Hardwood Floors April/May 2026

Henschen Hardwood, LLC New Knoxville, Ohio

FEATURED CATEGORY BEST STAIRCASE

The company initially declined the project three times due to its complexity. Although they previously had worked in the home during a three-year period, the staircase itself represented an extreme level of timber framing. With only partial drawings to reference, the challenge was not just building the staircase, but understanding how it was intended to come together originally. With the help of a fellow carpenter familiar with the house, the team agreed to take on the project, replacing a simple, roughly framed temporary 2’ by 4’ staircase. The opening was a small, three-story void, and fitting a full timber staircase into the space required extensive planning. Determining safe and comfortable rise and run while maintaining headroom was critical, and the process involved several days spent with the homeowners working through turns, transitions, and layout details. Precision was essential throughout the build. The materials were expensive, and many components required extensive notching. A single miscut could mean scrapping an entire piece of timber and thousands of dollars in lost material. Every measurement was double-checked, as even a small error could have major consequences. By Burt Bollinger Henschen Hardwood, LLC in New Knoxville, Ohio, has earned the 2025 NWFA Best Staircase award for a timber frame project that has been decades in the making. First envisioned in 2000 as the centerpiece of a timber-frame home, construction of the staircase came to a halt after the original homeowner passed away, leaving behind partial hand-drawn plans, selected species, and scattered materials. More than 20 years later, the home’s new owners finally approached Henschen Hardwood to complete the long abandoned vision.

CATEGORY DETAILS: Entries in this category include all types of staircase projects. Submissions may include new installations or overlays, in either a residential or commercial application. The Stairbuilders and Manufacturers Association (SMA) judged this category. FLOORING TYPE: Solid, Reclaimed FLOORING FINISH: Professional Coatings UnoCoat Uroil SPECIES: Douglas Fir, White Oak, Red Oak, Cedar PATTERN: Mortise and tenon joint, scarf joint, knee brace tenon joint, tie beam to post tenon joint, tusk tenon joint TREADS: 30

The staircase was constructed using Douglas fir for posts and beams, reclaimed white and red oak barn wood for the stringers and treads, and cedar for the spindles and handrails. Traditional mortise-and-tenon joinery was used throughout, including scarf joints, knee brace tenons, tie beam-to-post tenons, and tusk tenons, all secured with oak wedges and pegs. Cedar specifically was selected for the handrails, while oak was used for the pegs and wedge pieces. Maneuvering 20’, 8” by 8” beams into tight quarters added another layer of difficulty. Each component was hand-scraped using various blades, shaped using drawknives, sanded, and finished with a hand-rubbed application of Uroil. The result is a staircase that blends history, craftsmanship, and structural precision, honoring the original vision while serving the needs of the home’s current owners.

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