All Forum Posts by: Anthony Fulchi

Quote from @Kevin Luttrell:

I'm with @Nathan Gesner, the cost of a good and sufficient fix would likely be comparable to a whole new staircase. 

I had the exact same dilemma at our cabin and we ended up deciding to replace the spiral with a regular staircase. The new staircase is not entirely up to code either (steps had to be slightly steeper than normal) but it's still much better. I'd recommend this if possible. 

Before:

After:

Nice cabin! Having regular stairs is also something we thought of, but wanted to keep the spiral for aesthetics. 

From a liability perspective, if someone got hurt on the slightly steeper stairs which are not technically up to code, would that be any different than if someone got hurt falling on a staircase that is fully up to code? I've stayed at AirBNBs with ladders to the loft like you mentioned and am wondering if they're taking on additional liability by having those. 

Quote from @Bruce Woodruff:

Quote from @Michael Baum:

Hey @Anthony Fulchi, you could run stainless steel wire from baluster to baluster. Kinda like this.

There are kits you can buy to retrofit. Will take some work but doable.

 Good idea as usual Mike! Doing those cable kits is really difficult......lining up the holes is a job for pros....

 Thanks Mike and Bruce - appreciate the insight. I'll look into the cable kits as well to get a quote. That could be a good option (much better than plexi-glass!).

We're starting renovations on our first STR and was looking for thoughts on the spiral staircase .

The spaces between the vertical poles in the staircase are too wide (a child can easily slip through), and not up to code. It will be pretty expensive to have a metalworker add an extra poles and was wondering if anyone had any creative solutions for this? Trying to avoid potential liability issues with guests.

Our GC suggested adding plexi-glass in between the poles, but the finished look would look very haphazard. Once all renovations are done, we'll be marketing the property as a premium stay since it will have higher-end finishes and is in a strong area. 

Any other unique ideas? Or is our best bet to maybe consider replacing the staircase all together for one that is up to code?
 

I didn't realize it was in Eagle's Nest - overall happy for the good publicity that the article brought to the area. Definitely think there's still opportunity in this area for STRs and great to hear that your clients are doing well.

Same, Seven Devils and Blowing Rock are good if you can find a property at a reasonable price. We just closed on a property in Seven Devils and are starting renovations. The most wish-listed property in the US for Summer 2022 was the "Glass Treehouse" located Banner Elk (right next to Seven Devils), so definitely an area people have an eye on.