Steppenwolfe
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Anyone here ever do a spiral staircase? I have a situation I think one would be perfect, but I know nothing about them.
Spiral staircase ???
- Thread starter Steppenwolfe
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/pine
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Have both built and contracted out many...depending on the style the easiest way to build a staircase circular or radius etc...is to construct each individual riser i.e., a bunch of little 2X frames each 7.25+/- taller... hold the inside corners of the shoe plates to your struck radius etc... frame around the inside and outside radius and cover with sheetrock or plywood for sub straight or finish paint...
MossRoad
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For somewhere that old people, young people, disabled people, boxes, or no furniture will ever have to go.... it's the perfect solution.
In all seriousness, I do like them, but they are highly impractical.
MossRoad
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Also check your building codes. They aren't allowed in some circumstances.
chim
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Oldest son and wife rented a place with a steel spiral staircase years ago. It was cute, didn't take up much room and took some getting accustomed to. I helped move furniture there. Very challenging. We built a scaffold to use as a step between the 1st and 2nd floors to access a 2nd floor landing.
MossRoad
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And you got me thinking.... I've dealt with two spiral staircases. One, at my last employer, was 30' high, really neat, ornate, wrought iron going from the top of a conventional staircase up to an elevator penthouse. I'm 6' tall with wide shoulders. I had to navigate it sideways. The 2nd one I deal with at my current employer. It goes between 3 floors in and old building. Again, I have to navigate it sideways. It is very hard to carry anything up that staircase. Even my tool bag carried over my shoulder is quite uncomfortable because it either hits the center column or the handrail.
For example, if you have a 5' opening, and the center support is 4" in diameter. You'd divide the space by 2, so half of 60" is 30". Then you'd subtract half of the center support and you're left with 28" wide treads. Now add in handrail on the outer side of the stairs, say 3", and you're looking at 25" of clearance. I have some 28" doorways in my house. In a t-shirt I have just 1.5" of clearance on either side. 25" wide area to navigate while walking up or down a curved stairs isn't easy, pleasant, or quaint after a while. In fact, it gets old, fast if you have to use it often.
For example, if you have a 5' opening, and the center support is 4" in diameter. You'd divide the space by 2, so half of 60" is 30". Then you'd subtract half of the center support and you're left with 28" wide treads. Now add in handrail on the outer side of the stairs, say 3", and you're looking at 25" of clearance. I have some 28" doorways in my house. In a t-shirt I have just 1.5" of clearance on either side. 25" wide area to navigate while walking up or down a curved stairs isn't easy, pleasant, or quaint after a while. In fact, it gets old, fast if you have to use it often.
I had considered a set at my shop, The guy who has the bay right next to me has one to access his second floor. .. ( both bays are basically isedtical ) ... but then I tried to imagine carrying things up and down... so it was a no go.
TnAndy
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For somewhere that old people, young people, disabled people, boxes, or no furniture will ever have to go.... it's the perfect solution.
In all seriousness, I do like them, but they are highly impractical.
ahahaaaa. Don't forget laundry.
We went to a "parade of homes" showcasing multiple new homes for sale once, and one of them had a tiny, like 24-26" wide tread staircase leading to the finished basement level.....where the laundry room was located. Wife and I had the same comment "Wonder who gets to haul the laundry basket up and down ?" It was a "daylight" basement with an exterior door leading out to the yard, so I guess you had the option of going out it and walking around the house to a ground floor entrance.
Never saw the house again, but my guess is the first remodeling including moving the washer-dryer upstairs.
MikeInEburg
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While a spiral staircase conserves real estate, I would only use as a very last resort. As others have mentioned, carrying something up/down is downright dangerous.
dannoGT
Silver Member
My brother had a house with spiral stairs up to second floor with bedrooms upstairs. Now the second floor had an open concept that overlooked the main floor and this was a good thing because it was impossible to carry anything up the spiral stairs. So all of the mattresses, box springs, dressers , all had to have ropes tied around them and hoisted up over the railing on to the balcony on second floor. It was a huge PITA