Wood will have a big impact on the look, style and feel of your staircase, which is why picking from the wide range of options is an important decision. There is a huge array of wood available from which we can create beautiful staircases.
When making the decision, it is important to know a little about each wood other than simply what it looks like.
At Stairway Joinery, our skilled joiners are able to work with a wide range of wood types to convert your existing one or produce a bespoke new staircase that will seamlessly fit into your home.
In this blog, we discuss which types of wood our team work with and explain some of their characteristics.
Ash
Ash is a creamy white to light brown heartwood with side light sapwood. It stains well and tends to darken over time, making it the perfect choice for traditional staircases. While its properties make it fantastic for interiors, Ash is not suitable for external joinery projects.
European Beech
European Beech has a whitish to biscuit colour and usually has a straight grain. It is considered a sustainable material because the amount of beech harvested is lower than new growth. While this type of wood is predominantly used for furniture and cabinet making, it is equally impressive as a stair material.
European and American Oak
European and American Oak are two of the most popular hardwoods, used regularly in staircase manufacturing and other internal joinery. The colour varies from pale yellow-brown to biscuit with a pinkish tint. These types of wood have a sapwood that is nearly white and typically has a straight grain.
Black Walnut
This premium heartwood ranges from light brown to deep purplish brown and has a pale yellow sapwood. The grain is wavy and has small tight burls, making it an impressive staircase material that offers a truly unique finish.
Iroko
Iroko is brown to golden orange in colour, which will change significantly over time. It has an interlocking irregular grain and is naturally resistant to decay, making it an excellent choice for external joinery projects.
Sapele
Sapele is dark to reddish-brown and has a straight but random grain. It can be stained to look very dark in colour and it is likened to mahogany. Thanks to its hard-wearing and durable nature, it is a fantastic choice for staircases situated in high traffic, busy households or commercial spaces.
Softwood (Redwood & Whitewood)
Softwood is the most common timber used in staircase design and production and forms the majority of elements in a staircase. Softwood can be stained or varnished but is generally painted, giving you the freedom to create a uniquely coloured staircase.
Hemlock
Hemlock is a cost-effective softwood alternative to woods such as oak and ash hardwoods, where the customer wishes to stain, or oil the material. It is a clean and bright softwood sourced from North America with no knots. Its colour is pale brown to white and is straight-grained with an even texture.
Learn More From Our Specialists
As you can see, there is a variety of wood types that our production and installation team can use for your converted or new wooden staircase.
Each has a distinctive look which creates a unique and notable effect on the style and feel of your staircase.
If you would like to understand more about the different types of wood and how they might work in your home or commercial property, don’t hesitate to get in touch with our team today.
We are always happy to talk through how we can use each material and discuss how it might look in your property.
Call us on 01202 622826 or complete our online contact form and we will call you back.
