The stairs are often an afterthought for the renovator and the home buyer alike as they are not a room per se. However, when one considers how often one will be going up and down the stairs even in a single day, the importance of this component of the home becomes clear. When buying a home or planning a renovation, you should keep in mind the different types of staircase construction and their relative advantages and disadvantages.
The most basic type of staircase is the straight flight without any winders or landings. The advantage of straight stairs is that they take up less space than spiral stairs and they are safer, as you can install a handrail on either side of the stairs. That being said, most modern houses usually do not utilize the straight flight form of stair case because the upper floors are then directly visible from the ground floor there are no impediments to protect residents from falling from the upper floor straight to the bottom. Also, many structures do not have space to run a flight of stairs directly from the ground to the second floor, or else this configuration would be too steep. Straight flights of stairs are usually used for outside stair cases such as a flight leading to a balcony.
More often, inside a home, an “L-shaped” staircase is the more desirable option since the line of sight between the second floor and the ground floor is impeded and better floor plans are available since the stairs can be tucked into a corner and no large area is used. Also, landings, or flat floors in the middle of the staircase, are used to ensure any fall taken while climbing or descending the stairs will be halted after only a short drop.
Less common to most modern residential homes are spiral stair cases. These types of stairs are designed to wind around a central pole or pillar with the handrail snaking around the outside and only the pole in the middle. Most spiral stair cases you will find in residential structures will be of the squared spiral sort. The squared spiral configuration assumes a squared off pillar in the middle. The steps will be unequal unless landings are used at the corners. Less common, except in particularly luxurious homes, is the pure spiral staircase. This configuration takes up very little space and is often found outside the main super structure of the building. Pure spirals are attractive in design, but they are often unpractical for most residents. Stepping too close to the center of spiral can easily result in a fall as the steps narrow as they near the center pole.
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