At Designed Stairs, quality begins in the forest. Only the finest quality hardwoods are used in our stairs. We purchase raw lumber only from conscientious forestry companies.

This lumber is carefully air dried for several months, then kiln dried to a moisture content of not more than 8%. This drying process helps assure you will not have any cracks or checks as your stair ages in years to come.

Throughout our manufacturing process as boards are sized and shaped, they are continually inspected to ensure that they are free from defects that would affect appearance or durability. Having this control from the raw lumber through manufacturing the parts and then finally the stair project, allows us to deliver a better blend of material color and the finest quality stair in the end.

Whether we are building a standard design or a custom design, we hold to the highest quality standards. We meet and exceed quality standards set by the NHLA (National Hardwood Lumber Association) — widely accepted as the authority for maintaining quality standards and grading rules for the hardwood lumber industry.

Hardwood Characteristics

At Designed Stairs we are passionate about wood. We regularly work in dozens of species, and we pride ourselves in understanding them. Each wood species has its own unique characteristics.

The natural growth of hardwood trees gives every staircase its own unique character. A variation in tree's growth, caused by weather and forest conditions throughout the years, creates variations in grain and color. All of these unique features assure that you have an authentic solid wood product.

What is a good material choice for my stair to "go green"?

• Reclaimed Lumber
• Sustainable Lumber

Other factors to consider are to use less:

• Energy to produce the stair parts. Since hardwood lumber is used in its natural state, there is little processing required compared to sheet goods (plywood) or man-made products. Since wood is a natural product, the small amount of waste created is either biodegradable or recyclable.
• Shipping to get the material. All of our stocked materials are locally sourced and grow in the Midwest.

What is Sustainable Forestry?

Sustainable Forestry means that trees grow in closely managed forests. Only specifically selected trees are harvested for lumber, allowing the forest to naturally renew itself.

Designed Stairs purchases lumber only from responsible suppliers that practice sustainable forestry practices.

What is "green certification"?

Third-party forest certification, based on standards developed by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), is available for "green certification." The certification verifies that the wood products come from well-managed forests.

The certified wood product is no different than the wood DSI normally uses; however the cost to get the certification may exceed 60% of the standard material costs for the same species.

FSC Certified Wood Products — Third-party forest certification, based on standards developed by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), is the best way to ensure that wood products come from well-managed forests. Wood products must go through a chain-of-custody certification process to carry an FSC stamp. Manufactured wood products can meet the FSC certification requirements with less than 100% certified wood content through percentage-based claims. With a few special-case exceptions, any non-salvaged solid-wood product and most other wood products must be FSC-certified to be included in GreenSpec. A few manufactured wood products, including engineered lumber and particleboard or MDF, can be included if they have other environmental advantages — such as absence of formaldehyde binders. Engineered wood products in GreenSpec do not qualify by virtue of their resource efficiency benefits alone.

More Information

• Green Initiatives
• Education — Caring for Your Stair