Installing granite stairs is a great way to enhance your front entry way

Did you get stuck with a contractor grade set of front steps to your entry way? You know the type... basic, boring precast concrete stairs with a basic black railing and more often times than not one corner of the stairs has settled and no level?

Fear not, you aren't alone! Replacing your home's exterior stairs is something North Point Outdoors has a great deal of experience with, and it can be a quick and easy process when done professionally.

What can you replace your stairs with?

Installing granite stairs is a great way to enhance your front entry way or the back stoop. Granite comes in comes in a variety of different colors like Stanstead (Typical Grey), Caledoina (Brown), Blue Mist (Blue-Grey) and Black. When a railing is needed there are a variety of decorative options that can be mounted directly into the granite stairs to provide a clean, finished look.

How are granite stairs installed?

Granite stairs in the past have typically been set on compacted ¾-inch crushed stone. However, this can lead to settling in the future, like your pre-cast concrete stairs may have done. North Point Outdoors goes the extra mile on all of our granite stair installations. First, the area is excavated down 12" or deeper to remove all organic material from the proposed area. A form is created to pour a 12" thick, by 12" wide apron. These pad aprons vary in size depending on the stairs being installed. With efforts to keep the granite product affordable, manufacturers make granite stair kits that used "fillers" for the sides. These fillers are 9" wide and 7" high. They come in a variety of lengths. The base stair is set, the appropriate fillers are placed behind and the next stair is set on top of that. Once at the top of your stair set, a pad is placed on the top. The weight of the top pad applies pressure on the entire set of stairs and keeps things in place. This means that the inside of your granite stairs are hollow and you haven't had to pay for a ton (no exaggeration) of granite that you don't see!

How much do they typically cost?

A typical granite stair kit consisting of (3) 5' wide stairs, a 3x5' wide landing totaling 28" in height will cost around $4k. This price includes excavation for the concrete pad, installation of concrete pad, granite material and delivery, Each project can be unique it its own way and requires a trained North Point Outdoors sales representative to visit your property and determine your specific needs.

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