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Cantilevered Floating Staircase
By Deb Roberts
A modern house has a lot of potential for architectural enhancements. Staircases are a lot of fun to play with, and a cantilevered floating staircase adds a lot of dramatic flair to a room. It’s also a great space saver, since it only occupies a half inch of floor space! Just think of all the mini furnishings you can add into the space you save! Follow along and we’ll show you how easy it is to make a floating staircase!
Materials needed:
1/2 inch square dowel about 12 inches long
Scrap wood for steps
EZ Cutter or mitre box and xacto knife
Glue (either wood glue or a hot glue gun)
Paint or stain
I used the stair steps that came with the kit I was working with at the time. This is handy, because in most cases, you’re replacing the staircase that comes in the kit with your own, so you can simply use the steps and not have to cut new pieces. Sand the edges smooth so they’re ready to paint.
On the square dowel, use your xacto blade to carefully score notches into the side of the dowel for the steps. Remember that your steps are going to set into the dowel at an angle, so while you score in the notches, check the fit with a step till you have just the right angle.
Using your EZ Cutter or mitre box, cut the ends of the square dowel to fit the angle of both the floor and the ceiling of the room. It’s important to have a snug fit because these are the only surfaces of the staircase that will be glued to the house.
Paint the dowel and the steps (or stain them if you prefer) and allow to dry.
Position the dowel in place and glue securely.
Once the glue has dried, begin adding the stair steps one at a time. Because of the angle of the steps, a hot glue gun works well for this, allowing the glue to set quickly so you won’t have any drooping or crooked steps.
That’s all there is to it! You’ve got a floating, cantilevered staircase that gives a beautiful architectural flair to your modern house!
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