Hi,
I am purchasing a dado rail to go run up my stairway and onto a small hallway. I am looking at (Double Astragal 15 x 41mm) My question is the stairs are curved (L shaped) and I am asking if there is a preference in material when fitting to an uneven wall which curves when you get up to the top of the stairs ? Does the material of the dado rail matter? I want to purchase the right thing for a carpenter to fit but I want to make the choice.
As always I am grateful for anyone who take the time to respond.
If you need more info/clearer info I can add it in here.
Phia
Are you a tradesperson and able to answer this question?
Timber is a good material to use as when curves are involved it is possible to carry out small fine cuts in the back of the rail which will assist when bending the rail to suit the curve , the fine cuts carried out with a small sharp saw can be filled once the rail is screwed into place
Answered30 June 2020
9
Anonymous user
It all depends on the level of quality you want to achieve and what is the radius of your curved staircase. If you are trying to keep cost to the minimum then you can use timber or MDF dado rail, but if you would like top end quality then it should be custom made for your staircase
Answered18 July 2020
1
Anonymous user
Or to make it easier buy mdf it bends more than timber depends on how bad your curve is.
It does also depend on budget. If one is happy to spend a bit more money to achieve a perfect result then as in the case of making curved or 'wreathed' staircase strings, a laminated and built up piece consisting of perhaps three layers will assure a perfect fit. Softwood is good for this but MDF (medium density fibreboard) can also be used. The reason for this is that it is not just curved but helical as it goes up the stairs.
This process involves bespoke work and not just a standard piece of astragal cut crudely at the back in need of filling and so is consequently pricier!
I once made two Dado pieces to fit curves with a radius of approximately 100mm at a cost of £90 each! but the client was very happy!
