stretching fabric over a twisted surface

[Kevin Jenness]

I am building a winding staircase and need to cover part of the underside of the skewed stringers. My options seem to be lath and plaster, which I don't really want to tackle or pay for, or possibly fastening fabric into a rabbet. Has anyone tried this? Suggestions for fabric types and fastening methods or other options for materials? The stringer pitches are about 3 degrees different in the area to be covered.

[Jamie Buxton]

Fabric seems to me like a pretty fragile material to make part of a staircase. Would Sheetrock do your job? Particularly 1/4” rock, which can be bent around curves.

[Walter Mooney]

Kevin, the drywall industry has a fiberglass mesh (like the product called “Fast Tape”, for ‘normal’ drywall joints, but in much wider rolls), that comes in rolls, (I think 24” wide), that is designed/sold to be used on drywall, over large/wide damaged areas prior to floating and skimming them with joint compound. You could apply that to the stringers, stapling it to the stringers randomly here and there (for ‘mechanical’ fastening), and then float and skim them with drywall joint compound. Then sand, prime and paint. Or even texture the “mud” then, when dry, prime and and paint.

[Mike Congiusti]

I have a lanai with vinyl windows. I'm building a frame with a rabbit to install screen to it. It's extreamly heavy. It's made by Coolaroo for an outside shade. Got it at Amazon for $28. It's a 6' X 15" roll so it's more than what you need. Hope the link works.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000P7JL0S?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details&th=1

[Doug Garson]

It might help if you provided a little more details. Why are you enclosing it, is it just for appearance? How exposed is it, is it likely to be bumped into? How visible is it, will this stand out in the room or will this be barely noticeable? How about the room, is it full of architectural details or is it a minimalist design?
Someone commented they thought fabric would be fragile, I think a skim coat of drywall compound over fibreglass mesh would be much more fragile, not to mention messy and difficult to finish, comparable to lathe and plaster. How about some kind of tambor, canvas backing covered by 1 " x 1/4" wood strips with 1/4" spacing?

[Kevin Jenness]

Doug, it's just for appearance, above 5' high, not a big feature in a house with minimal detailing. The lower part of the staircase will be enclosed with wood panels below the outer stringer but there is a doorway under the wall stringer thus the need to hide the underside of the tread/riser housings and wedges at that end. I am not handy with mud even on flat surfaces so want to avoid the wattle and daub look.

I saw a winder ceiled with fabric when in Normandy this spring so I know it can be done but need to experiment and find the right fabric that will stretch reasonably taut as it twists. Your tambour idea could be nice but the slats or gaps would have to taper as the space defined by the stringers will not be rectangular. Staples or screen splines covered by thin wood stops should hold the fabric in place. I have run a 3/8" x 3/8" rabbet on the stringers' bottom edge to accept the wood panels and fabric stops and will figure out the rest once installed.

[Cameron Wood]

Probably work OK. Medium canvas, stretch and staple in the rabbet, the cover with trim strips. Dampen the canvas, and it will tighten as it dries.