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For example, designing the stairs is perhaps the most important part of building a house.
Not only do you need to be in the optimal place, you also need to be safe and comply with various strict rules. For these reasons, they are often redesigned during the build.
Rules and regulations for building stairs
Every staircase must adhere to these rules:
- The maximum height of the riser is 200 mm (7-3 / 4 inches).
- Each open side of the staircase must have balusters that no ball larger than 110 mm (4-3 / 8 in.) Can pass through
- The minimum depth of the treads is 250 mm (10 inches) and is viewed horizontally between each nose of adjacent treads
- The top of the handrail must be 860 to 970 mm (34 to 38 inches) above the parting line
- There must be 80 inches of clearance along the entire length of the stairs.
- The landing length is ideally 5 feet or any multiplier of 5 for smooth movement
- Each landing must be approximately 5 feet apart so that the user can see clearly when climbing stairs
- An ideal landing spot during the stairs is every 9 to 11 steps to get the best possible effort to climb or dismount
How do I implement a staircase design that you see elsewhere in your own home?
This is a very difficult question indeed.
As you can undoubtedly infer from the rules above, practically every house has a staircase tailored for its own space. You can’t just see a flight of stairs and do just one. Even if you do incorporate it into your space, there are many other specs that you need to go through before you can make a successful fit.
Chances are you’ll see a good staircase on the pages of an interior design magazine that you like, but know that – interior designs that make it onto the pages of these magazines are bespoke and in no way intended for mass production. You can entrust the task of stair planning to a staircase specialist who can adapt an existing design or create a new one.
You can find a good variety of them modern stairs in the UK and adjust some of its features like height, width and number of treads so that they fit perfectly into your interior space.
Get the right fit
Determining the size of your staircase is of course the first step in designing it. First, measure the full rise from the finished floor below to the same above.
Next you need to calculate the number of risers you will need. The minimum according to the building regulations is 220 mm, but the distance between stairs should not be greater than 42 °.
The width is free from all regulations and you can go with anything you want, but there are some standards for aesthetics. For example, if standard flights are 860mm, the ideal width should be between 800 and 900mm, while the secondary staircase should be at least 600mm wide.
Twisted, Spiral or Straight?
Next, you need to figure out the best way to get your stairs from start to finish. The easiest and cheapest way to do things is by taking straight stairs, but as you may already assume, often times it doesn’t work.
A generally accepted rule is that the top of the stairs is best located near the entrance to your home, ideally in the same room as you are when you walk through the front door. This method is also vital if you have a three story house, for example, as your stairs will act as an escape route in an emergency.
If your stairs can’t be straight, it is best to split the flight in two. The easiest way to organize them is to join them with a 90 ° landing. The 180 ° turn is the so-called half landing.
Steps that are on the curves of your stairs are called “winders”. They are generally used for 90 ° rotation. If you have a round that contains three curlers, this is what is known as the “dragon curler”. Kite coils are most commonly used at the bottom and top of stairs to get around corners effectively.
Do you need Stairs for small spaces? You could try using a spiral staircase. They’re also some of the most expensive methods, but in return they are likely to look the best and most effectively save your space. So it’s a compromise.
Balustrades
A combination of handrails, spindles, and new posts is called a balustrade. These are the elements that are mainly responsible for the look and character of your staircase. This is where you can get creative as you can easily turn a simple straight flight of stairs into something very special.
Balustrades can also be made from any material used in construction such as metal, glass, wood or even stud walls. Nowadays people usually keep things simple, with a sheet of glass and metal tension wires, whereas not so long ago they were intricately carved and looked intricate. Today you can buy balustrades at any hardware store, timber dealer, or stair specialist. Another way to do it is through a carpenter.
materials
Lumber
Why?
When it comes to versatility, wood is the best material for your staircase as there is no limit to the shapes and sizes you can achieve. A traditional house should have a massive wooden staircase with twisted balusters, carved newel posts, and a rounded stair nosing. The simple wooden staircase is nothing more than chunky wooden steps sticking out of a wall. (As above)
Advantages: Wood is versatile, strong, easy to care for and looks classically timeless.
Disadvantage: Wood doesn’t have many drawbacks, which is why it is such a popular stair construction material. As long as you remember not to use wood that is too dark and heavy, you should be good.
The costs?
Engineered pine or plywood is by far the cheapest option. They are ideal for a fully carpeted staircase with a painted balustrade. The second cheapest option is Parana Pine, which is also affordable and is often used in combination with hemlock. Because of its stability, it is a good option for balustrades. Hardwoods are the most expensive options like oak, ash, beech, etc. They can cost two to five times more than softwood.
Acrylic and glass
Why?
If you are looking for a more glamorous look for your home, glass stairs are perfect for you and generally allow more light to flow into the home.
Advantages: The look is absolutely perfect for contemporary interiors. Two or three layers are laminated together to make it strong and stable. So don’t worry.
Disadvantage: They are prone to scratches and surface damage and definitely cannot be used if the stairs are the escape route as the glass is highly flammable.
The costs?
Looks have a price and are rarely affordable. You need to choose your supplier carefully and be smart about combining materials if you want the slightest chance of low costs. You can have a local glassworks make panels to use as balustrades and then combine them with softwood to cut your costs. Hiring a specialist is perhaps the most expensive option.
metal
Why?
Contrary to what you might think, metal stairs are lighter than wooden ones. Previously, they were only used in industrial rooms, but have made the transition to home stairs.
Advantages: If you want to do the spiral staircase or straight stairs, metal is the perfect choice for you. In combination with glass balustrades, metal stairs look great.
Disadvantage: You have to put a lot of work into the design as metal stairs that are simply designed look too industrial.
The costs?
Getting the components has never been easier than it is now. You can easily buy full metal or wooden stairs for £ 500-600.
Concrete and stone
Why?
You can design stone or concrete stairs to look really traditional and authentic. Concrete can be very simple, while stone stairs can look really impressive. Concrete stairs are usually assembled on site and prefabricated before delivery.
Advantages: If you want to create a sense of stability this is the way to go.
Disadvantage: They are expensive and take time to be made after you order them.
The costs?
This is very different. They can be very expensive, starting at a staggering £ 10,000. If you want to drive cheaper and still get the look of stone, you can clad your existing stairs with panels of stone.
Conclusion
Safety and ease of use are the main criteria as they are regulated by laws and building codes. However, if you just want to replace your existing staircase or part of it, this is your chance to do something special.