How to Mark the Center Pole When Building a Spiral Staircase

When you are building a spiral staircase, the positioning of the center pole is critical. If the center pole is not marked correctly, problems arise as to the placement of the steps, and the rotation of the staircase will be off.

Difficulty: Challenging

Instructions

1. Determine the correct placement of your center pole when building a spiral staircase by first deciding the length that you want your steps to be. The longer the length of the steps, the more tread area is exposed. Remember to allow enough clearance with your steps to include your handrail.

2. Cut the pole that you are using as your center pole for your spiral staircase. Measure from your bottom floor to your top floor. Use this measurement to cut the center pole length.

3. Attach the spiral staircase center pole securely to the bottom floor. If the floor is concrete, for example, you must drill and place lead anchors in the floor and secure the center pole plate with lag screws.

4. Plumb the center pole for your spiral staircase by checking it with a level in four different places on the pole. After you've determined it is plumb, secure your center pole to your second floor. Plumbing the center pole and securing it correctly is critical so that your steps are level.

Tips & Warnings

• After you get the height of your center pole for your spiral staircase and the center line of your pole from a wall, it's a good idea to take those measurements to a staircase company that specializes in spiral staircases if you have no experience in this area. They can design and build your spiral staircase for you.