Are you buying a new house? Do you need ideas about the staircase designs for homes? Staircases are the most important part of a house. If these are designed well, then it gives a tremendous look to the house. When it comes to staircases, the design, quality and material matter a lot. In this write-up, we will explore 9 types of staircases and explore their advantages and disadvantages. Read till the end to get the best out of it.
Popular Staircase Designs
Straight Staircases
The straight staircases are stairs without any changes in direction. These are the most common types of stairs in commercial and residential properties. These straight stairs are made with a variety of railing types, stringer styles, and wood species.
When there is a long flight of stairs, a landing is attached to break up the flight. Building codes need this for floor heights above 12 feet, common in commercial buildings. Also, the straight staircases have platforms halfway up the run of the stairs.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Straight Staircases
| Advantages These are easiest to go up and down and are also easiest to build. There is no intermediate supporting structure needed because these are connected from the top to the bottom. These are best suited for minimally designed houses. These are more transparent when thinner treads, thin stringers and open risers are selected. The railings and handrails are easy to build, and there is no landing required. Measurements are also simpler for the straight staircases. | Disadvantages Straight staircases use a good amount of linear space. Straight stairs don’t offer any privacy between the floors of your home. These are used more frequently in commercial buildings rather than residential buildings. |
L-shaped Stairs
These stairs are variations of the straight stairs with a bend in some portion of the stairs. This bend is usually made by adding a landing at the transition point. The bend is mostly 90 degrees, and it does not have to be always. It is sometimes called a quarter-turn stair when the bend is closer to the top or bottom.
| Advantages These staircases can be visually appealing and provide a good visual barrier between the floors of the house. These are considered safer than straight stairs because they reduce the number of threads anyone could fall in a flight. They can be located in a corner of a room to add in for better staircase designs for homes. The landing transition gives a break to stop and rest while ascending. | Disadvantages L-shaped stairs are more complicated to build as compared to straight stairs. Support is needed for the landing, and it is also built into the surrounding walls. Therefore, the support goes unnoticed. The handrails for such types of stairs need more skills and planning to construct. |
U-shaped Stairs
These types of stairs are two parallel flights of straight stairs joined by a landing that make a 180-degree turn in the walk line. These are often used for better visual design and also give advanced architectural structure.
| Advantages U-shaped stairs are easier to fit into an advanced architectural plan. These stairs also offer great interest in architectural design. The landing can also offer a resting point partway. | Disadvantages These kinds of stairs are a little more difficult to build than the simple stair types. |
Winder Stairs
Winder stairs are different variants of L-shaped stairs. However, instead of a flat landing, they have pie-shaped staircases or triangular steps at the transition corner. These take up less space and are also used as secondary staircases.
| Advantages The main advantage of this staircase is that it requires less space than many other types. These are often used as access to the kitchen when the grand staircase is in the entryway. These create better transitions and also interest people more. | Disadvantages The wider stairs are a bit more hard to navigate than the L stairs. It can be more difficult to add a handrail to such stairs than others. Centre support is required, just like an L-shaped staircase. |
Spiral Stairs
These types of stairs follow a helical arc and usually have a compact design. The threads radiate around a midpole. The best thing about these stairs is that they are compact and popular on beachfront decks.
| Advantages The best thing is its compactness and its extensive use in city lofts. These are attractive, and there are many variations in railing styles. These don’t need any extra support structures because they already have centre poles. | Disadvantages These are more tough to navigate and also best to have 5 feet in diameter. It is tough to carry big items up these stairs, and only one person can go up at the same time. |
Curved Stairs
Just like spiral stairs, these are helical arcs, and they have a much larger radius and do not make a full circle. These staircases add elegance and are also mostly located at the entry, where the first impression is made. If you want the best architectural services for your dream home, then Union Developers are the best at serving their clients.
| Advantages The best thing is its design as these are beautiful and elegant. These are attractive and easier to walk up if the radius is large. | Disadvantages These are more tough to navigate and build. These are also costly to build because of their elegance and style demand. |
Cantilever Stairs
These types of stairs are built to have the stair treads appear to be floating in the air with no support. The stair stringer will be connected to one end of the threads and can be exposed or hidden. These add spaciousness and also add intrigue to the style.
| Advantages The cantilever stairs add more creativity to the design, as these are beautiful and elegant. These are attractive and easier to walk up if they are more spacious. The stringer is located to one side and also allows more headroom. | Disadvantages The design structure requires more consideration before its final construction. Tread support should handle the potential torque and the weight. These are also quite costly due to tricky structural design and requirements. |
Split Staircases
These are also known as bifurcated stairs that have a wide set of stairs. These have landed partway up the flight and split at the landing into two sets of stairs going in opposite directions.
| AdvantagesThese stairs allow one staircase to function as two. These end into two different sections and give easy access. They add an impeccable architectural design and are also used in larger homes and commercial buildings. These are suitable for exterior and interior locations. | Disadvantages The design structure requires more space to consider before its final construction. These are also quite costly due to tricky structural design and requirements. |
Ladders
Ladders are like stairs that provide a means of access. However, building codes don’t usually allow ladders to serve as the main means of access. These are used for extra spaces to access easily, like rooftops or any rooms.
| AdvantagesLadders are a more compact way to get from one section or floor to another. These are cost-effective due to the simple design and material. These also can have wheels or fold up to move from one space to another. Ladders are used to access high spaces like shelves. | Disadvantages Ladders are tougher to navigate than stairs. You cannot use ladders as a primary staircase. |
Lastly,
Stairs are a very important part of any house, and when you want to give it a more stylish look, only one typical type is not enough. You can add multiple types of staircases to your home and give it an aesthetic and modern look. Use this guide to decide which staircase type matches your aesthetic and your style.
