Stairs - Forms

Forms

Stairs can take a large number of forms, combining winders and landings.

The simplest form is the straight flight of stairs, with neither winders nor landings. It is not often used in modern homes because:

• the upstairs is directly visible from the bottom of a straight flight of stairs.
• it is potentially more dangerous in that a fall is not interrupted until the bottom of the stairs.
• a straight flight requires enough space for the entire run of the stairs.

However, a straight flight of stairs is easier to design and construct than one with landings. Additionally, the rhythm of stepping is not interrupted in a straight run, which may offset the increased fall risk by helping to prevent a misstep in the first place.

"L" shaped stairways have one landing and usually change in direction by 90 degrees. "U" shaped stairs may employ a single wider landing for a change in direction of 180 degrees, or 2 landings for two changes in direction of 90 degrees each. Use of landings and a possible change of direction have the following effects:

• The upstairs is not directly visible from the bottom of the stairs, which can provide more privacy for the upper floor.
• A fall can be arrested at the landing.
• Though the landings consume total floor space, there is no requirement for a large single dimension, allowing more flexible floorplan designs.
• For larger stairs, particularly in exterior applications, a landing can provide a place to rest the legs.
  

A mono string staircase is a term used for a steel spine staircase with treads.

A Double string staircase has two steel beams on either side and treads in the centre.