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Upgrade Your Straight Stairs with These Designs from Eddy’s Timber Flooring

17 December 2021

A straight timber staircase is the most common and affordable style available. Pre-cut risers — the vertical part of the staircase — are available in lumber yards home stores. And many builders use these because of their simplicity.

The straight-line design means that the staircase does not need any special support and only needs to be at the top and the bottom. This type of staircase also allows for easier installation of railings and handrails.

Of course, there are variations of the straight timber staircase that include open risers, modern materials and metal cable railings that significantly alter the basic look. While a straight timber staircase may be the most common, it does have a few drawbacks. It takes up more linear space, which can affect your design.

What Are Straight Timber Stairs?

Straight timber stairs are stairs without any changes in direction. They are certainly one of the most common types of stairs found in both residential and commercial properties. Below are examples of straight floating stairs made with many stringer styles, railing types, and wood species.

What Are Straight Timber Stairs With A Central Landing?

On longer flights of stairs, a landing is inserted to break up the flight. Building codes require this for floor heights above 12 feet. Especially in commercial buildings, straight timber stairs often have platforms halfway up the run of the stairs. The main drawback of straight timber stairs with a central landing is the increased amount of space they require, which usually leads designers to choose another style. This type of staircase is generally used in commercial buildings, not private homes.

Advantages Of Straight Timber Stairs:

Straight timber stairs tend to be the easiest to go up and down, or, ascend/descend, as we say in the industry. They are typically the easiest to build, however, this depends a lot on the level of detail in the design. Straight timber stairs only need to be connected at the top and the bottom (no intermediate supporting structure is required). They work well with minimalist designed homes due to their inherent simplicity.

By selecting thinner treads, open risers, and thin metal stringers, straight timber stairs can be made more transparent than other types of stairs, allowing less obstruction to the view beyond. No landing is required if the number of risers is under 16 or the overall vertical height is less than 12 feet. It is relatively easy to build railings and handrails for straight timber stairs. Measuring railings for straight timber stairs is simpler than for other stair designs.

Disadvantages Of Straight Timber Stairs:

Straight timber stairs use up a fair amount of linear space, which has to be planned for in your design. Some of the other stair types create a privacy barrier between the floors of your home. Straight timber stairs do not offer this privacy. A stair 12-feet high requires a landing to break up the span. The addition of a landing will use up a lot more space, so these types of stairs are rarely used in residential construction. You will see these more frequently in large commercial buildings.

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