Types of Stairs for Your Home

The main purpose of a staircase is easy movement from one floor to another. Depending on space, there are different types of stairs designed to compliment your home’s interior. We have compiled a list of different types of stairs design. Let’s go through them in detail. 

Different Types of Stairs Design

Staircases are an important part of your home’s architecture. They can be straight or curvy depending on your home’s overall design configuration. 

Straight Stairs

Stairs with no changes in direction are straight stairs. These are the most common types of stairs design for residential and commercial properties. They offer a simple yet functional design for most spaces. It is easy to ascend or descend with this staircase. Straight stairs are made from a variety of railing types, stringer styles and wood species.

When there is a longer flight of stairs, a landing is inserted to break up the flight. This is common for buildings with a height of above 12 feet. 

Advantages of Straight Stairs

• A well-designed straight staircase is among creative home entrance décor ideas.
• Straight stair designs are easy to build depending on the level detailing in the property design.
• They need to be connected only at the top and the bottom with no intermediate supporting structure.
• They are functional for minimalist designed homes because of their simplicity.
• With open risers, thinner treads and thin metal stringers, straight staircases are made more transparent as compared to other types of stairs. This allows for less obstruction to the view beyond.
• If the staircase has less than 16 risers or the height is less than 12 feet a landing isn’t required. 
• Building handrails, railings and their measurement is easier for straight staircases. 

L-Shaped Stairs

A variation of straight stairs, the L shaped stair design has a bend at some point of the stairs. This turn or bend is usually made by adding a landing at the transition point. Often, this is a 90-degree bend. When the landing is closer to the stair’s top or bottom, the L-shaped stair is referred to as a long L stair or a quarter turn stair.

Advantages of L Shaped Stairs

• L shaped stairs are more visually appealing.
• The L-shaped type of stairs design has a visual barrier between floors, this makes up for more privacy.
• Contained within walls, L shaped stairs can help with sound transmission between floors.
• L-shaped stairs are often considered safer than straight stairs. In case of a fall, the central landing reduces the number of treads in a given flight.
• When going up the stairs, the landing can provide a place to stop and rest.
• If it works better for the home design, such types of stairs can be located in the room’s corner. 

Winder Stairs 

A variation of the L shaped stairs, winder stairs offer a flat landing. This is because such stairs have triangular or pie-shaped steps at the corner transition.

Advantages of Winder Stairs 

• They need less space when compared with other types of stairs. Common in older homes, winder stairs are often used as a secondary staircase. For example, homes that have a grand staircase in the entryway, usually have winder stairs to access the kitchen.
• Winder stairs are more visually interesting than other types of stair designs. Meandering around the corners, winder stairs create a seamless transition. This is why they are common in modern homes. Moreover, they are also popular with sustainable home designs due to their compactness. 

Switchback or U-Shaped Stairs

Similar to L-Shaped staircases, the switchback stairs have one or two landings at the transition point to create a turn. When there are two parallel flights of stairs joined by a landing creating a 180-degree turn in the walk line it is called a U-shaped stair design.  

Advantages of Switchback or U-Shaped Stairs

• It is easier to fit U shaped stairs in an architectural plan.
• The landing or landing platforms between two flights of stairs offers a partway up the stairs for resting.
• It is easy to install these types of stairs in small spaces. 
• When compared to straight stairs, they are more visually appealing.

Spiral Stairs 

Made on a heliac arc, spiral stairs have a compact design where the treads go around the central pole. They make a full circle or complete turns without any landing platform interruptions.

Advantages of Spiral Stairs

• These are the most common types of wooden stairs
• They are easy to install 
• Because of their compact size, spiral stairs are ideal for small spaces
• Spiral types of stairs have a central pole that provides the necessary structural support 
• Different types of stair railings can make such stairs look more appealing 

Curved Stairs 

These types of stairs don’t have a landing point, they make turns without landing platforms. That said, curved stairs don’t make a full circle and have a larger radius. They have a unique architectural design where the stairs are continuous following the handrails. 

Advantages of Curved Stairs

• Curved staircases are elegant and traditional can easily adapt to contemporary types of stairs architecture.
• It is easier to walk up curved types of stairs because of the larger radius.

Cantilever Stairs

In a cantilever stair design the treads float in the air without any support. The staircase is attached to one side of the treads and is either exposed or hidden. 

Advantages of Cantilever Stairs

• They are unique types of stairs that are visually interesting 
• The stringer is either attached to one side of the staircase or is hidden in the wall allowing for more headroom
• Such stairs create a spacious aesthetic to the room. Here are a few living room design ideas to beautify your home.

Split or Bifurcated Stairs 

Split or bifurcated stair designs have wide stairs starting at the bottom and ending at the partway up the stairs flight. Simply put, such stairs split in to narrower set of steps at the landing in the opposite direction

Advantages of Split Stairs 

• Leading up to different sections of the building, one staircase functions as two in split stairs making each upper level easily accessible.
• Split stairs add an impressive architectural design statement to the building.
• They are usually used as a grand entry in large homes or commercial buildings and are suitable for both interior and exterior locations.

That is all on the different types of stair designs, their functions and advantages. Stairs help beautify your home’s interior. 

Besides, if you are looking for a home for yourself with different floors, go through these villas for sale in the UAE.

Stay tuned to dubizzle’s property blog for more on home décor.