Stairs & Staircases

Whilst handrails are primarily installed for the safety of people moving up or down a stair, they also form an integral part of the decorative style of the balustrade.

They are traditional made from wood; however modern staircase handrails designs are now also made from stainless steel and other such materials.

There are two main types of staircase handrails; continuous rails (that consist of a single rail that starts that the bottom of the stair case and continues in a smooth curve all the way to the top) and rails that stop and restart as stairs change direction.

Features

Staircase handrails can also have a number of specialised features with either an aesthetic or functional purpose. Some of these include:

• Landing Wreath (A landing wreath makes the change from flight to level and usually turns 90°. It can also be used to return into a wall.)
• Quarter Turn (A quarter turn is used to change directions on a level section of balustrade)
• Ramp (Allows transition from flight to level or flight to flight because of a change of pitch between them.)
• Return End
• Swan Neck (These are used to climb from a flight pitch to vertical to make up the required head difference between flight and landing. Once the height is reached they mitre to level across a landing or first floor.)
• Starting Wreath (Usually begins by turning 90° out of a post or off a wall then continues up a flight)
• Paired Wreaths (Two wreaths at a specified radius joined together that will connect one flight to the next and will turn through 180°.)
• Wreathed Rail (This is any section of the flight rail that needs to curve around and twist to suit a curved staircase.)

Ends

Decorate ends can be added to staircase handrails to add an elegant feature to the rail. Beautifully crafted from solid timber these are often used in Classical styles to add a touch of grandure to the staircase entry.

Stair Maintenance

It is very important to keep your staircases safe, especially with those who are more vulnerable to falling, whether children or the elderly. Regular maintenance should prevent any accidents caused by structural weakness, especially in external staircases that are more exposed to the elements.

When checking your staircase you should ensure that the handrails and balustrades are not rusty, rotted, loose or unstable (depending on the materials they are made of). You should observe for any compression or deformation of structural members. If made of timber, test it with a sharp object such as a screwdriver to find any soft decayed wood. Timber typically rots where two pieces join together, so check connection points. Also examine brackets and bolts for rust. It is also important to check any balconies for signs of deflection, as it should not lean.

Stair Design

A safely designed staircase will comply with building codes in regards to rise height, tread depth, walkline (the inner radius of the curve in spiral staircases), headroom (height above the nosing of a tread to the ceiling above it), total rise of the stairs, total run of the stairs, banister height, and balustrade spacing.

In regards to spiral staircases, winder steps are often difficult to navigate and therefore a potential cause for accidents. Slattery & Acquroff developed a system to solve the problem of narrow, wedge-shaped steps used for turning with the StepSure™ Winder System. Their solution involves incorporating a small flat landing in the corner, rather than a triangular shaped tread. This gives people more security when climbing, without taking up extra space.

Other safety measures to consider, especially in commercial and public spaces, include incorporating tactiles, visible stair nosings, antislip stair treads, antislip tapes and rubber flooring. These fittings can usually be added to most materials, whether timber, concrete or metal.

Safe Staircases

While it is possible to build a staircase yourself, if you haven’t the necessary experience it is probably best to employ a professional. This is because, while aesthetics and sound design are important, even more important is that the staircase is safe and complies with building codes.  Many people find stairs, especially steep or spiral staircases, difficult to climb. There are several ways to make stairs safer, including handrails and balustrades.

A handrail or banister is an angled beam that is placed on either both sides of the staircase or only on the open side, for people to hold onto. The balustrade system is the series of vertical beams that provide support for the handrail. Many contemporary balusters are not decorative wooden or intricate cast iron posts, instead being replaced by sheets of glass. Whichever is used, balusters prevent children from falling off the staircase, as well as giving support.

StepSure™ Winder System

Winder steps, wedge-shaped steps used to turn corners in staircases, used on U and L shape stairs were traditionally narrow and triangular, and often the cause of falls. Slattery & Acquroff, an Australian stair building company, developed the StepSure™ Winder system to solve this problem. This system makes the winder steps more regular in shape and a spacious corner landing area. This means that even staircases that make a sharp 90° turn, people can navigate them more safely.

The solution in the past was to replace all winders with a landing. However with space becoming more valuable with smaller blocks of land and smaller buildings, allowing an extra metre for the staircase may not be the most effective solution. By using the StepSure™ Winder System, the stairs are no longer intimidating, they are comfortable to walk on and easy to navigate. Rather than a difficult triangular shaped tread, a small flat landing in the corner is used. This system has been approved by the CSIRO as to its compatibility with the Building Code of Australia.