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Contractor Tips: Step Up to a Safe, Stylish Staircase
Understanding how stairs are designed and laid out can help you make the best decisions for safety and beauty in your home
Houzz Contributor. Owner of Buckminster Green LLC, (http://www.buckminstergreen.com), a remodeling company based in Philadelphia, PA.
Houzz Contributor. Owner of Buckminster Green LLC, (http://www.buckminstergreen.com),... More »
A staircase is a simple and elegant way for people to move between floors. The layout, design and execution by the builder all play a part in determining how safely and comfortably a stair accomplishes this task.
Lingo to know:
Tread: The horizontal board you walk on, usually at least 1 inch thick
Riser: The vertical board between treads
Newel: The post to which the railing is attached
Runner: A carpet with woven edges that covers the middle of the treads and risers
Stringer: The supporting structure of the stair
Lingo to know:
Tread: The horizontal board you walk on, usually at least 1 inch thick
Riser: The vertical board between treads
Newel: The post to which the railing is attached
Runner: A carpet with woven edges that covers the middle of the treads and risers
Stringer: The supporting structure of the stair
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Safety First
The horizontal distance from the front to back of the tread is called the run, and the vertical distance is the rise. As you will have noticed from the staircases you've walked on, the rise and run can vary.
Rise-to-run ratio. The total of the rise and run should add up to 17 inches. Practically speaking, this means that as the run gets shorter, the rise should get steeper for the stair to feel comfortable as you walk. There are limits, of course. A rise of more than 8¼ inches is going to be too steep for many people.
The horizontal distance from the front to back of the tread is called the run, and the vertical distance is the rise. As you will have noticed from the staircases you've walked on, the rise and run can vary.
Rise-to-run ratio. The total of the rise and run should add up to 17 inches. Practically speaking, this means that as the run gets shorter, the rise should get steeper for the stair to feel comfortable as you walk. There are limits, of course. A rise of more than 8¼ inches is going to be too steep for many people.
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Consistency. Even more important, the ratio of rise to run must be consistent. If you stumble or trip on a staircase, it is probably due to a tread or riser that is not the same size as the others. Our bodies get in a rhythm when climbing or descending, and even an inch of difference can be enough to throw us off.
If you are thinking about adding flooring on top of existing flooring where it meets a staircase, keep this in mind. The treads may need to be adjusted as well.
Another thing that makes a stair comfortable to use is a tread overhang. Although some modern staircases omit this detail, an overhang will keep heels from scuffing risers on the way down and help you find your footing on the way up.
If you are thinking about adding flooring on top of existing flooring where it meets a staircase, keep this in mind. The treads may need to be adjusted as well.
Another thing that makes a stair comfortable to use is a tread overhang. Although some modern staircases omit this detail, an overhang will keep heels from scuffing risers on the way down and help you find your footing on the way up.
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| Another modern-style detail is to omit the riser entirely. You'll still have a rise, of course (you wouldn't get upstairs without it), but it's just empty space instead of a board. Building a stair this way means you won't be able to hide the supporting structure of the stair: the stringer. In the stair pictured here, the stringer is made of steel. Most wooden staircases have two or three wooden stringers, angled lumber with sawtooth cuts where the treads and risers attach. For safety, a stair that doesn't have a riser should have a thicker tread, like the one shown. This reduces the space between treads. Most codes will not permit an open riser unless the opening is 4 inches or less. Although you'll see stairs that don't follow this rule, a child could crawl through a larger space, so for safety's sake, build to code. |
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Ceiling height. The distance from the highest tread below a ceiling should be at least 80 inches, or 6 feet, 8 inches. As a 6-foot-3-inch man who lives in Philadelphia and spends a lot of time in historic homes, I can tell you that this rule wasn't regularly followed in the time before building codes. Don't make the same mistake.
On the way up, people will bump their heads if the ceiling is too low. On the way down, it's hard to judge ceiling height, so people will duck if it looks too close. Give people plenty of room whenever possible. A stair is a dangerous place for a fall, and the codes governing stairs are designed to prevent just that.
On the way up, people will bump their heads if the ceiling is too low. On the way down, it's hard to judge ceiling height, so people will duck if it looks too close. Give people plenty of room whenever possible. A stair is a dangerous place for a fall, and the codes governing stairs are designed to prevent just that.
Stair Style
Although the tips above are not enough to teach you how to build a stair (that's one of the most complicated things a carpenter does), they will help you understand how and why they are laid out the way the are.
Now let's talk about the way stairs look. After all, there is beauty in the function of a staircase — a well-designed stair can be one of the most stunning forms in your house.
A staircase has many parts, and since most are made of wood, one of the questions you'll face is whether to add a clear coat or paint it. Traditional stairs often have a combination of both.
To paint or not to paint? My advice is to avoid paint on treads and banisters. These get the most wear, and paint shows wear more readily. If the treads have been painted before, or if you want that look, we've had good success with Fine Paints of Europe.
Although the tips above are not enough to teach you how to build a stair (that's one of the most complicated things a carpenter does), they will help you understand how and why they are laid out the way the are.
Now let's talk about the way stairs look. After all, there is beauty in the function of a staircase — a well-designed stair can be one of the most stunning forms in your house.
A staircase has many parts, and since most are made of wood, one of the questions you'll face is whether to add a clear coat or paint it. Traditional stairs often have a combination of both.
To paint or not to paint? My advice is to avoid paint on treads and banisters. These get the most wear, and paint shows wear more readily. If the treads have been painted before, or if you want that look, we've had good success with Fine Paints of Europe.
by Kenny Grono
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Balusters are the jewelry of a staircase. Unlike your favorite ring or necklace, though, you'll often need more than 30 matching balusters to make a set.
This means the cost of a fancy turned baluster can add up quickly, so consider salvaged balusters. Architectural salvage shops often rescue a whole set from a Dumpster, and you can purchase a style that is not readily available today.
The photo here is of balusters at Re-Store, one of my go-to salvage places in Philadelphia. Often, older styles were thicker and made of hardwoods, unlike the softwood balusters you generally find today.
If they are coated with many layers of paint, find a local paint stripper who can dip them for you. This is a safer, quicker and more environmentally friendly way to strip paint than doing it yourself.
This means the cost of a fancy turned baluster can add up quickly, so consider salvaged balusters. Architectural salvage shops often rescue a whole set from a Dumpster, and you can purchase a style that is not readily available today.
The photo here is of balusters at Re-Store, one of my go-to salvage places in Philadelphia. Often, older styles were thicker and made of hardwoods, unlike the softwood balusters you generally find today.
If they are coated with many layers of paint, find a local paint stripper who can dip them for you. This is a safer, quicker and more environmentally friendly way to strip paint than doing it yourself.
Here we see two elements that can dress up a stair. One looks functional but isn't, and one looks decorative but performs an important function.
On the side of the stringer, below the tread, are carved tread brackets. Though they look like they're holding up the treads, they are applied moldings. If your stairs do not have tread brackets and you want to add some flair, gluing or nailing on brackets is a good DIY project.
The wainscoting on the walls is a nice way to follow the line of the stairs on the wall, mimicking the angle of the railing. Because stairs get so much traffic, wainscoting is a good way to protect the walls. Wood paneling will hold up much better than drywall here.
On the side of the stringer, below the tread, are carved tread brackets. Though they look like they're holding up the treads, they are applied moldings. If your stairs do not have tread brackets and you want to add some flair, gluing or nailing on brackets is a good DIY project.
The wainscoting on the walls is a nice way to follow the line of the stairs on the wall, mimicking the angle of the railing. Because stairs get so much traffic, wainscoting is a good way to protect the walls. Wood paneling will hold up much better than drywall here.
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Newel posts are another stair part you may be able to find salvaged. Salvaged or new, the newel anchors the railing. Any time you have a building element that is fastened to a wall only at one end of the span, you have the potential for wobble.
Some stair railings go up several floors in a continuous loop before they reach a wall. A firmly anchored newel post is critical to making sure your railing is secure.
If your existing newel post is wobbly, you can buy a kit from the hardware store that contains angle brackets to anchor it to the floor, and wood trim with space routed out so that it hides the brackets. Once it's painted or stained, it will look like a part of the post.
If the post is on the first floor and you have a basement, you can hide the fasteners by coming up from below with lag screws.
Some stair railings go up several floors in a continuous loop before they reach a wall. A firmly anchored newel post is critical to making sure your railing is secure.
If your existing newel post is wobbly, you can buy a kit from the hardware store that contains angle brackets to anchor it to the floor, and wood trim with space routed out so that it hides the brackets. Once it's painted or stained, it will look like a part of the post.
If the post is on the first floor and you have a basement, you can hide the fasteners by coming up from below with lag screws.
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by Kara Bowman
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| If you can't find a solid newel post you like, or you want something more massive, a box newel can be made out of stock boards and applied moldings, creating a post like the three pictured here. Because the interior framing will be covered up by the finish carpentry, it is easier to anchor this type of post. Also, take note of the recessed step lights along the wall. We started this ideabook talking about safety. Good lighting is critical, and lighting focused on the treads allows you to illuminate the stairs safely without overlighting the rest of the space. The runner pictured here also protects the stairs and makes them less slippery, reducing falls. Safety first, safety last. Happy climbing! More stair guides: How to Get Your Stair Runner Right 10 High Designs for the Handrail Cantilevered Stairs: Walking on Air Artful Stairs: Continuity in Steel |
Ideabook published on March 29, 2012.
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In your professional opinion, is it feasible or even possible to successfully apply custom-made hardwood 'cap treads' to an existing staircase? (Five feet wide, fastened (?) by walls, no bannister.) Thank you!
Reason why I was inquiring about 'caps' is, I presently have two five foot wide staircases and hope to be replacing the areas that meet them with hardwood. However I am concerned if the latter areas (now carpeted) will have to be adjusted in event that I do 'reface'. The home is a split level with a fairly open concept so there is also other areas to contend with like adjacent porcelain flooring in the kitchen and solarium.
As do not 'want to spend an arm and a leg' or .... risk breaking one :) rather than go the route of refacing may just decide to apply staircase runners and faux finish the riser/tread margins. I have seen it done, and it actually was quite aesthetic not to mention cost effective.
Decisions, decisions. Maybe I am overthinking, but I'm beginning to feel it is easier to build a home from scratch rather than to renovate one.