Cantilevered Stone Staircases
At A F Jones Stonemasons, we are the experts when it comes to Cantilever Stone Staircases (also known simply as ‘Cantilever Staircases’) having designed, made, and built hundreds of flights of stairs for happy clients across the South of England. We have centuries of experience delivering projects of all sizes, and we are passionate about our craft.
What is a Cantilever Stone Staircase?
A cantilever stone staircase is one where the solid stone steps (also known as treads) are embedded into a supporting wall on one end, with the other end ‘free’, visible and seemingly floating.
The treads are said to be ‘cantilevered’ from the wall, hence the name.
Why are they so popular?
There are several very good reasons why this type of staircase is so popular.
For a start, they are slender and elegant: Few other structural arrangements of stairs can get close to the slenderness achievable with stone.
The structural mechanism is clever, yet amazingly simple, and at the same time resilient and robust (i.e. safe too).
How does a Cantilever Stone Staircase work?
The structural mechanism is clever, yet amazingly simple, and at the same time resilient and robust (i.e. safe too).
The sizes of all the components are ideally suited to stone (i.e. suited to stone block sizes available from many quarries).
The stone itself is not only the structure but also the finish. Therefore there is no need for any other follow-on trades, or other structural work of any sort. This contributes to their overall affordability.
A stone staircase of this type can add huge value to any property. So in short, there are multiple good reasons to consider cantilever stone staircases for projects.
We have a knowledge hub article explaining, in-depth, below.
Stone Selection
Alongside the look and feel of the stone, the integrity and wear resistance of the parent stone are also important things to consider when it comes to selecting the right one for you.
For the aesthetics, colour, texture/ finish, bedding and shells, and general variability are all vital things to look out for.
Some of the most popular choices of stone are Portland, Moleanos (beige or blue), Cadeby, fine-grained sandstones, and other fine-grained continental limestones.
Design / Support Details
Our service includes the structural design of the stone assembly, including the connecting brackets where necessary, and also drawing the geometry in 3D. We also can offer the complete package including the balustrade and handrail components within the scope if required.
Most stairs and staircases are supported by progressively embedding each tread into the flanking supporting wall.
However, where this arrangement is not possible, or where other support arrangements are needed, there are a variety of design options using bracketry or rails.
We are also able to deliver post-tensioned staircases which are a further distinct type of stair.
Please treat a stone staircase as a long-lead item for your project: the earlier our discussions, the easier it will be to integrate into the process.
We make design integration easy, using our extensive experience of all types of project solutions for stone staircases. Do make contact with us as early as possible to discuss options, outline budgets, timeframes and other initial design integration.
Fabrication
Using our state-of-the-art factory and machinery we can make the treads to any shape and detail you require.
Our stairs are fabricated using different materials at our workshops based in Oxfordshire.
We also carry out trial assemblies to check fit up before it is delivered and installed.
In addition, each piece of stone is hand-finished and rubbed to ensure it is of the very highest quality prior to transportation and installation.
Installation
With a bit of forethought and provision of temporary lifting beams, the installation process becomes a relatively smooth and simple process.
We can provide guidance and even project management to ensure everything goes to plan.
Come and see us – or get in touch
You are more than welcome to visit our showroom and production workshops to take a look at some samples, discuss your project and see the manufacturing process with your own eyes.
We would be happy to show you around, talk about your requirements and run through the various options we have available.
If you require samples of stone types please just ask.
Alternatively, just call us or email us using our contact details.
Realise your project, guided by our architectural stonemasonry experts.
