Designed Stairs

Designed Stairs has the experience to design structural, open-riser staircases that are also beautiful works of contemporary art.

  • Library Spiral Staircases

    A spiral staircase is the most compact stair design.  Spiral stairs have a center support post, a landing deck at the top and usually have a diameter of 48″ to 96″.  The small size of a spiral allows it to fit into corners and service lofts, attics and other secluded areas where traffic will be light. 

    Spiral stairs are not generally allowed as primary staircases, so there will need to be code compliant stairs elsewhere in the building.  For example, most current building codes do not allow the individual rise of a stair to exceed 7.75″, whereas a spiral stair may have an individual rise of up to 9.5″.

    The floor space allowed for a spiral stair should always be at least one foot larger than the planned diameter of the stair. If you plan to have a 60″ (5 ft.) diameter spiral, you will need to have a 72″ x 72″ (6 ft. x 6 ft.) floor space.

    Due to the compact nature of a spiral staircase, they have become widely used in library environments where space is limited and access to upper book storage is necessary.  Many of the libraries that we have worked on utilize a spiral stair to the upper loft area and rolling library ladders to access the upper shelves on level surfaces.  A high quality, custom made spiral staircase will cost $13,000 – 20,000 depending on the height and amount of guardrail needed at your upper level.  A custom-made rolling library ladder can be budgeted in the range of $3,000 – 6,000.

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  • Is This a Spiral Stair or a Circular Stair?

    The most common confusion within the stair building world is, without a doubt, the spiral versus the circular stair.  It will not take long to clear this up. 

    The most common confusion within the stair building world is, without a doubt, the spiral versus the circular stair.  It will not take long to clear this up. 

    A spiral stair has treads that are supported by a central support post.  They usually have a very tight diameter of 48 to 72 inches, and are not recommended as main stairs in any inhabited structure.

    A circular stair has two stringers supporting treads and (typically) risers, and will take up a much larger floor space than a spiral.

     

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  • Staircases for Small Spaces

    There are a number of stairs that will get you from one level to the next while using very little floor space. Here are the options along with the space needs, cost and ease of use.

    Ships Ladder

    A spiral stair is a stair that typically rotates off a center post. These stairs are available in diameters as small as 4′. A spiral that is reasonable for the average size adult to walk, should be at least a 5′ diameter (requiring a 5′ x 5′ floor space). Spiral prices have a huge range, from $500 to over $100,000. The low end is a poor quality production spiral. The high end spiral is a work of art. For a good quality custom spiral stair you should plan on a ball park of $10,000.

    Alternating Step Stairs blend a ladder and stair together. Their walking comfort is similar to a ships ladder, but they take a bit more effort to use. You need to start off with the correct foot and coming down can take a bit of concentration too. These are generally custom made, and cost a few thousand dollars. The floor space required is slightly less than 3′ x 3′.

    Loft Ladder

    A ships ladder is the most walkable ladder. It has railings on both sides. If you remember the old movies that took place on ships — the captain nearly ran down the ships ladder with ease. The railing is what makes the ships ladder so easy to use. The floor space required is about 2′ x 3′. The cost of a ships ladder will be similar to that of an alternating step stair.

    Loft or Library Ladders are generally used without a handrail; as you climb, you hold onto the sides of the ladder. Some ladders are almost vertical (harder to walk), while others project out onto the floor a foot or more. Custom made library ladders are around a thousand dollars, and can take as little floor space as 1′ x 2′.

    By determining your space and your budget, you can figure which one is right for you.

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