how a compound landing can slow you up with a prefab staircase installation.  The old “idiot rail” now does not look so idiot proof does it?  With anything in life, the more you do it, the better you're at it.  I have had many a staircase make me scratch my bald head, and I know I’m not done yet, as long as the blue printers have not run out of ink.
	ITEM A10 One of those compound landing corners finished.  No landing tread or “nosing” is run until the skirt boards are finished.  Then after the nosing you can install the oak flooring, or something different all together.  Personal, if I have oak staircase treads I will have an oak landing to match it.  You can say that the landing is really a cut in stair.  No prefab stair is able to finish one off!  Not only do you need a talented staircase man to install the prefab stuff. You need a talented trim man too!
	ITEM A11 Kidding, no I did not use this one.
	ITEM A12 I cut it down before installing.  The Landing tread, “nosing” is about five and a half inches wide, and I wanted the block to be a termination point.
	ITEM A13 Now at the bottom of the staircase, you can see where I drew on the raw sheetrock walls to better give me an idea of what I envisioned finishing off this section.
	ITEM A14 A close up view of the same section of wall on the right.  Is there anyone who does not know what I'm going to do after seeing my sketch on the sheetrock?
	ITEM A15 Here is a semi finished view after I installed the skirt board transition and wall base cap moulding.  All painting will be touched up after everyone has finished in the home.  These pictures are to show you how my company, Artisan Specialties  installs interior trim.  At one time in my life a Trim Man did everything.  Now it seams the Trim Man does the trim in the home.  Then you have a different person who builds the cabinets, and another who installs the staircases.  Go figure huh?  Well there is one good thing.  My company still does every bit of all of the above!  Give me a call today, or simply drop me an email to get started.
	ITEM A16 Remember that small section of railing on the outside of the landing?  Well here it is with my sketching on the wall.  Do you see how the top of the two x four plate is higher that the prefab skirt board of this staircase?  What would you do?  Cover it up and don't worry about it?  Take your time and chisel the extra wood down flush to the skirt board?  I hope you know which option I elected for.
	ITEM A17 A close up of the same section.  You can see here that the person who did the takeoff on this prefab staircase did not order a tread for this part.  It was too much of a variable to chance destroying an oak tread.
	ITEM A18 First step to finishing off this difficult area.  Extend the main part of the staircase skirt board out flush with the end of the wall.
	ITEM A19 Second step, extend the top part of the skirt board out level, and flush with the outside corner of the wall.
	ITEM A20 Last step. Install the front part of the staircase skirt board transition flush to the outside of the last part I installed.  Run base cap moulding on the top of the skirt board.  Do you see how I stepped down the front of the skirt board and terminated the base cap with a return?
	ITEM A21 The outside of the picture above.  You can see the base cap moulding under the oak rail cap of the staircase.  You can also see how the last part of oak rail cap is running uphill.  This was because the framer cut the wall to long at rough in.  Could it have been fixed?  Yes.  Why did I not fix it?  The contractor did not want to spend the money.  Believe me, I thought twice before I posted this picture, but I also thought you needed to be aware of the consequences from none actions.  That way you will make sure your framing is right!
	ITEM A22 This is what could happen when you have a compound angle on a staircase landing.  There way no room to install an oak rosette to finish of the oak railing next to the sheetrock wall.  You can see how I was forced to cut the rail back in this picture.
	ITEM A23 The finished view of the oak railing and nosing looking up this beautiful prefab staircase.  You can see on the top inside wall how the skirt board steps up with the rake of the stairs.
	ITEM A24 Just about forgot the bottom left of the first step.  Here you can see the five eights plywood that was installed to attach the prefab staircase to.  This also gives it the room needed to slide half inch sheetrock down into.
	ITEM A25 This is the long rake section of prefab railing gong on the outside wall of the prefab staircase.  Look and you will see the holes that have been drilled to install four inch wood screws into the top plate of the wall.  I cover the screws with either oak mushroom caps or oak plugs, depending on my clients.
	ITEM A26 Finally the semi finished oak rail cap with a glimpse of one of the mushroom caps on the top left.  The contractor needed a wider base for the downstairs of this home.  Pictured here is an MDF speed base moulding with base cap mitered into the top to allow it to flow together.  This is not your typical prefab staircase. Most of the time if contractors are building a spec home they will have a much easier design to save on the installation cost.  This was a spec home, but it was a higher end spec home.

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