Industrial steel beam floating stairs in a Toronto loft

Laser-Cut Steel — The Structure Behind Every Floating Stair We Build

Every system we build uses a laser-cut steel structure fabricated in our shop. No on-site welding. No apparent welds. No adjustments cut in your home. The stair arrives finished and installs in a day.

Every floating stair system built by Toronto Floating Stairs uses a laser-cut steel structure fabricated in our shop. Nothing is cut on-site. Nothing is welded on-site. The structure arrives at your home already finished — powder-coated, inspected, and ready to anchor and align in a single day.

This page explains the steel structure itself: how it's designed, fabricated, and finished before it ever arrives at your door — and why that process produces a cleaner, more precise result than any method that involves site welding or field grinding.

We use laser-cut steel plate stringers as the primary structural element. Laser cutting allows us to cut custom stringer profiles — notched for tread integration, perforated for lightness, or formed with decorative geometry — with tolerances that field fabrication can't match. Precision at this stage is what makes one-day installation possible: when the steel is cut to exact field dimensions, there's nothing to adjust on-site.

The reason there are no apparent welds on the finished structure is that all connections are made in the shop under controlled conditions, then finish-ground and powder-coated before the piece ships. The finish you see on installation day is the factory finish — no touch-up spraying in your home, no exposed weld marks, no rough edges.

Steel stringers for floating stairs in Toronto need to be designed to actual loads and spans, not selected from a product catalogue. We calculate the required plate thickness and anchorage based on the specific stair geometry and OBC loading requirements. This matters more in commercial projects where loading requirements are significantly higher than residential.

Steel stringer configurations

Mono stringer systems use a single centre beam with tread plates welded to each side. Double stringer systems use two parallel beams — one on the wall side, one on the open side — which allows heavier tread spans and a more open visual profile. Open-riser steel systems allow sightlines through the stair entirely, which works well in open-plan lofts.

Steel beam floating stair in a Toronto commercial space

Design a steel stair for your Toronto space

Project review first. If field verification is required, finish samples, steel profile decisions, and load calculations are coordinated before fabrication begins.

  • ✓ Raw mill scale with penetrating oil
  • ✓ Powder coat — custom RAL colours
  • ✓ Blackened steel with wax seal
  • ✓ Clear epoxy over blasted steel
  • ✓ Painted primer + topcoat

From Field Measurement to Finished Steel

Steel floating stair installation in progress in Toronto
01
Site Measurement & Wall Assessment
We measure floor-to-floor height, stair width, and wall conditions. Load-bearing capacity of the anchor wall is assessed before steel profile is selected.
02
Structural Calculation & OBC Engineering
Plate thickness, weld specification, and anchorage design are calculated for the specific span and OBC loading. Drawings are prepared for permit submission.
03
Laser Cut & Fabrication
Stringer plates are laser-cut to final dimensions from structural steel. Welds are made by certified welders. Tread brackets are integrated in the fabrication phase, not added post-installation.
04
Surface Finishing
Steel is finished — blackened, powder-coated, or sealed — before delivery to site. Touch-up finishing is done after installation to cover weld areas.
05
Installation & Tread Setting
Stringers are anchored to wall and floor structure. Treads are set and fastened. Railing system installed in the same site visit. Inspection support provided.

Laser-Cut Steel Structure — FAQ

Why laser-cut steel for the structure instead of other fabrication methods? +
Laser cutting holds tolerances that hand-cut or plasma-cut steel can't match. When every tread bracket and anchor plate is cut to exact field dimensions in the shop, the stair arrives ready to install — no grinding, no shimming, no field adjustment. That's what makes one-day installation realistic instead of aspirational.
Can a laser-cut steel floating stair be installed in a residential Toronto home? +
Yes. This is the standard for every system we build — residential or commercial. The shop-fabricated approach is actually better suited to residential work because it eliminates the fumes, noise, and mess that come with on-site welding or cutting.
Do powder-coated steel stairs rust? +
Powder coat provides a sealed barrier that prevents oxidation. Properly applied powder coat on interior steel doesn't rust under normal conditions. For exterior steel stairs, we recommend hot-dip galvanizing as an undercoat before powder coat, or a sacrificial zinc primer system.
What tread materials work with the laser-cut steel structure? +
White oak and walnut are the most common — both pair well with the precision finish of the steel. Glass treads are available for a lighter, more open look. Ash and maple work well in contemporary interiors where a lighter grain is preferred. We help coordinate tread and structure finishes so they read as a single designed object.
How much does a laser-cut steel floating stair system cost in Toronto? +
Most Toronto residential laser-cut steel floating stair systems range from $12,000 to $45,000 CAD depending on tread material, stair geometry, railing system, and OBC permit requirements. We provide an itemized proposal before any work begins so you can see exactly what each element costs.

Start Your Floating Stair Project in Toronto

Site assessment. Steel finish samples brought to your space. Proposal within 48 hours.