Metal spindles: cheaper than you think, and why simple lasts
Written by Scott Jones, The Stair Guys, independent staircase measuring and sourcing specialists·Last updated
They cost less than their reputation
Metal spindles have a reputation for being the expensive, high-end option, and for the most part that reputation is out of date. Plain metal spindles are more affordable than most people assume, often comparable with a decent timber spindle, so if you like the look they are worth pricing rather than ruling out on cost alone.
Simple lasts, elaborate dates
The thing to watch is not cost, it is the design. The more elaborate and fashionable a metal spindle is, the faster it dates, and a staircase is not something you change every few years. A simple, plain metal spindle, a clean bar or a restrained pattern, tends to still look right long after a fussy, of-the-moment design has started to feel tired. If you are choosing metal, choosing simple is usually choosing to like it for longer.
On fixing, metal spindles are often bedded with silicone rather than fixed rigidly, which holds them plumb, allows a little tolerance and stops them rattling, the same principle used for glass balustrades.
Frequently asked
Are metal staircase spindles expensive?+
Less than their reputation suggests. Plain metal spindles are more affordable than most people assume, often comparable with a decent timber spindle, so they are worth pricing rather than dismissing on cost.
Do metal spindles date?+
Elaborate ones do, quickly. The fussier and more fashionable the design, the sooner it starts to feel tired, and a staircase is not something you change often. A simple, plain metal spindle tends to keep looking right for far longer.
How are metal spindles fixed?+
Often bedded in silicone rather than fixed rigidly. That holds the spindle plumb, allows a little tolerance and stops it rattling, the same reasoning used when fixing glass in a balustrade.
Related guides
- The label tells you the tree, not where it has beenA timber label like "oak" or "pine" tells you the species, not the journey. A lot of stair timber is shipped abroad for processing before it returns as "product", so here is what to ask about where your timber was grown and processed, and why it matters.
- Glass balustrades: why the joinery and fixings matter more than the glassOn a glass balustrade the glass is the easy part. What makes or breaks it is a dead-square, parallel frame (ideally tenoned and drawbored, not just screwed) and silicone bedding the glass so it is cushioned, held plumb and does not rattle.
- Which timber to choose for a staircaseThe best timber for a staircase depends on the part. Treads need a harder, wear-resistant wood like oak, ash or beech; handrails reward a timber that feels good in the hand; and paint-grade softwood is fine where it will be covered. There is no single best wood, and hardness is a guide, not a regulation.
- Painting your stairs? What they should actually be made ofIf you are painting a staircase the material underneath still matters. Treads should be solid pine, never MDF. Risers are best solid, with plywood a sound second and MDF the one to avoid. Here is why paint hides the look but not how the material behaves.
- Is your timber sustainable? Legality, and what FSC or PEFC certified really meansLegally sourced and sustainably sourced are not the same claim, and being FSC or PEFC certified is about audited paperwork, not a guarantee every board came from a certified forest. Here is what the labels really mean.
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