A top-notch experience! I got bids from four different companies who are experienced in doing cable railings for stairs. Coffman Stair Works's price wasn't the cheapest but it was very reasonably price. Our townhome was built in the 1970's and so the stairway is quite narrow. As such, we could not use wood posts since the minimum wood post size would have to be 4" x 6" which would make the stairway feel too narrow, so we had to go with something sturdier like stainless stain newel posts that won't take much space. The communication from start to finish went very well and I can tell during the onsite visit that he was rather knowledgable about the latest stair codes, so I felt that I could trust him. He came across very friendly and professional. The fact that his stair company is licensed, insured, and bonded and does not subcontract the work was also a major plus for us. From their company website, they do all types of stair designs--from the classic look to the modern, sleek types.
This was not an easy job as the narrow stairways have 29 steps in all, but Glen and I discussed where to position the posts and handrails and he went over the entire process. Looking back, I'm glad discussed and marked where to drill and decided on the heights of the railings as it prevented any potential miscommunication about the appearance of the railings and its placement, height, etc. The stainless steel parts ordered turned out to be very sleek and modern looking (see pics). Glen did a meticulous job of measuring, making the right cuts and drilling (there were a lot of holes to drill), tensioning the cables. Originally I had considered doing DIY stair railings, but looking back I'm glad I didn't, since the amount of time it took to drill holes and needing special tools for handling stainless material, it would not have been worth it. In total, the job took around 35-40 man hours to complete.
Glen really goes the extra mile for his customers. I'm a very picky person especially when it comes to design considerations. On what was supposed to be the last day, I asked him during the final walkthrough if he could slide over part of the new balcony. Even though it would mean an additional 3-4 hours and he'd have to make another trip (two hours round-trip), he did not hesitate in agreeing to do so because at the end, he wanted me to be happy with the stairs.
The workmanship is top notch, I could not be any happier with how my new cable stair railings turned out! read more