The things you notice...

I notice that every time I learn something new, I usually carry it with me wherever I go. Everything that I see gets filtered through this new knowledge.

The past year, I have learned a ton about the nuances of stairways and railing systems. I never knew that there was so much that goes into a staircase and how complicated a railing system can be. But with the stuff that I have learned in 2008, I now find myself walking into people's homes and automatically analyzing their staircases. Or when I'm watching a movie, I notice a Box Newel Post or an old staircase that they are walking on. So the other day, when I was flipping through Pottery Barn's newest catalog edition, I saw this picture and found it unique because of the stair's configuration.

This particular staircase would be termed as an open stairway in the stairbuilding industry. It is considered open because the actual stair steps are not enclosed by a kneewall, typically called the stringer (the structural supporting diagnol part of the stair). Instead, the stair treads are attached on top of the stringer.

The thing that I found interesting in this photo, is that usually with an open staircase, the railings are attached directly into the stair step/tread, with a loose parts railing system. But in this particular case, only the newel (the supporting post) is attached directly into the tread. The railing is in fact a rake pre-assembled railing system, that runs perpendicular to the rise, or diagnol, of the stringer. A rake pre-assembled railing system means that this railing system was manufactured and then assembled at the plant, versus on site by a rail installer. Pre-Assembled railing systems are easier to install than Loose Parts railing systems, which have to be assembled and installed by an experienced carpenter on site.

This photo of the Pottery Barn stair is interesting because it just isn't very typical. While there are examples of open stairs with old pre-assembled rake iron railing systems (what I term, porch rail), I had never seen an open stair with a pre-assembled wood rake railing system. Unique, to say the least!

Congratulations to our Stair Division

American Stairs & Cabinetry is the stair division of Signature WoodCrafters. Please see the press release below recognizing it's recent award.

Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

American Stairs & Cabinetry Receives 2008 Best of West Jefferson Award

U.S. Local Business Association’s Award Plaque Honors the Achievement
WASHINGTON D.C., December 12, 2008 -- American Stairs & Cabinetry has been selected for the 2008 Best of West Jefferson Award in the Stair Builders category by the U.S. Local Business Association (USLBA).

The USLBA "Best of Local Business" Award Program recognizes outstanding local businesses throughout the country. Each year, the USLBA identifies companies that they believe have achieved exceptional marketing success in their local community and business category. These are local companies that enhance the positive image of small business through service to their customers and community.

Various sources of information were gathered and analyzed to choose the winners in each category. The 2008 USLBA Award Program focused on quality, not quantity. Winners are determined based on the information gathered both internally by the USLBA and data provided by third parties.

About U.S. Local Business Association (USLBA)

U.S. Local Business Association (USLBA) is a Washington D.C. based organization funded by local businesses operating in towns, large and small, across America. The purpose of USLBA is to promote local business through public relations, marketing and advertising.

The USLBA was established to recognize the best of local businesses in their community. Our organization works exclusively with local business owners, trade groups, professional associations, chambers of commerce and other business advertising and marketing groups. Our mission is to be an advocate for small and medium size businesses and business entrepreneurs across America.

SOURCE: U.S. Local Business AssociationCONTACT:U.S. Local Business AssociationEmail: PublicRelations@USLBA.netURL: http://www.USLBA.net

Some Helpful Stair Terms

In the stair and rail world, there are some common terms that we identify stairs by. You may think a stair is a stair or a railing is a railing, but there are specific terms for each of these parts. I will update with some more terms later, but to get started, here are a few basics.

BALUSTER - a vertical member which helps support the handrail. Usually referred to in colloquial terms as a "picket", "spindle", or plainly "railings". This is the most visible part of a railing system.

HANDRAIL - the horizontal or "rake" member of a balustrade (read, railing) system. It sits on top of the balusters and is supported by newel posts. It basically is the part of the railing system that you hold on to when climbing a set of stairs. In some Open Stair or Curve Stair ReCrafting jobs, homeowners are fine with their handrail and want us to save it, which we can do.

NEWEL POST - the major support for a balustrade (railing) system. Newels are larger than balusters and are located at the bottom and top of a stairway or at a turn in the handrail. In some cases, for a balcony rail, there are intermediate newels, depending on the length of the handrail. Newels can come in all shapes and forms, from a sturdy Box Newel to a delicate Pintop Model. If you replace your rails, you can choose from a variety of newel systems to enhance the look of your home.

TREAD - the horizontal component of a step upon which one walks. Prefinished, solid, hardwood oak treads are the hallmark product of Signature WoodCrafters Stair ReCrafting process. Unfinished treads can be bought at a Home Depot or Lowes, but the nosing for the tread does not come included and you will have to buy additional wood materials to making that nosing. Our treads come with the nosing already attached, for a simple slide in fit on top of your current stair's substructure.

RISER - the vertical component of a step which, along with the stringers, supports the treads. Commonly comes in a white finish or stained to match your prefinished oak treads. Most people think that they can get away with painting the wood substructure when they take the carpet off and put on a tread from Home Depot. What they fail to realize is not only are they two different types of wood with different grains, but you also change the height of the stairs when you fail to include a riser with your tread. Prefinished treads and risers solve that problem.

Again, just a couple of terms from the stair world. More to come soon!

ReCrafting? What is that?

The hallmark product of Signature WoodCrafters is our exclusive ReCrafting technique for both Kitchens and Stairs.

This technique allows the homeowner to experience beautifully crafted products within their home for a fraction of the cost of complete replacements, remodels, or tear-outs. And not only is it a fraction of the cost, but it also takes less time to install than any of those home-improvement options.

Stair ReCrafting is a process that places solid hardwood treads and risers over the current sub-structure of your staircase. You can also replace the railings if you want, and it is actually recommended that if you have an open or curved staircase with the balusters sitting on top of the stair tread, that you do replace the railings.

Kitchen ReCrafting is comparable to the more common known techinque of kitchen refacing. Most homeowners that are happy with the layout of their kitchen, but want to update the look of their kitchen often choose to reface their kitchen. Refacing typically consists of changing the cabinet doors and drawer fronts with brand new doors and drawer fronts and applying a laminate tape veneer on all exposed face frames, both exterior and interior.

Where ReCrafting differs from refacing, is that we do not apply a cheap laminate veneer that will chip and fade over time. We use solid 1/4" hardwood moldings on your exterior face frame, while also replacing your cabinet doors drawers with solid hardwood doors and drawer fronts. For the same amount of money that you would consider spending on having your kitchen refaced, Signature WoodCrafters can provide you with a much superior product. A ReCrafted kitchen will typically take 1 to 2 days for installation, unless you include a countertop replacement, at which the lead time increases to 3-5 business days.

For more information on the benefits of ReCrafting, visit our website, www.signaturewoodcrafters.com!

Welcome!

Welcome everyone to the new Signature WoodCrafters blog!

It is only fitting that the new consumer-direct division of Signature Companies should have a voice that reaches out to its consumers - hence, this blog. We are looking forward to advancing the communication lines between us and our customers, and sincerely hope that this will provide a forum to do so. A bit of information about us:

As the tag line of our blog states, Signature WoodCrafters is the new consumer-direct division of Signature Companies, a 25-year old company that supplies cabinetry, stairways and railings, built-in cabinetry, and countertops to the Mid-Atlantic region. We are home of the new Stair and Kitchen ReCrafting - two products that separate us from your normal, run-of-the mill kitchen refacing/remodeling companies, and flooring companies that inadequately supply you with a hardwood solution to your carpeted stairs.

We have had some incredible success so far, participating in three home shows and launching several marketing campaigns throughout the Northern Virginia area. Check out these Before and After pictures from a couple of our completed jobs and contact us today at info@signaturewoodcrafters.com to find out how you can get a free, no-obligation estimate for our ReCrafting services! Be sure to visit our website also at http://www.signaturewoodcrafters.com/ for more information about our products!

STAIR RECRAFTING

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KITCHEN RECRAFTING

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