I don't know your mother's age or health condition, but moving things up and down a spiral staircase seems much harder than a normal straight stairwell with landings. I know a unitized spiral staircase might be easier to install and even less expensive, but I'm just not sure those economies make sense for a senior citizen. Of course, this is just my random thoughts and you may have much more specific reasons. I have friends with a spiral staircase going up to a loft bedroom. They had to move everything up there via an outside balcony because the staircase was pretty much pedestrian traffic with only small objects in hand.
If it weren't for the walkout basement, the code wouldn't allow a spiral staircase as the sole access between floors. I'm a big fan of wide (4') straight stairways. "L" and "U" shaped stairways are evil in my book, especially if they are the only access between floors. I know that space considerations sometimes force "L" and "U" shaped stairways. I sure wish our straight stairway was 4' wide.
To follow up on Jinmans post,
the Tile Floors can be rather slippery too and VERY HARD for elderly people. Falls and or Slips are their #1 injury wood floors and or carpeted floors are much better for poor circulation (cold feet) and falls.
Tile is very nice but even a throw rug will slip/slide very easy on them.
Mark
One can get get floor tile that isn't slick as snot, nor rough as poorly finished concrete.
Even with anti-slip backers, throw rugs are evil in my book regardless of what kind of floor covering they are going on top of. If they don't slip and slide, then it's common to catch a toe under the edge.
Pclausen,
Make all bathrooms handicap ready or place backer boards in the walls and take photos with measurements so later on if needed can be added. Have the toilets be the taller handicap units. Easier for the senior citizens to rise from on their own. When we have our home built it will be handicap ready even if we may not needed it - wider halls, larger door openings, bigger bath rooms, just to make it easier in later years to get around in my own home. Cheaper now than the price of a nursing home later.
idaho2
Amen! I was in the early stages of designing a new house for us, and one of the criteria I set forth in my design was to apply ADA criteria that made sense for residential purposes into the home. That meant doorways were 3' minimum, wide hallways...what few there were, pocket doors where it made sense to use them, blocking for grab bars in the baths, etc.
Now a quick digression that others have done...I too have been getting the "Stay or go" popup now and then, and I just hit "go." If I have a verbose post, I copy it to the clipboard before hitting the "submit" button.
OK Mohammad (sp), please fix this annoying bug that is obviously affecting numerous members, and add a modern popup photo gallery viewer like other tractor forums do. Thanks, and we now return you to our regularly scheduled thread.