UKC

I'm having a new staircase fitted. It's a winding style, making a full 180deg turn. Due to various limitations, the first (bottom) step can't be perpendicular to the direction of travel with the design I want. It has to be at an angle to start the turn early. I don't see this as a problem but I've been advised that it can be as you naturally come off the stairs in the wrong direction.

Does anyone have any experience of a staircase with an angled first step? Particularly any negative experiences?

In reply to JuneBob:

Any reason the extra twist can't be at the top? TBH its one of those things that will either drive you nuts or you won't notice it. The fact that I have/have not noticed the problem myself is irrelevant... you are the one that has to live with it.

It might well be worth trying to make it look a lot more deliberate... so rather than just of 90 have it well off 90 and extend the floor above to meet the stairs (or vice versa - straight at teh bottom but in-set at the top)

In reply to balmybaldwin:

It's a tiny old house so there's a lot of restrictions...
My view is that is an old refurb and this is just a compromise to live in an old house, but as I've never been bothered by a staircase design before, it didn't occur to me that this could bea problem until it was pointed out!

In reply to JuneBob:

Could you try pacing up and down along the floor and mimicking how you'll walk, and try and work out what might drive you mad and what might not?

In reply to JuneBob:

Another option might be to make the bottom step go all the way round (or extend significantly) so you end up stepping off a circular bottom step to the real floor

In reply to Timmd:

Good idea, I'll do some experiments.

In reply to balmybaldwin:

I don't understand the problem? Is it basically a spiral staircase turning just under or over 180deg? Or a spiral section at top or bottom that doesn't enter the room 'square'? Whatever it is you'll get used to it no matter how odd it seems.
Jk

In reply to JuneBob:

The stairs is in this format:
http://www.stairplan.com/Assets/images/stair_layouts/buttonNSW66N.jpg

However, due to various restrictions the bottom step needs to be as step 2 not step 1 in that diagram, otherwise we need to change the entire design which does away with a pretty balustrade feature I would like to have.

In reply to balmybaldwin:


I've seen that in a few places.

In reply to JuneBob:

The solution is obvious: Do away with the staircase and install a climbing wall instead.

In reply to JuneBob:

Hi JuneBob,

I would go back and question the problem further as to why you can not have step 1 as shown in the diagram.

For you and your household sticking with step 2 maybe irksome at best, at its worst it could be the cause of an visiting elderly relative slipping over as everyone has ingrained in there head that the last step is square with the room.

In reply to JuneBob:

Our stairs are old and do a 180. The first 3 at the top and bottom are narrower than those mid turn. The shape also various with each step. The height drop is of course the same. It has never been an issue you just become accustomed to the number and location of each step. A good hand rail and light, will mean any visitors have no problems too.

The only entertainment is moving furniture up and down.

In reply to JuneBob:

Are the other restrictions related to the height of the ceiling and the headroom clearance required? Otherwise it looks very much like you should be able to do away with the top step rather than the bottom one.

I've designed and fitted a few staircases here at chezarran and I agree it can be quite a challenge envisaging the problems when working in tight spaces!

In reply to john arran:

Yes, we have to cut into a key structural wall above the halfway point of the turn, and being 20cm lower at that point is important. Also the end point at the top is limited in length too

In reply to JuneBob:

I have a meeting about it with my architect tomorrow, and after finding nothing useful on Google, it's great that I can rely on ukc to provide some good points, so thanks for all the replies.

In reply to JuneBob:

In which case I wouldn't worry too much about finishing while not yet being square to the room, but I might consider the floor surface/colouring - having a substantial contrast in colour or tone between stairs, floor and walls could make it far more obvious what was going on, so less likely anyone could be confused.

In reply to JuneBob:

The head height clearance is tight for us, but because the house is all wood, the bit your head skims is a screwed in panel on the supporting beams, which when removed increases the height by a small amount which aids furniture movement. Precision engineering in wood, 150yrs ago.

In reply to JuneBob:
From your diagram I don't see how you can not extend step 1 outwards so it checks round the newel post and perhaps forms a bullnose at the other end?

Hallway is tight for space?

Apart from that I don't think you would have any problems the way it is designed.the windings have a legal limit they can not go under and yours look more than fine.

Is it from Stairbox? Pearstairs?

In reply to andymac:

It's in Norway, and yeah, the hallway is tight due to a door in the way.

In reply to JuneBob:

Look at from the perspective that if it was a spiral staircase,the treads would all be winding from top to bottom.

Looks like they have been more generous with the step 1 newel radius than with other steps anyway.

Seems fine.

I sometimes make these stairs (not so much these days.its not cost effective) and I'd be delighted with the newel arrangements.newells look to be 100mm also.usually 70mm back in the day

In reply to JuneBob:

Can you not reduce the rise of each step by 1/12, thus allowing you to fit all 13 steps in the total rise?

ps. I think I may have misunderstood the problem...