Types and Styles of Staircase

Stairs, staircase, stairway or flight of stairs, there are many different names for them, but they are all designed to do the same thing and that is to bridge the vertical distance by dividing it into smaller vertical distances. If the stair had not evolved we would have been using such things as ladders which are not practical for use by children, people with disabilities or the elderly. Stairs can be round (spiral) the earliest spiral staircases were found in Temple A in the Greek colony Selinunte, Sicily, the temple was constructed around 470-480 BC , helical, cantilevered, straight or can consist of two or more straight pieces which are connected by angles.

Stairs consist of two major parts the tread and the riser. The thread is the part that is stepped onto, the riser is the vertical bit between each tread, often this may be missing these kind of stairs are called “open stairs”. A balustrade is a collection of railings or a solid between the stairs and banisters that prevents people from falling over the edge of the stairs. Banisters, railing or handrail these are for you to hold onto going up and down the stairs safely.

Stairs have evolved over time and can be constructed from many different materials including wood, steel, bronze, glass, stone, granite and marble, if they are constructed in wood they can be fitted with carpet to reduce the noise of going up and down the stairs and by using carpet it make the stairs feel warmer. The balustrading can also be made from a wide array of materials.

There are so many options and materials available to you that the stair case can now really become and work of art in its own right and not just a means of getting from one floor to the other, though essentially that is their only function.

It is a very highly skilled craft fitting a new staircase and needs the expertise of the most skilled craftsman and detailer’s team to be able to design and provide structural calculations, fabrication of drawings, site surveys and manufacture and installation. The construction of the newly designed and constructed staircase will be firstly assembled in the workshop of your chosen craftsman. Then it will be dissembled and re-erected at its place of stay.

During the construction the client will be invited to come and visit to discuss any changes or add on’s that may need to be done. The spiral stair case is a good solution for a small area or just to maximise the space where there is not the room for a full straight case. In Chinese feng Shui it is said that stairs should not point towards the front door as it realises the energy in the house.