Which Stair Type Best Suits Your Home?

Which Stair Type Best Suits Your Home?

Whether you’re planning on having a renovated staircase or a brand new one, a staircase is an important feature of your home and is a great way to set the tone of your house and a way to show off your style. Most stairs are easily constructed to serve a function, but there are several staircase designs that offer a unique approach to the age-old construction design. One of the most important aspects to consider when you are building a staircase is using the negative space to your advantage. You can turn the wasted space into a storage area, or even build a bookshelf into the underside of the stairway. Only you can decide what is the perfect staircase for your home, but these are the most common staircase designs that you must consider.

The most popular type of staircases in a home are straight staircases that lead from one floor to the next. These are easy to construct, and there is plenty of open space underneath for storage. The biggest disadvantage to straight staircases is that if the stairs lead to a vertical height greater than 12 feet, or requires more than 16 stairs, you must include a landing to support the weight. These landings don’t require a huge space, but they must be factored in to create a safe stairway.

If you don’t have the space available for a straight staircase, then an L-shaped stairway could be right for you. These staircases turn at a 90-degree angle to lead to a new floor in the house. These stairways are a space saver, and they provide an added layer of privacy between the levels of the home. These L-shaped stairs have a landing area that is ideal for elderly homeowners who have trouble with stairs. The only real drawback to using these staircases is that they are slightly more difficult to construct.

When saving space is a prominent concern you must consider using spiral staircases. These staircases have the ultimate aesthetic appeal and are typically associated with beachfront properties and expensive downtown lofts. These staircases are expensive to build, but they can be much more creative than your typical stairway. Despite being expensive, they are easy to construct because they are formed around a centralized support pole that holds the weight. The two major concerns with spiral staircases are that they are difficult to maneuver and carry objects up and down, which brings us to the second problem. These staircases are up to code to be the primary access point from one floor to the next.

Curved staircases are the most beautiful design, but they are a logistical nightmare to build. These stairways can only be built by the best carpenters and metalworkers money can buy. When they are constructed you have an elegant design that will leave friends and family in awe. They are typically the focal point of a home and will be built in a location easily seen when people enter your home. These stairs are wide and have a low height which makes them easy to climb and carry furniture up. These are the best staircase for your home if you can afford the cost.