Craftsman Front Porch Stair & Railing

Craftsman Front Porch Stair & Railing

The owners of this iconic classic craftsman home located in the Green Lake area of north Seattle wanted an architecturally correct replication staircase. An Architect I know well and worked with before recommended Westbrook to the client. There was some design work needed before starting with the half newel post located on the half wall at the upper section. With all Westbrook projects, preconstruction communication and some design work is a part of the process of planning ahead. This step just adds to the quality experience for the client, and the quality of workmanship Westbrook is known for. These stairs were made with the best materials. Vertical grain fir and cedar are the traditional woods of choice for historic homes in the Pacific Northwest. All wood was milled in Westbrook’s woodshop to the specifications needed for the project. For instance, the posts were made with butt joinery with biscuit inserts for strength. The post caps were custom made from vertical grain cedar, as well the skirts at the side of the stairs. The railings were sized from square stock in the shop. All material sanded to a 150 grit, and a slow dry oil base primer applied by hand on all sides adds to longevity. Another component of quality Westbrook uses is the attention to slope each tread 3/8” for sheading moisture away. Each Joint is back calked and screwed together with stainless steel screws adding strength and longevity to all joinery. The attention to craftsmanship and architectural results of these stairs is such that they will last and look exactly like they belong to the classic antiquity of this beautiful craftsman home!