Frequently Asked Questions

1.)  Are your spindles solid steel or hollow?
Answer:  All the spindles that Lomonaco's Iron Concepts uses are solid steel. Hollow spindles are not structurally sound enough to meet our very strict standards.

2.)  Are your spindles sprayed painted or powder coated and what is the difference?
Answer:  The spindles that are used by Lomonaco's Iron Concepts are all powder coated. We do not use any spindles that are spray painted. Spindles with a spray painted finish are of poor quality and the finish does not last very long. Spindles that are powder coated go through a 5 stage pre-treatment wash system and then receive a thermofused baked on powder coated finish. Powder coated finishes when properly maintained will last a lifetime without recoating.

3.)  Do I have to replace my wood handrail and posts when I replace my spindles?
Answer:  When I first started renovating interior staircases most clients just replaced the spindles and kept the builder grade wood handrail and posts. Ove the last couple of years 95% of my clients are replacing everythin on the staircase. You do not have to replace the existing wood handrail and posts but the trend lately has been to replace everything.

4.)  When I replace my railing, do I have to replace my treads and risers?
Answer:  If you have a closed stairway and your spindles do not go into the treads then you can replace the railing without replacing the treads. If you have an open stairway and your spindles go into the step treads themselves then you would need to replace the treads at the same time you replace the railing.

5.)  Is it vey messy to change my spindles only?
Answer:  Most spindle only renovations are done in one day and are not messy at all. When we are done, it will look like no one was ever there except for the new look of your staircase.

6.)  Is it messy to do a full staircase renovation including railing, treads and risers?
Answer:  Obviously the larger the renovation the more of a chance to have a dirty atmosphere, however at Lomonaco's Iron Concepts, not only do we clean up at the end of every day but we also keep things tidy during the day as we work. Lomonaco's Iron Concepts prides itself on the idea that when your job is done, you never even know we were there.

7.)  What is the main reason customers change their existing handrail and posts?
Answer:  Most clients have standard builders grade handrails and posts which are usually made of Red Oak. Most clients today are installing dark hardwood flooring in either Cherry, Mahogany, Maple or Brazilian Cherry. Once you have wood that is stained it is not recommended that you stain over top of it to make it a darker color so you need to replace it. When our clients replace their existing wood handrails and posts they pick out very different wood components than  what their builder gave them. Bt doing so they change a bland stairway to a very grand estately stairway.

8.)  Is it very expensive to replace existing wood handrails & posts?
Answer:  This is a very difficult question to answer because you have to take several things into consideration. First, everyone has different ideas on what is expensive. The most important thing I tell my clients is design the stairway that you dream of and let Lomonaco's Iron Concepts work on making your dream a reality within your budget. Of course not all dreams are economical. At Lomonaco's Iron Concepts you meet with staircase designer to go over all your needs and specifications and then we design a stairway to meet all your needs and concerns.
If a staircase is done properly a homeowner should see a 70%-80% return on their investment. We have renovations to fit everyone's budget.

9.)  Why do people remove their carpet to put in hardwood on their steps?
Answer:  At Lomonaco's Iron Concepts most of our clients replace the carpet with the hardwood because the elegant look they will receive whenthe renovation is done. Most clients are staining the treads to match the new wood handrail and posts and painting the risers a bright white to match the trim in their house.
Also by staining the treads and painting the risers, it gives the illusion of a larger and grandeur staircase.

10.)  What is the most popular renovation you recommend to your clients?
Answer:  At  Lomonaco's Iron Concepts our staircase designers take all the questions and concerns into consideration before recommending a renovation course. Most often than not our clients leave it up to our designers to design the staircase of their  dreams where they will receive the most bang-for-their-buck.
Lomonaco's Iron Concepts has been building interior railings for many years and has developed a large array of ideas that are used to design every clients stairway.


Visit us on the web at:  www.LomonacosIronCocncepts.com

John Lomonaco-- President
856-740-1071
A Better Business Bureau Accredited Business