A beautifully crafted staircase can make a huge amount of difference to a home. But if you’re looking to build a staircase from scratch, it’s difficult to know where to begin. There are so many things that have to be considered and you make stuck deciding what stair parts to install. With this in mind, here is a helpful guide to help you install a brand new staircase.
First you need to establish the height between the floors. This will help you determine how many steps you will need. The average distance between steps is 7 inches (17.8 cm), so once you have established the height of your staircase, divide it by 7 (or 17.8 if you’re measuring in centimetres) and this will tell you how many steps you will need. For example, if the height is 8.5 feet (101 inches), dividing by 7 will give you 14. Then if you divide the 101 by 14, this will give you the precise figure needed to have your steps spaced evenly.
Next you need to calculate how long your staircase will be, also known as the run. To do this, you need to decide the depth of each step. It needs to be deep enough to safely accommodate the feet of everyone who is going to use the staircase, and so should be at least 10 inches. Once you’ve decided on a figure, multiply it by the number of steps and you have your run. These measurements will help when installing the stringers. These parts along the side of the staircase and help hold everything in place.
Now you have your dimensions, you can start thinking about what it’s going to look like and deciding which stair parts you want. There are many things to consider, such as the overall theme and how it will fit in with the rest of the house. You need to choose whether you’re going for a modern or a classic look and select the various stair parts accordingly.
Treads and risers are also a crucial part of the process, particularly in terms of functionality as well as style. A firm, solid footing is absolutely necessary in order to reduce the risk of slips and trips, while the risers add both style and safety.
Choosing the handrail, baserail and spindles (the vertical posts that sit between the handrail and baserail) is where you can really have fun and let your imagination run free, while the newel posts and caps and are very much the icing on the cake.
All the pieces of this staircase jigsaw are available at UK Stair Parts, where you’ll find a wide range of quality stair products at great prices.