I know I keep bragging about this stairway but it has been quite the project and I need to get all the advertising miles out of it that I can. Attached is an article that came out in this months North Idaho Business Journal.
There is one more interesting tidbit that I might add to the story. When I finished the whole stairway last march and did one final inspection and cleaning so that it would be perfect when the owners arrived, I noticed that I had missed one little spot of paint on the very bottom of the handrail. I mixed up a small amount and touched it up, took the last picture and headed home. It soon began to rain and messed up that little touch up spot. I agreed with the owners to come back and fix it when the sun came out.
The other day Jackie called with a sad story of how she was placing some flat fragile rocks at the top or the stairs to start the trail up to the house. Many of them she found at the bottom of the steps and had to haul them up. She was so excited to find one particularly flat and square rock up the hill that she could haul down for a change. The hill is quite steep, mind you, and on the way down she lost grip on the flat, square stone. Almost as if to spite her, it got up on edge and began to roll down the hill. "Surely it will break apart" she thought. But no. "Surely it will hit a tree and stop" she thought. But no. "Surely it will miss the stairs" she thought. But no. "Surely it wont do that much damage" she thought..... "Bill," she said, "when you come up to fix that little paint spot, could you, uh, well, you see, uh, there was this rock..."
Staff writer
glide to the water's edge
Bill Dick, owner of Mobile Service Technologies, Inc., specializes in custom steel staircases for irregular vertical terrain.
“Curved stairways are a blend of square stairways with multiple landings and spiral stairways,” Dick said. “If you’re working around geological features, maybe you can avoid another landing by curving around an obstacle.
"And curves have stability, with a base that holds everything up.” On the other extreme, spiral staircases tend to make one dizzy, Dick said.
When a homeowner needs to get to the water’s edge down a pronounced vertical drop, Dick offers a lifetime of experience and training to get the job done right and with flair.
He took his first welding class in 1981 while attending Andrews University in Berrian Springs, Mich., where he earned a degree in mechanical engineering technology. Later he added degrees in machine shop technology and business management.
Dick worked in construction for many years and has been welding ever since his first class.
He found the challenge of steep vertical staircases to be right up his alley.
“You’ve got to find your niche,” Dick said. “The guys that succeed are the ones that keep trying again.”
The ability to combine engineering skills with creativity is what excites Dick about these steep terrain challenges. Besides that, he does not mind working in the field — something that many other welders won’t do.
To aid this effort, Dick built a trailer with all the tools and work areas that he needs to fabricate parts on site and to put together pre-built components. After a critical analysis of a site challenge, Dick designs his stairway components and has a friend mock it up on the computer.
It is the final site fitting, however, when everything comes together.
“Some of the work can be done in the shop, but there are variables that can only be done in the field,” Dick said. “It all has to be lined up and pointed in the right direction to make it look good.”
Dick contracts with Forest Steel to bend his stringers and railings from his design specifications. Then he welds together the steel components and adds stair decking made from Trex® treads, which gives a weather-resistant nonskid surface even when wet.
“Of course, it’s overkill for strength,” Dick said. “When you are going down over twenty- five feet, you don’t want it to sag or swing.
“You could dance on my staircases or have a wedding party go down all at the same time.”
Dick credits his experience in the construction trade to make it fit, to make it work and to make it look good.
He is not finished learning either. Currently Dick is taking a class at North Idaho College in computer aided design.
With his curved staircases, Dick hopes to add value for homeowners by making a statement that becomes a landmark.
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| Bill Dick’s curved staircases glide to the water’s edge |
Photo courtesy of Bill Dick |
This steel staircase was custom designed and built by Bill Dick for a home north of Garfield Bay on Lake Pend Oreille. The challenging access was solved with just one landing and two adjoining curved self-supporting stairways. The total effect is pleasing and makes a statement for the homeowner.