In this last article on what to consider when opting for a modern staircase to be fitted in your house, we will be looking at other things which should be looked at as you go through the design process.

The decision on whether to go for open or closed tread stairs is an important one as you need to think carefully about the practical aspects involved. With an open-tread design, you might feel a bit more exposed and uneasy about the fact you are more likely to fall up or down them.

This is why the majority of people opt for closed-tread stairs as they give you more peace of mind when ascending or descending the steps.

When you think of stairs, you don’t usually consider storage. However, in many homes stairs are left untidy, with all kinds of things like clothes and books left lying around. Nowadays, you can get staircase storage solutions which fit in neatly around your stairs or below them, helping you to make the best use of the space you have available.

As you go through the main points of your staircase design, these are all things you might want to bear in mind.

Making the decision to install a contemporary staircase in your home will be something you will look upon later as a positive move. You don’t need to have just bought the property either in order to get new stairs.

Replacing your old stairs with a more modern design is a viable option for many homeowners. Feature stairs are nice, but you don’t have to spend a fortune creating fashionable styles like the elliptical staircase, basically spiral stairs without the central column.

Glass staircases may be the new trend but these aren’t really practical for most buildings as they can be dangerous whenever liquids are spilt on them. They also require more in the way of maintenance too and so you’d have to get ready for the regular cleaning of the stairs. Privacy is something else the latest glass stairs lack.

This is why oak staircases are still proving popular for the homes of today as they can provide a spacious feel to the hallway.

These wooden stairs make for the smarter option and you can design the staircase yourself, while arranging for them to be delivered ready to fit within just a short space of time.

A staircase is unique in a home as it is able to set the tone more than anything else. In modern society, many people are looking to the designing of their stairs as an opportunity to create something that will make a real difference to the appeal of their property.

When stairs have been designed in the right way, they are able to really give the home a true sense of proportion as well as style, so this is a process that should be taken very seriously.

If you want to ensure that it all goes to plan, you need to think carefully about the type of stairs that would go well in your contemporary house. The final design needs to be stylish and safe to use.

Having a staircase fitted is not all that expensive, depending on where you turn for assistance. It all depends on the age of your property though, as putting new stairs in a Victorian or Georgian style home would be a bigger job for the installers.

So if you have a more modern home, you can benefit from all kinds of economic options with regards to your staircase.

The size of staircase you wish to design will depend on the size of the residential or commercial property where it will be installed. The type of staircase you want to be constructed also depends on the requirements of your project and the objective.

When you are looking at building stairs for a larger sized home or commercial development project, one of the most popular designs to go for is a grand staircase.

These staircases have been used in traditional settings for hundreds of years and have been crafted by some of the world’s most renowned architects and builders.

Grand staircases can still be made today, but they are usually reserved for those with a bigger budget to work with, not to mention the space required for these magnificent creations.

These stairs can still be made to certain design specifications, with many style choices available including spiral, helical and curved options. This is in addition to the straight flight stairs you can get.

When you are working on a smaller scale, you can still create something to admire. So even if you don’t have the resources to build a grand staircase, you will still be able to find a solution that satisfies your needs.

It is quite easy to get caught up in the euphoria of designing your new set of stairs without considering that you have actually got the right measurements to hand when ordering your staircase to be built.

Therefore, it is necessary to ensure that the measurements you provide the stair makers with, is done as closely as possible. You will get all the help you need from the supplier, but it is your responsibility to give them the accurate measurements.

To achieve this, you can take advantage of a walk-through guide found online or you can simply find out exactly what measurements are required and note these down before passing on to the manufacturer of the stairs.

Making sure you get the right stair opening measurements is important before you even consider getting down to the staircase design itself.

Firstly, you should take down the floor to floor height, remembering to include the upstairs floor-board thickness.

Now you can move on to the stair opening, being careful to measure from the back wall to the (unfinished) trimmer joist.

Once you have followed the correct instructions, you can then select a suitable staircase design, which fits in with the headroom you have to work with.

When you are looking to install new stairs as part of your new build or loft conversion project, you need to bear in mind that current building regulations will need to be taken into account.

No matter what you are planning, all the time spend designing your perfect staircase could be wasted if you haven’t thought about this very important aspect of any home renovation.

Whether you have decided on stairs in consultation with an architect or have gone it alone, you still should ensure that the staircase is designed according to the legislation in place.

Your stair manufacturer will also be able to offer guidance on this as they only construct staircases that meet the criteria, although bespoke models can be ordered from them which do not comply with the most recent regulations.

This is why you should find out as much as you can about such things as the correct rise, pitch, going and of course the headroom for these new stairs.

It is therefore necessary to consider that if you should ever decide to sell your property, a surveyor would always be involved in checking such things as the fitting of the staircase.

A staircase can be made from a number of different materials, so there is no standard for what can be used. Timber wood staircases are probably the most popular for installation in traditional as well as contemporary properties.

Today’s designs could make use of glass, stainless steel and a combination with wood to create the perfect style for a certain home.

Even if you are going for the up-to-date look, do not discount wooden stairs as this material may have been used for a long time now, but this is because it is often still the best choice.

You can use the materials mentioned above to come up with a model that provides the best effect in your home, but it also depends on the type of stairs you go for as well.

When you go to an established staircase manufacturer they will be able to suggest the best type of stairs that would provide you with the focal point you were hoping for at the outset.

This may take the form of cut string or housed string designs, or it might be something simple such as a half turn timber staircase.

A staircase is something that is able to bring a certain character to your home. Through its grand appearance and decorative railings, you can easily notice its charm whenever you gaze upon it. However, over time there are some parts which will eventually need replacing or restoring.

Should the stairs be squeaking, then the treads might be in need of maintenance. You can fix this by re-gluing them and putting them back in place.

On other occasions, you might feel that a replacement is needed. In this case, you should go to the staircase experts who are able to advise you on the stair parts they stock.

The steps themselves might need to be changed, or you could go for new railings sold by the supplier. Here, you can choose from all kinds of stair, parts, tools and fixings to ensure that your staircase is given the update it needs.

If you are ready for a full overhaul, then you may wish to consider getting a new timber staircase installed in its place. This might not be as expensive as you would think and so is another option for you to consider.

Whatever you decide to do, make sure it meets current building regulations and is carried out to the necessary safety standards.

As a bit of fun last weekend, a local resident and artist of Highland Park, a neighbourhood in the northeast of Los Angeles, United States, decided to arrange a public tour of the old staircases in the area.

The Stair Street Ghosts tour took place last Sunday, with organiser Louisa Van Leer arranging a number of self-guided tours to provide an insight into the nine stairway streets which are found within the old Mt. Angelus section.

For these free-of-charge tours to be able to go ahead, many of the old staircases had to be reopened after being inaccessible to the public for a long time.

Organiser Louisa Van Leer, speaking to The Eastsider LA publication, said:

“I have always been interested in things that have been hidden in plain sight.

“The history of Mt. Angelus has been hidden from the community and I am excited to not only explore the rich history but also to share it with the local community.”

Van Leer managed to uncover a rich heritage, when she looked deeper into the history surrounding these public staircases, which had been constructed in the early part of the 20th century.

With support from The Highland Park Heritage Trust, the Artist Bailout Grant and Council District One, the tours were given full approval by the LA community.

Many staircases that are built these days are accompanied by a balustrade, a row of small posts (known as balusters) that provide support for the upper rail of a railing.

As a balustrade is a frequent sight on wooden staircases and porches, we thought it best to go through some of the common terms associated with these features.

First, we will consider the reason why the balustrade is frequently used. This is mainly because it can work as a staircase guard and ensure the safe ascent and descent of the stairs. However, they can also improve the look of a staircase and so there are various styles available.

Newel

A newel is a large post which provides the anchor point for the handrail. These posts are normally placed at the top and bottom of the staircase. In situations where a railing ends in the wall, a half-newel can be used instead as it looks like it is imbedded.

Handrail

There are different types of handrails that can be used to provide support and stability to the person going up or down the stairs. These can either be continuous or post-to-post.

Spindles

These fixings are placed in the grooves located in the handrail.