staircase widths and getting furniture up them.

[thatsnotafestool]

Am in the process of having a new staircase fitted in the cottage. In another lifetime I would make it myself but have ran out of time (and the will to live it seems sometimes).

Basically a two flight setup with 3 winders. Top flight about 800mm+ wide between strings. Then 3 winders but the bottom flight has been reduced to 690mm. I know that there are no Building Regs re min width but apart from the aesthetics, I'm a bit concerned about anyone actually managing to get any furniture up the stairs. I've just measured our bed base which at 150mm deep (ex feet) seems a bit on the low size and will mock this up tomorrow in the cottage.

Are there any recommendations anywhere as to what the minimum dimensions on a turn o a staircase should be?

[mrgrimsdale]

There was a building reg last time I looked. Min width 800 ISTR. Has it changed?

[thatsnotafestool]

Jacob, I think that that refers to developments that invoke the disabled part of the regs. Jason asked his council and they said no minimum.

[mrgrimsdale]

Might come under fire regs? There are plenty of recommendations if you google, such as these but seem to be compulsory in NI only. The Scots have rules too. Confusing

[jonnyd]

Are the winders in the 690 wide bit if so will be a bit tight to get furniture up and down. I also thought to meet regs a staircase and landings had to be the same width from top to bottom.
Even the building inspectors dont know what they are talking about on the last staircase job i did i had one telling me the handrail height upstairs should have been 1100mm when i had set everything to a tad over 900mm after he read the regs again he changed his mind.

[Keith]

690 is tight but I have seen a lot worse even in new build. There are no regs regarding width, but I would probably make them the same width all the way up, although again I don't think there are any regs on this. None enforced round here anyway

You have to just make sure there is reasonable room for egress in the event of a fire.

[jfc]

Yup , my local DS told me there is a max but no min width Crazy isnt it .

[engineerone]

what is really stupid is the way in which modern furniture seems to be sized for giants, and the staircases that many new builds have are designed for midgets

there have been a number of stories even on the telly about
some houses where the turn is so tight that you can't even get flat packs up them

as jason says bloody stupid.

so instal the furniture, then build the staircase ;D

paul

[agbagb]

I don't Know if this helps but when I looked in to BS for spiral stairs, the ideal minimum was 600mm, however this is often relaxed by BC depending on how and who will be using the stairs.
I useually find furinture on tight stairs get stuck at the bottom when theres a doorway at 90 degrees to the flight. If you have got good height the furniture can be lifted over a lower tread giving more room for the turn.
In the past I've ended up having to take a chunck out of the bottom step where I hadn.t got the height. As you are at the building stage, how about a removeable step or two?

Other wise use the old fashioned way - through the window.

Andy

[modernist]

Got this one passed at 600mm with winders at the bottom.



cheers

Brian

[thatsnotafestool]

Good points.

Discovered yesterday when I went upstairs to find that the nose is 8mm higher than the ffl on the landing - which will be oak floorboard so no carpet to 'fill the gap'.

Solution is to dismantle what's been done then saw 8mm off the bottom stringer then reassemble. But then that will mean that the rise is inconsistent between the bottom step and the rest which may/may not be picked up by BR. Will give them a call Monday.

BTW - would you expect a handrail to be supplied to be fixed to the wall alongside the top flight as part of the delivery? 'Cos it ain't.

[jfc]

I wouldnt expect any handrail to be supplied with a staircase or shaped newels unless you asked for them .