Types of Stairs

Stairs are one of the most significant structural elements when building a new home, apartment, or any other structure with multiple floors. Stairs are typically built to allow people to move from one floor to another. There are different types of stairs being adopted in the market.

The choice of stairs type is influenced by a number of factors, including functionality, purpose, material availability and eventually, aesthetic requirements.

There is no specific number that states that only these many different types of stairs exist. Stairs come in a variety of styles and can also be customised with various combinations.

As a result, the sky is the limit for your imagination. Every stair has its own set of benefits and drawbacks in comparison to the others.

The one simple tip to choosing the appropriate stair for your next project is to consider if a particular form of stair serves the aim of construction.

Types of Stairs

There are different types of stairs that can be built and are readily available in the market. However, in this article, we will focus on the most basic and popular types of stairs that may be used and adopted in almost any staircase design.

• Straight Flight Stairs
• Turning Stairs
• Circular Stairs

Straight Flight Stairs

Straight flight stairs are those with all of the steps pointing in the same direction. Depending on the height of the building or structure, it may have a single flight or two or more flights. A landing separates each flight.

Also Read : Components of Stairs

Turning Stairs

Turning stairs are divided into five major categories:

• Quarter-turn Stair
• Half-turn Stair
• Bifurcated Stair
• Open Well Stair
• Continuous Stair

Quarter-Turn Stair

Quarter-turn stairs are used when the flight direction is changed at right angles, either to the left or right. Quarter space landings or winders are used during the turn.

Half-Turn Stair

These are stairs with successive flights that go in opposite directions. A variety of landings, such as half-space landings, quarter-space landings, or winders alone, can be used to separate the flights.

Bifurcated Stair

The bottom flight of bifurcated stairs is divided into two narrower flights, one to the right and one to the left, at the landing. It’s worth noting that the bottom flight is wider than the top.

In some situations, it may also have one common flight while descending up to landing and then divide itself into two smaller flights for the rest of the descent.

Open Well Stair

A rectangular well hole or opening with a distinct corner at every change of direction is provided when a space is available and it is intended to install a lift in the middle of the stairwell chamber.

This open well is surrounded by the several flights. Newels are placed at the top and bottom of each flight of stairs, forming a noticeable feature that allows the stair to be named a newel stair.

The stairwell also has lighting options from the top. Stairs in public buildings are typically planned as open wells.

Continuous Stair

The strings and handrails are continuous in continuous stairs, and curves are introduced between the steps to eliminate sharp corners. This allows the winders introduced at the direction shift to be wider and hence more convenient to operate than the newel stair winders.

These curved stairwells might be elliptical, circular, or any other shape.

Circular Stairs

Circular stairwells are made up of winder steps that are placed either around a central newel post or as cantilevers from the supporting wall with a circular well hole in the center. A circular stair is formed when all of these steps radiate from a central newel post.

Spiral staircases made of iron are fairly widespread and are mostly used for service .They are rarely enclosed in a stairwell. 

When designing a circular stair, the width of the tread along the walking line, which is 1′-9″ from the stair’s outer circle, and the provision of an acceptable head must be taken into account.