How to Build a Staircase
The arrangement and location of rooms and their levels and interlinking landings will have been decided at the outset, but it is only now, with the model constructed at full size, that you can see and measure out every aspect of the original design. The entrance into your dwelling and staircase leading you up and through it are major features, and the approach to their design and character will determine the remaining parts, whether historical and traditional, modem and contemporary or simply functional.
With regard to the staircase itself, the range of dimensions that can be used in the design of balconies, balustrading, handrails and step sizes, will be limited by Building Regulations. These have come about through safety considerations, which have evolved over many years. Beyond these limitations, the remaining design of the staircase is entirely up to you. Important and influential matters to consider include:
- The position of the staircase and whether it will be freestanding, linked only by the ground and upper floor, or supported by a wall.
- The material used to construct the staircase, treads, balustrade and handrails. Timber is the obvious choice for many, but polished metal or a combination of the two can enhance a contemporary design.
- The layout of the staircase is crucial. Half and quarter turns with a variety of treads can increase the available space remaining in a hallway whilst straight, sweeping and curved flights can be grand and imposing. When considering stair-flight turns, be aware that enough room needs to be created so that heavy and bulky items of furnishing can be manipulated around them.
- Building Regulations restrict the widths and heights of treads, but the remaining design is usually open to interpretation. Closed treads are commonly used when carpeting is intended. Open treads are less intrusive and a valuable option when natural light needs to pass through to reach other areas. Cut-string is a more decorative form of timberwork and provides an impressive staircase for an open hallway.
There are off-the-shelf systems that can be purchased from builders' merchants and adapted to suit your particular self-build project but, if funds are available, there is nothing more magnificent than a handcrafted staircase built by an experienced carpenter. The cost of timbers will probably depend on whether you intend painting, staining or lacquering them upon completion. It may seem obvious, but we will state it anyway: there is little point paying the additional price for beautifully grained hardwood, if it is going to be hidden under a layer of paint.
Remember that the design of your home is not limited to the horizontal plain. Splitlevels, mezzanines and galleries really can turn an ordinary dwelling into something quite extraordinary. There are always opportunities to exploit a given space in all directions and the creation of different levels generates interest and character. Care must always be taken to construct within the terms of the building regulations and advice from your architect is essential in this specific regard. In addition and where the available space is limited, split-levels can cause an area to appear cumbersome and constricted, particularly if barrier-rails and balustrades become obtrusive. However, with good planning and adequate space, living areas can be interlinked with minimal visual intrusion, producing a unique and interesting home with rising and falling levels and a variety of positional viewing points.
