Support for a centre winder newel post - needed?

[Portsmouth123456789]

We've installed a staircase from our first floor to our loft conversion. It has a three step winder which connects to a central newel post. Due to the way we have had to design it to get the required headroom, the second newel which is part of the winder, is not positioned on the floor. I've seen this in lots of houses with no extra support but the building inspector today said we might need to check it out further. Does anyone have any advice? Have they installed something similar before? Unfortunately it does not site directly over the lower floor handrail so we can't just continue it downwards. It will be attached to walls on the left hand side of the stairs from top to bottom (a stud wall on one side and resin anchor bolted to a wall on the other side). Picture attached to demonstrate. Thank you!
Ps. Please ignore the acro prop in the photo - this was just whilst fitting.

 

[big-all]

at best it will creak a lot at worst it will collapse
what you have is a hinge point between 2 supporting points relying on a mortice and tenon joint to take load

 

[Portsmouth123456789]

Thanks @big-all. I guess the tricky bit now is working out a solution...

 

[big-all]

maybe a solid infill from 7x1" [168x22mm] or whatever the gap between newels are full height between string cap and under hand rail rather than a spindle ??

 

[Portsmouth123456789]

Interestingly just had confirmation from the people who produced the stairs to say it is fine as it is. Phew! They said... the winder post does not need to go down to the floor for support as long as the bottom newel post is touching the floor and you get a good fixing into the wall al the way up the wall string.
Thanks again for your help @big-all

 

[Deleted member 174758]

Using a flying newel is not an unknown solution, although it doesn't get used that much these days. At first sight and bearing in mind that I am viewing this on a small phone screen, it looks as though the stringers are tenoned into the newel and then draw bore pegged using (hopefully) tapered dowels. If that has been done and the kite winder treads and risers are properly glue wedged in place with glue blocks on the undersides of the nosings you should be OK. If you haven't already done so, you should side fix through the wall side stringers with Rawlbolts or resin anchors under every third or fourth tread. A new winder stair shouldn't creak, after 20 years if it is proprely made with tight joints it might creak, but that's as likely to be wedges loosening off and needing to be reglued than anything else, I feel.

 

[Portsmouth123456789]

Thanks @JobAndKnock that's really reassuring!

 

[Deleted member 174758]

Our posts crossed, but basically I have made small number of winder stairs over the years, hence my agreeing with your manufacturers over the side fixings into the masonry (it's in the regs in any case). I have mixed feelings about BCOs when it comes to more traditional and relatively uncommon joinery solutions (these days) such as this simply because they are unlikely to have ever seen many of them

 

[big-all]

thanks j&k
never come across unsupported newals at a turn other than to fix the loud creaking and bounce but off course -------------

--------------we are ---------------all still learning ----

 

[Terrywookfit]

I fitted a Double winder recently.
In order to maintain headroom on the existing stair below, it needed two steps before the winder meaning that the newel was in mid air.
By sizing the tread width to the existing stair the newel was extended down at manufacture aligned with and supported on the stringer , which then was braced to floor level.
The top newel was attached to the trimmer as normal .
Another option would have been to extend it up and fasten to the trimmer.
Stairbox were most helpfull in making these alterations to the drawing.