Spiral staircase ???

[Steppenwolfe]

Anyone here ever do a spiral staircase? I have a situation I think one would be perfect, but I know nothing about them.

 

[/pine]

Anyone here ever do a spiral staircase? I have a situation I think one would be perfect, but I know nothing about them.

Have both built and contracted out many...depending on the style the easiest way to build a staircase circular or radius etc...is to construct each individual riser i.e., a bunch of little 2X frames each 7.25+/- taller... hold the inside corners of the shoe plates to your struck radius etc... frame around the inside and outside radius and cover with sheetrock or plywood for sub straight or finish paint...

 

[MossRoad]

Anyone here ever do a spiral staircase? I have a situation I think one would be perfect, but I know nothing about them.

For somewhere that old people, young people, disabled people, boxes, or no furniture will ever have to go.... it's the perfect solution.

In all seriousness, I do like them, but they are highly impractical.

 

[MossRoad]

Also check your building codes. They aren't allowed in some circumstances.

 

[chim]

Oldest son and wife rented a place with a steel spiral staircase years ago. It was cute, didn't take up much room and took some getting accustomed to. I helped move furniture there. Very challenging. We built a scaffold to use as a step between the 1st and 2nd floors to access a 2nd floor landing.

 

[MossRoad]

And you got me thinking.... I've dealt with two spiral staircases. One, at my last employer, was 30' high, really neat, ornate, wrought iron going from the top of a conventional staircase up to an elevator penthouse. I'm 6' tall with wide shoulders. I had to navigate it sideways. The 2nd one I deal with at my current employer. It goes between 3 floors in and old building. Again, I have to navigate it sideways. It is very hard to carry anything up that staircase. Even my tool bag carried over my shoulder is quite uncomfortable because it either hits the center column or the handrail.

For example, if you have a 5' opening, and the center support is 4" in diameter. You'd divide the space by 2, so half of 60" is 30". Then you'd subtract half of the center support and you're left with 28" wide treads. Now add in handrail on the outer side of the stairs, say 3", and you're looking at 25" of clearance. I have some 28" doorways in my house. In a t-shirt I have just 1.5" of clearance on either side. 25" wide area to navigate while walking up or down a curved stairs isn't easy, pleasant, or quaint after a while. In fact, it gets old, fast if you have to use it often.

 

[Tomtint]

I had considered a set at my shop, The guy who has the bay right next to me has one to access his second floor. .. ( both bays are basically isedtical ) ... but then I tried to imagine carrying things up and down... so it was a no go.

 

[TnAndy]

For somewhere that old people, young people, disabled people, boxes, or no furniture will ever have to go.... it's the perfect solution.

In all seriousness, I do like them, but they are highly impractical.

ahahaaaa. Don't forget laundry.

We went to a "parade of homes" showcasing multiple new homes for sale once, and one of them had a tiny, like 24-26" wide tread staircase leading to the finished basement level.....where the laundry room was located. Wife and I had the same comment "Wonder who gets to haul the laundry basket up and down ?" It was a "daylight" basement with an exterior door leading out to the yard, so I guess you had the option of going out it and walking around the house to a ground floor entrance.

Never saw the house again, but my guess is the first remodeling including moving the washer-dryer upstairs.

 

[MikeInEburg]

While a spiral staircase conserves real estate, I would only use as a very last resort. As others have mentioned, carrying something up/down is downright dangerous.

 

[dannoGT]

My brother had a house with spiral stairs up to second floor with bedrooms upstairs. Now the second floor had an open concept that overlooked the main floor and this was a good thing because it was impossible to carry anything up the spiral stairs. So all of the mattresses, box springs, dressers , all had to have ropes tied around them and hoisted up over the railing on to the balcony on second floor. It was a huge PITA

 

[PILOON]

Also check your building codes. They aren't allowed in some circumstances.

YES,
In our city they are forbidden, against code, the claim is that a fireman or EMT could not negotiate them. (firemen usually carry air tank backpacks).
Code also specify that attic trap doors need to be 4 ft or so, again for fully equipped firemen.

A neighbor had one and when he applied for a unrelated renovation permit they made him remove it as a condition.

Another time I was doing a renovation that called for floor sanding.
The upper floor was serviced by a Spiral staircase and as a result I had to dis assemble the sander to get access.
Every time I had to empty the sander bag I swore at that spiral.

 

[oosik]

The TV series - "How it's made". There is a great half hour program on making spiral stairs. Look it up - it could be helpful.

 

[ddbackhoe]

Anyone here ever do a spiral staircase? I have a situation I think one would be perfect, but I know nothing about them.

Elevators are always better
PVE(R)52 Residential Elevator | Home Elevators by PVE(R) | Since 22

 

[ddbackhoe]

The TV series - "How it's made". There is a great half hour program on making spiral stairs. Look it up - it could be helpful.

:thumbsup: How It's Made: Spiral Stairs - YouTube

 

[Fuddy1952]

.

 

[bigtiller]

An acquaintance of mine built a metal one in his garage and called me to help him set it in place. It went from the second floor master bedroom down to the backyard near an in-ground swimming pool.

He placed the center tube on a pair of V'ed welding stands, making a poor mans rotisserie. He made all the individual steps first and welded them on and keeping the weight balanced enough to spin easily for stand-up welding. The base was a thick plate with four 1.25 holes that got bolted to a yard or two of concrete in the shape of a cube that was buried in the ground.

 

[MossRoad]

More thinking about it, we knew of a house that had a main staircase in the living room that serviced all three floors ( first, basement, and 2nd). Over in the master bedroom on he 1st floor, there was a walk-in closet and a door on the other side of the closet. In that door at the back of the closet was a spiral staircase that went down to the basement workout room. The husband liked to work out. In the mornings, he'd use the bathroom, walk into the closet, change into his workout clothes, and hop on down to the basement without bothering the rest of the house, do his workout, come back up, shower and change, etc... That was kinda neat. And it was only for walking up and down, not carrying stuff, as the house also had that main staircase.

So in that instance, it was very nice and served a purpose for him.

 

[fried1765]

.View attachment 640100

Speaking of codes.....
This would not pass ANY code.
No railing!

 

[Fuddy1952]

Years ago I built these stairs in the garage. I'm sure 11" high, 11" deep they wouldn't pass inspection, I used material left over and they're really strong.
A few years later I got thinking about upstairs if a fire happened so other end I put a 4ft x 4ft opening in floor with a ladder.
Good exercise going up those stairs!

 

[GeneV]

We were looking into installing a spiral staircase, but then opted out. You could buy them in a kit actually, they're fairly cost effective as a kit. Just google "spiral staircase kit". You're main job at that point is just to build the landing.