Frequently Asked Questions

Simple ornamental keeps a clean structure and adds character through selected forged details. Luxury ornamental is designed specifically for your stair, with flowing scrollwork, sculpted florals, and hand painted or gilded finishing worked element by element. Both are made to order, but the luxury tier involves much deeper design and hand finishing.

Powder-coated steel is the most versatile choice for Seattle. It handles our damp climate well, and you can get it in just about any color. If you want a more open feel, tempered glass or stainless steel cables are both great options that hold up well here. For historic homes, ornamental iron with proper sealing is the way to go.

  • Mono stringer: One central steel spine supports the treads for a clean, minimalist look.
  • Double stringer: Two steel stringers (often on each side or spaced under the treads) for a more substantial, architectural feel and added rigidity.
  • Cantilever: Treads project from a wall/structural support with no visible stringer on the open side. This is the most “floating” look and typically requires specific structural conditions.

Stainless steel, always. Lake humidity, prolonged moisture exposure, and the salt residue carried in from Puget Sound on summer winds all attack lesser metals. The lifespan difference on a waterfront deck is decades.

Medina projects sit at the top of our pricing range. The combination of 316-grade hardware, low-iron glass, custom finishes, architect-spec drawings, and engineering work pushes per-linear-foot pricing well above standard residential numbers. We provide itemized written quotes so every line is visible.

Usually at a side entrance, a service door, a guest house, or any entry where a discreet locked barrier adds security without a full gate. The door installs in front of the existing door and can be left as an open grille so the entrance stays open to the air while locked. We match it to the home so it reads as designed, not defensive.

A mono stringer, generally. One central steel spine uses less material than a double stringer and needs far less structural provision than a cantilever, while still giving a genuine floating look with open risers. For most Renton openings it is the sensible starting point, and we will say so rather than pushing the more expensive option.

Aluminum is light and rust-free, ideal for a smooth automated swing gate; steel gives strength and presence for a wide or security entrance; a wood-infill frame adds warmth without the upkeep of solid wood. We match the material to the design and the daily use of your gate.

Glass if the view is the priority, which is why it dominates newer Eastside homes. Cable if you want the structure to read lightly and maintenance to stay minimal. Metal bar infill or panels when you need more privacy or more visual weight, with the bars run vertically or horizontally to suit the architecture. We look at the specific setting, the sightlines, and how much cleaning you are prepared to do, then recommend accordingly.

Glass if you want maximum light and openness, which suits homes already shaded by tree cover. Cable if you want the railing to read lightly with minimal upkeep. Metal bar infill or laser cut panels when privacy matters, which it often does in denser Redmond developments. We look at the setting and give a straight recommendation rather than pushing one system.