Arthur Ballert builds custom staircases in his wooden manufactory in Köngen near Stuttgart, with which he has already won design awards. However, a staircase must first and foremost be stable and offer a high level of walking comfort. On a well built stair it runs itself noticeably better. There are also fewer accidents. That's why most stairs today are designed according to the comfort formula. The step size rule is of particular importance. Developed in the 18th century by a French mathematician, the formula states the ideal relationship between step tread and step height. Arthur Ballert follows this rule when designing a new staircase.
For his current commission, he is building a landing staircase with balustrade-height stringers in a newly constructed single-family home. The steps, made of vibrant wild oak, are anchored directly into the wall like the currently popular Flying Steps. The stair railing is created from abstract white stringers in a minimalist Bauhaus style.
In many working steps, massive steps with vivid grain are created from a raw oak trunk. When the staircase is assembled, it becomes clear whether precise work has been done. Despite computer-controlled CNC milling technology, many hand movements are necessary. In addition, a lot of experience is needed to produce a technically and aesthetically complex structure like a modern wooden staircase.
For Arthur Ballert, stair construction is always evolving. He is currently testing a new oil for the steps that does not have this wet-gloss effect, but is completely matte. For a simple reason: with a matte surface, you're less likely to see the quirks and scratches that sooner or later get into every staircase.
Three men then install the finished parts of the oak staircase, weighing half a ton, into the specified staircase with millimeter precision. With screw clamps and rubber hammers, the staircase is built up step by step. To ensure that it does not creak later, Arthur Ballert uses his miracle cure: silicone, which he injects into the tenth of a millimeter of hollow space between the stair tread and the tread. The fact that everything fits in the end seems like a miracle. The staircase blends so easily and perfectly into the architecture of the new house, as if it had always been part of the house. A design staircase where the balustrade matches the white walls and the treads blend seamlessly into the oak parquet flooring. A modern staircase with high walking comfort that may one day become a classic.