How to Buy FLIGHT Floating Stairs

You’re trying to decide if floating stairs are right for you. Maybe you love the design but are concerned about things like lead time, shipping, and installation. You’ve probably never bought a stairway online before and want to make sure that this is going to go right.

We don’t blame you. Choosing the right stairway is a major decision in a new construction or large scale renovation. You don’t want unnecessary complications holding up the rest of your project. We’ve broken down the process into 5 easy to understand steps: Visualization, Tech/Engineering, Fabrication, Receiving & Installation, and Living. We’ll make sure we’re all on the same page when it comes to getting your Viewrail FLIGHT floating stair.

Visualization (2 Days)

You’ve probably seen a floating stair somewhere before. They’re popping up all over the newest HGTV shows and in new constructions all over the world. But not all floating stairs are the same and you want to know that what you’re getting is going to look perfect in your home’s design. That’s why we do a 2D & 3D rendering of your project before you even decide if you want to make a purchase. We believe seeing your project rendered in 3D helps you make a more informed decision. See below for a sample of what these renderings look like.

Once you see your project in 3D, you can even ask your designers to change the railing from rod railing to glass railing if you’d like. Or maybe you want to see it with a metal handrail instead of a wood handrail. There’s no rush. We want to make sure the design is exactly what you’re looking for.

Once you’ve decided on a design, a Viewrail project coordinator will confirm all measurements before we go into tech/engineering. It’s critical that we get exact measurements, but your technical and engineering representative will make sure that you know exactly what to measure and help you get it right.

Tech/Engineering (1-3 Days)

We believe in getting things done quickly. That’s why we’ve built automation tools that create production prints in as little as 10 minutes! Right now, about 60% of projects only have to go through the “Tech” phase, which is able to utilize our automation tools to get the production drawings done quickly. Our engineers work on every project, and if your project has non-standard elements to it (like a glass wall that we cannot attach to or more than one turn), then our engineers apply their creative strengths to make the system perfect for you. Within 3 days, they’ll have a fully engineered drawing returned to you for sign-off.

The drawings will include all the details you need to install the floating stair and railing system. You won’t have to worry about trying to figure out where the header and footer plates should install or where the posts should be mounted. We’ll make sure all of that is detailed in the drawings. Click through the image slider below to see what your engineering drawings will look like.

A good way to save time during this step is to make sure that all measurements provided are correct. Occasionally, there will be some back and forth during this stage, and you can help expedite the process through quick responses and clear communication with your technical representative. Once you confirm that the engineering drawings match your project, engineering is complete and you’ll move into fabrication.

Fabrication (3-5 Weeks)

This stage is where everything gets made. If your project only requires one stringer, you’ll have a 3-week lead time. If there’s multiple stringers, the lead time is 5 weeks. There’s nothing for you to do during this time except start prepping your job site. Your technical and engineering representative will be able to help you understand what you can do to be ready to receive and install your FLIGHT floating stair. They will also be in regular contact with you during this stage to provide you updates on production schedules and let you know of any speed ups or delays.

Receiving (1-4 Days) & Installation(1-5 Days)

Your FLIGHT system will arrive to the job site in a few different boxes. The stringer is packaged in a light weight, reinforced plywood crate. This keeps it easy to carry into the house while protecting the stringer during shipment. The tread brackets are packaged in sets of two and entirely interchangeable on the entire staircase. The mounting plates are packaged with the bottom and top tread brackets, respectively. Treads are wrapped in a similar light weight, reinforced cardboard box and then placed on a skid. If your project uses posts for your railing, they will be packaged individually with all required hardware in each post box. These boxes are also numbered to match your 2D drawing (see above) so you can lay out all of your posts prior to installation.

Customers often get worried about being able to carry the stringer off of the truck. But the reality is that the stringer usually weighs somewhere between 125-150 pounds, meaning two people can often manage it.

Installation instructions will be sent with your order. There are some differences between the installation instructions based on the configuration of your stairway. If you’d like to review our installation instructions, please see our installation guide.

Living

Congratulations! Now you are able to fully enjoy living with your FLIGHT floating staircase. Do you notice how open your rooms are? Here’s a few tips to keep your floating stairway nice and clean.

1. You’ll notice that your FLIGHT doesn’t accumulate as much dust as traditionally framed stairways do. This is because the open riser lets more dust fall through. However, you’ll still want to dust it periodically and make sure to check underneath the stairway for dust.
2. If you use cable railing, you’ll get a stainless steel cleaner with your installation kit. Using a small amount on a microfiber cloth will keep it looking polished. If you’re using glass railing, check out our glass railing maintenance and safety page.

If you’d like to take the next step, talk to one of our experts!

Click the button below to fill out our design help form. Then, one of our glass railing experts will contact you to begin the visualization phase. We’re so excited to show you how floating stairs can complement your project!