Oak staircase cheaper than anywhere else....anything I'm missing?

aliasojo

Tradesmen in the Highlands are generally much more expensive across the board than their counterparts down south so getting a staircase made locally isn't really an option, it would be too costly.

I can get pine strings and pine or mdf treads off the shelf but oak has to be ordered and a lot of companies seem to use Jeld-Wen who aren't all that cheap. I also cant afford a completely solid oak staircase so will likely have to compromise with the treads and risers.

Tradestairs do this staircase......http://www.tradestairs.com/acatalog/oak_staircases.html.....whis has oak strings and treads and oak faced ply risers and it's £569 ex vat. Even taking into account the huge (imo) delivery charge up to here, it still seems cheaper than I can find locally.

Anyone had experience of this company and it's staircases?

leveller2911

Hi aliasojo,
Just had a look at their website(link not working) .Just looking at the Oak staircases, they use "engineered Oak" which is lots of pieces of Oak glued up and then machined.In the photo's there is clearly Oak Sapwood used which is very pale in colour and softer and can be easily marked.

To be honest you get what you pay for so if you want strings constructed from a single piece of Oak with nice grain then you will pay more.Think im right in saying that price doesn't include Newal posts,Balusters and Handrails.Large companies are generally cheaper because they buy/make in volume, the downside is the quality is generally poor compared to a small/medium sized Joinery .

I'm not gonna knock them as they are what they are Cheap Oak staircases......

aliasojo

Thanks for taking the time leveller. I wish for once something cheap would just be good, rather than be too good to be true, lol.

I'm not sure what to do tbh, I really can't see me being able to afford a good oak staircase so I either get something like this, or I just get pine and paint it white. Decisions, decisions. Might do some more phoning around tomorrow.

System

have you actually got quotes from local tradesmen for this or have you just assumed it will be expensive?
you would have much greater control over the quality of materials that way, although i'd imagine with decent oak there would be about 500quid in materials!!

aliasojo

The house has pretty much been a renovation project spanning years now so I've had quite a lot of dealings with trades. The joiners I've spoken to informally have given ballpark figures ranging from £1600 - £2500 depending on whether the treads and risers are oak or pine etc. That's also just for the staircase..no newels or handrail etc.That's why I started looking online. I have an account at a local builder's merchant and also get trade discount at a timber yard where I've been buying all our oak plate, skirting and architrave so it's not like I shop at B&Q and go by their prices iyswim.

Just as an example of cost difference, I needed to source a piece of PAR timber (not oak, just redwood) that was 95mm thick but could be anywhere from 150mm - 200mm wide. I only needed roughly just over a metre in length. Couldn't get it as an off the shelf size anywhere, no builder's merchants or timber place stocked it. Only place that would do it was a joinery manufacturer and they wanted a smidgeon under £50. The joiner I'm using just now said he could have picked that up down south for less than a tenner.

aliasojo

Appears the Jeld-Wen staircase isn't solid oak either..it has a 'core' (not entirely sure what that is) and they use various bits including engineered and laminated, to make the staircase. The strings are 27mm thick and the treads are 21mm compared to 32mm and 22mm of the company in the first post. Their cost is a smidgeon under £1000.

If anyone knows of anywhere else to try.............?