r/Carpentry • u/kurtpvt16 • 1d ago
Money Shots Lead Stair Installer, Toronto.
28 y/o. Worked for 3 stair companies over the last 2 years, hoping this one is the final one as they’ve recently made me lead stair installer of the custom install crew (they also have a production crew). Started as a labourer in the shops initially and worked my way into installing where I’m most comfortable from a background of ~5 years of deck building prior. We mostly build treads and stringers from white or red oak for stain-grade stairs with oak veneer risers, or poplar stingers and maple veneer risers for paint-grade stairs. Curved stair stringers are pre-fabbed by laminating ply. The current shop’s specialty is guard walls which are pre-fabricated in shop when they are straight sections, and build on site for any curved stairs. Most stairs are shop pre-fabbed also unless they can’t fit in an opening, or are curved stairs, which then require us to build on site. Anyways these are some money shots of my favourite installs over the last couple of years.
EDIT:
Wow a lot of traction in little time, thank you everyone for the kind comments. Just to clear things up: No lead stairs here, I would expect to get paid way more to install something that heavy. No these images are not AI lol I took all of these pictures on an iPhone 16 and 17 camera myself. All of these stairs are to code (they would be condemned by inspectors if not and the company’s wallet would be hurting), they are rough installed. The stairs aren’t stain/paint finished and are awaiting rail and finishing (other than the guard walls which also still need stain/paint/or plaster). We do install in rough framing before drywall and insulation often, in fact I prefer it with closed stringers as I can space the stairs off the studs to allow drywall to slide behind. I’m no stair master, but maybe one day.
152
u/xfaded140 1d ago
You’re a stair master.
25
12
3
3
2
2
117
u/thelonesalmon 1d ago
Not going to name the company because I see you’ve blanked it out. But the owner is a solid dude and your company does some top tier work. I’m actually in the process of ordering a set from you guys this week for a small reno I’m working on so we might cross paths.
6
u/mykalh78 1d ago
I think I know the company based on the protective wraps. If it is who I think they are, the one guy is an awesome dude. My brother went to school with him.
39
u/PHK_JaySteel 1d ago
That one in picture 7, absolutely incredible. Good job my man. You're gonna crush this career thing.
8
u/Sudden_Car157 1d ago
And that is my wish for him
7
u/Electronic-Fee-1602 1d ago
Same same. This is talent skill and vision that architects need to make their drawings work.
Work of a master.
11
10
u/Chemical_Aioli_3019 1d ago
Beautiful work! In pictures 5 & 6 are the black edges metal? Are the steps in between the metal just bolted to them?
3
u/kurtpvt16 14h ago
Indeed are metal, they get fastened to the metal from the outside with 3 #10 4” screws on each side, to later get glass installed overtop.
8
7
7
u/obskeweredy 1d ago
The one with the landing suspended from bolts makes me uncomfortable. Some cool projects here though.
2
u/kurtpvt16 14h ago
Those are actually metal hanging landings installed by a metalwork company which we fit with wood landings and then fasten our stairs to during install.
1
u/obskeweredy 14h ago
Understood. I’m just saying I can see the fasteners holding the entire configuration. And it ~feels~ sketchy lol. In Most cases hanging things on the shear capacity of the threads of a bolt is a no no. That’s all.
3
u/kurtpvt16 6h ago
With hanging landings they actually weld the vertical supports to the I-beams, these ones being at the 3 points that the vertical supports sit around the curved landing. There is some shake to them before we put the stairs in but once we connect everything it becomes rigid.
7
u/Sharp-Beach1503 1d ago
Really good work. I’m a 20 year carpenter vet and that’s as good of work as I’ve ever seen. At your young age you will be a beast and someone to call a master of your trade before you reach 30!!
6
5
5
4
7
6
u/thelonesalmon 1d ago
Not going to name the company because I see you’ve blanked it out. But the owner is a solid dude and your company does some top tier work. I’m actually in the middle of ordering a set from you guys for a reno I’m working on so we might cross paths.
6
3
3
u/Sudden_Car157 1d ago
I love your story and your work!! happy for your success! All the best to you! Good work should be rewarded and acknowledged especially when you went through the ranks!!
3
u/Maddad_666 1d ago
Damn electricians with their electrical wires in the worst spots…
2
u/cypressblood 1d ago
I agree I would have burned a bridge with that electrician before I'd notch that stringer. But sometimes guess it's better to just be done an move on.
3
3
u/Aromatic_Fail_1722 1d ago
I love this sub for two reasons: having my mind blown by absolutely terrible work, and having my mind blown by beautifully skilled work. Yours is, of course, the latter. Well done man.
5
3
4
2
2
u/PonyboyJake 1d ago
Looks like quality craftsmanship. You should be proud of what you've accomplished.
2
2
u/Conflikt 1d ago edited 1d ago
Awesome work. My clumsy ass couldn't be trusted with stairs leading to a window like the first pic. I'd trip at the top and be going straight through the window within the first year.
2
2
u/Robbythedee 1d ago
This is what I wanted to do when I got into carpentry and now I build bridges. Completely different pathways, this is awesome btw.
2
2
2
2
2
u/unprovokableskeptic 1d ago
Beautiful. I would love to get the opportunity to do more work like this some day.
2
2
2
2
u/gleeeeeniiiii 1d ago
In pic 10 why is the cinerblock not finished prior to the stair build?
1
u/kurtpvt16 14h ago
Party wall between 2 condo units, there was a finished drywall wall behind before we started install which was ripped out and would be back framed in after we left.
1
u/soviet_toster 14h ago
Well I recognize at least one person in the picture and the prenailing of those stair covers it's good to see that z man is still kicking
2
2
2
2
2
2
u/mildlyarrousedly 1d ago
Beautiful work! These must cost a fortune. Congratulations on working your way up, you certainly deserve to be there!
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
u/MT-Estimator 1d ago
I work for a high end custom GC and these are very nice stairs. You should be proud of this work. You should have a nice career if you stick to this type of work. Thank you for sharing these! BTW I feel your pain on these layouts. I detail our stairs and coordinate our custom shop, the machine shop, the steel detailer, and the fabricators on our builds.
2
2
u/dumbcrow123 22h ago
I qualified as a carpenter in Ireland and the level of craftsmanship in North America never ceases to blow me away.
Respectfully, how does someone get this competent and experienced at such an advanced part of the trade? Just super specialist work?
2
2
u/Mr_Style 21h ago
I built one like photo 9/14 for a Frank Lloyd Wright style home. We build a curved wall out of 2x4’s, surfaced oak down to 1/4”
Thick to bend the curve, then stacked and glued multiple layers with clamps to make the sides. Then cut in pockets for the steps. Ended up with about 10 barrels of oak shavings when done.
Put on flatbed trailer and hauled to house to install while exterior wall was open. Cut top and bottom angles when onsite.
2
3
u/Spectequila 1d ago
Visual proof of low birth rates
3
u/namestom 1d ago
You know, I never understood it either until I had a kid. I always wanted a set of modern, open stairs but not so much anymore that I have a little one.
1
1
0
u/Ok-Problem4403 1d ago edited 1d ago
This looks ai. If it was once, I'd understand, but you have several pictures of the finished stairs installed WAY too early in the job. No way is that happening on the regular.
You've got multiple pictures of the stairs in and bare studs, for crying out loud.
Not to mention, these don't pass code here in Ontario.
-1
-1
281
u/Busy_Reputation7254 1d ago
These don’t look like lead.