SPIRAL STAIRCASE

Any staircase with three or more steps should have a handrail going all
the way up the open side. A good height for the handrail on a stairway
is about thirty-four inches. For balconies, the suggested height is at
least thirty-six inches. The balusters should be no more than four
inches apart. Be sure the rails are secure and sturdy. If you discover
your rails are loose, use long nails or screws to tighten the baluster.
Staircase is necessary to reach the terrace or the first floor of the
house. It has to be constructed depending on the vacant space in and
around the house, and the face of the house.
A manufactured staircase can outstrip the site-built version in price
and quality.
To get a jump on your weekend project, paint the stairway ahead of
time so it will dry before installing it.
escalator is a moving staircase used as transportation between floors
or levels in subways, buildings, and other mass pedestrian areas.
If an internal staircase has to be provided, the same may be
constructed, in any room excepting the northeastern room and
southwestern room. The steps should be designed in such a way, that
they do not touch the eastern wall and a minimum inter space of three
inches must be allowed in between the staircase and the wall. The
steps should proceed either from north to south; or alongside or away
the southern wall from east to west or alongside or away the western
wall from north to south and the above inter space principle may be
followed in respect of the staircase towards north, to step up from
east, to west.
Whether entry hall or back stairs, there is no reason why they should
not resonate with color and a warm welcome to all who tread upon
them. Rather than carpeting, which is usually confined to a neutral
color scheme that is not readily changed, consider a wonderful painted
pattern.
Choosing the right stair parts for your stairway will make the job of
your installer much simpler. StairSupplies.com suggests that you
contact your stair installer prior to purchasing your stair parts. Your
installer will help you select the stair fittings that he/she is accustomed
to using

It's aesthetically better to look through a stairway from the main part
of the room, than to look directly up the stairway.
With any metal painting job, it's best to prime first, and since a
staircase receives much wear and tear, it's also important to choose a
quality, durable paint.

"steel staircase"
Any staircase with three or more steps should have a handrail going all
the way up the open side. A good height for the handrail on a stairway
is about thirty-four inches. For balconies, the suggested height is at
least thirty-six inches. The balusters should be no more than four
inches apart. Be sure the rails are secure and sturdy. If you discover
your rails are loose, use long nails or screws to tighten the baluster.
To get a jump on your weekend project, paint the stairway ahead of
time so it will dry before installing it.
A manufactured staircase can outstrip the site-built version in price
and quality.
It's aesthetically better to look through a stairway from the main part
of the room, than to look directly up the stairway.
If a linear staircase, is designed either in side or outside, steps should
proceed either from east to west or from north to south initially and
can turn towards any direction thereafter.
With any metal painting job, it's best to prime first, and since a
staircase receives much wear and tear, it's also important to choose a
quality, durable paint.
When you are putting in a spiral stairway, you need to consider where
you want to enter the stairway and where you want to end up when
you get to the top. There is no right or wrong answer -- it is just a
matter of preference.

"wooden staircase"
Built in the 1800s, the Loretto Chapel in Santa Fe, New Mexico houses
one of this country's most miraculous achievements, a spiral staircase
built without nails or visible support and surrounded in mystery. As the
story goes, the nuns and choir students built a singing platform nearly
50 feet above the floor in the back of the chapel. A straight up
dangerous ladder was used for access. One day a stranger arrived to
worship in the chapel and suggested he could build a safe stairway to
prevent injury or death to the nuns and the choir. He proceeded to
build this most magnificent wooden spiral staircase over a weekend.
Upon completion, he vanished without discussion and without seeking
to be paid. The staircase is an engineering marvel as no one can figure
out how it was built or why it didn't fall under use. The staircase was
used regularly for over 100 years until closed down recently. Historical
photos show nearly 50 choir boys on the staircase at one time, an
amazing image considering engineers believe even one person
climbing it should cause its collapse as built. Not only are there no
visible signs of fasteners or nails of any type, the wood used is of
unknown variety and origin. If you ever have the chance, do visit the
Loretto Chapel and witness an engineering miracle that is one of the
most magnificent "man" built works of wood art in the world.
It's aesthetically better to look through a stairway from the main part
of the room, than to look directly up the stairway.
If a linear staircase, is designed either in side or outside, steps should
proceed either from east to west or from north to south initially and
can turn towards any direction thereafter.
To get a jump on your weekend project, paint the stairway ahead of
time so it will dry before installing it.
staircase: A series, or flight, of steps between two floors. Traditionally
staircase is a term for stairs accompanied by walls, but contemporary
usage includes the stairs alone. The origin of the staircase is uncertain.
On the road up Tai Shan (mountain) in China there are many great
flights of ancient granite steps.
When you are putting in a spiral stairway, you need to consider where
you want to enter the stairway and where you want to end up when
you get to the top. There is no right or wrong answer -- it is just a
matter of preference.

Choosing the right stair parts for your stairway will make the job of
your installer much simpler. StairSupplies.com suggests that you
contact your stair installer prior to purchasing your stair parts. Your
installer will help you select the stair fittings that he/she is accustomed
to using
If an internal staircase has to be provided, the same may be
constructed, in any room excepting the northeastern room and
southwestern room. The steps should be designed in such a way, that
they do not touch the eastern wall and a minimum inter space of three
inches must be allowed in between the staircase and the wall. The
steps should proceed either from north to south; or alongside or away
the southern wall from east to west or alongside or away the western
wall from north to south and the above inter space principle may be
followed in respect of the staircase towards north, to step up from
east, to west.
With any metal painting job, it's best to prime first, and since a
staircase receives much wear and tear, it's also important to choose a
quality, durable paint.

GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT STAIRCASE

STAIRCASE, the term usually applied (Fr. cage descalier, Ger. Treppenhaus) to
the stairs leading to the upper floors in a building, including the enclosure walls. In
the ordinary house a single staircase only is provided; in larger ones a second or
service staircase; in those of more importance, especially where the principal
reception rooms are on the first floor, a grand staircase leading to the latter, and
other subsidiary stairs or staircases.
ArchitectureAmong the earliest examples are those found in Egypt, generally built in the
thickness of the walls, as in the pylons and temples; a remarkable example was found by Dr
Arthur Evans in Cnossus, in Crete, consisting of a staircase in stone, 6 ft. wide, with return
flights of stairs, rising through two floors; the staircase in the temple of Zeus at Olympia leading
to the gallery, is supposed to have been in wood, but in some of the Greek temples have been
found stairs in stone with return flights. In the Tabularium at Rome there is a long flight of 67
steps leading up from the Forum to a hall at the back, but otherwise there are few examples of
ancient Roman staircases, and none of any importance have been found in Pompeii. Of medieval
staircases the principal examples are those in stone built round a circular newel, to provide
means of ascent to the various stages of the church towers.
One of these, at St Gilles in Provence, is covered with a semicircular rising vault, which is
known as Vis St Gilles; some of these circular staircases are I 2 ft. in diameter, others, like those
in the campanile of Pisa, are built in the thickness of a circular hall with well-hole in centre. In
the 15th century some of the stone staircases leading to the rood loft, with open tracery round the
edge, are of great elaboration and beauty, as at St Maclou, Rouen. In the 16th century in France,
in the chteaux of the Loire, are many examples, among which the circular staircases at Blois, two
of them in square towers, the third octagonal in plan and on one side open at intervals to the
court, has a great circular newel enriched with arabesque carving, and a rising elliptical barrel
vault with ribs and bosses. In the chteau of Chambord the great staircase in the middle, which is
built round a circular well-hole, had two separate flights, one over the other, so that, starting
from opposite sides on the ground floor, two persons could ascend without seeing one another. At
Azay le Rideau, Loire, and in the chteau of St Germain-en-Laye, the staircases in return flights
are built between walls, and the same is found in the ducal palac,e at Venice and most of the
palaces of Rome. At Venice, in the Palazzo Minelli, the staircase is in a circular tower with open
arcades and balustrades. The most famous staircase in Spain is that in the north transept of
Burgos Cathedral, remarkakie for the magnificent iron-work of its balustrade; and in England the
staircase leading to the hall of Christ Church, Oxford, with a magnificent fan vault, is a fine
example.
In the 16th and 17th centuries in England the grand staircases of the great mansions were
usually in wood, the finest examples being those at Hatfield, Knole, Audiley End, &c. They
would seem also to have been regarded as part of the great entrance halls, hut in France and Italy
they assumed greater importance, being always in stone or marble, with colonnades or arcades
round the staircase on the first floor. Of these there were three types. The first is the straight
staircase with two or more landings, of which examples existed in Paris in the Tuileries and the
~ld Htel de Ville, having been reproduced in the new Hotel de Ville, and the staircase in the

Vatican. The second is the staircase with return flights right and left, at the top of a first flight,
sometimes built in long rectangular halls, but unsatisfactory owing to the want of concentration
and to the difficulty of deciding whether to turn to the right orleft at t}e top of the first flight;
examples are in the Herrenchiemsee Palace, Bavaria, the Palazzo Reale at Naples, the Madama
Palace at Turin, and the government offices in London.
In the new opera house in Paris, J. L. Gamier (q.v.) solved the problem better by placing
his staircase in a square hall, which, seen from the first floor surrounded with open balconies,
forms one of the finest staircase halls known. The third alternative is that of the staircase in three
flights, built round a square well-hole, of which the staircase in Holford House is the best
example. The vestibule staircases in Genoa which l~td to a raised ground-storey, such as those in
the Palazzo Durazzo, or in the university, are extremely fine in effect and are executed all in
white marble. As the vestibules are open to the narrow streets, it is possible that the title of the
marble palaces of Genoa refers to those marble staircase halls, because the external walls of the
palaces are either in ordinary, stone or in brick covered with stucco. (R. P. S.)
Construction.The primary object of stairs, in house-building, is to afford a safe and easy
communication between floors at different levels. To make the communication easy the rise and
width (or tread ) of the steps should be regular and suitably proportioned to each other with
convenient landings; there should be no winding steps, and the rail which is fixed to render the
use of the staircase safe should be strongly fixed with its top at a coiivenient height for the hand.
The first person that attempted to fix the relation between the height and width of a step
upon correct principles was, we believe, Blonde!, in his Cours darchitecture. His formula is
applicable to very large buildings but not to ordinary dwellings. Ashpitel, who investigated the
subject at length (in Handrails and Staircases), gives the following rules for different proportions
of treads and risers :
Width of tread Height of rise in inches. in inches.
i2 54
Ii4 53/4
ii 6
101/2 63/4
10 64
93/4 63/4
These dimensions 9give angles of ascent var~ing from 24 tO 37. The projection of the
nosings is not reckoned in the width of the treads and must be added to determine the full width
of the treads. It will be seen upon examination that these proportions may be expressed in the

following simple formula: 23 = twice the rise in inches + the tread in inches. An American rule is
to make the sum of the rise and tread equal to 17 or 173/4 in.
The forms of staircases are various, i he simplest being a straight flight, which type should
only be used to a low storey. In towns, where space cannot be allowed for convenient forms, they
are often made angular, circular or elliptical, with winding steps, or are constructed of composite
form partly straight and partly circular. In large buildings, where convenience and beauty are the
chief objects of attention, winding steps are seldom introduced when it is possible to avoid them.
Well-designed stairs should be planned as simply as possible to afford easy and convenient
access to the higher level. The staircase must be placed in a position easy of approach, and
convenient for both the lower and upper apartments. It must be well ventilated and lightedthe
absence of sufficient light may prove the cause of serious accidents. At no part should the head
room (that is, the height between the level of a tread and that portion of the structure immediately
above it) be less than 7 ft. Straight flights should be composed of not less than four and not more
than twelve steps. If it is desired to continue more than this number of steps in a straight line, a
landing equal in length at least to the width of the stairs should be provided before starting up the
next flight. Winders should be avoided if possible, but should they be found necessary it is
advisable to put them at the bottom of a flight rather than at the top, the reason being that should
they be the cause of an accident the unfortunate individual will not have far to fall.
Besides the straight flight of stairs, stairs may be designed in almost numberless different
ways to suit the position which they are to occupy or with a view to architectural effect, but
whatever position or form they are made to take their chief purpose of providing convenient and
easy access to a higher level must be steadily borne in mind. Some of the most ordinary forms
from which staircases of a more ambitious character are elaborated are the dog-legged or newel
stair, open newel stair, geometrical stair, circular newel stairs (see fig. I).
~ I II I~I
5bhi~ht ~la~ed Open Nev~er Open Newel [E. J Circulor Ne,,.d I2ZP~ c c.sor~
~ncfr~coi FIG. I.
The newel or dog-legged stair is so termed from its supposed resemblance to a dogs hind
leg. In this form the staircase is divided in width into two equal parts and the outer string of the
upper return of the stairs rises in a vertical plane immediately above that of the lower flight.
There is therefore no well-hole in this form of construction (see fig. 4, plan and section).
Open newel stairs, as in the previous example, have newels placed at the angles, but are so
arranged as to enclose a well. This is more convenient for the distribution of light than the doglegged stairs, especially when the lighting is effected by means of a lantern skylight placed at the
top of the staircase.
Geometrical stairs usually enclose a well, which may vary very much in size and shape
from merely a narrow slit between the flights to a square opening admitting of ample ventilation
and lighting. This form has continuous strings and handrail, and may be rectangu. lar, circular or

elliptical in plan, although it is especially adapted for the curved forms and most satisfactory
when so treated. Such stairs are more difficult to construct than the newel stairs already
mentioned and lack their strength, as in the absence of the strong framed newel posts the handrail
depends for support entirely upon the balusters, which must therefore be very securely fastened
to the treads. When wood balusters for the most part are used bars of iron are often introduced at
intervals to afford additional stiffness. Circular geometrical stairs are built on a circular plan
around a well. Each step is necessarily a winder radiating from the outer string to the wall string.
If in wood they must be very carefully framed, especially if the well-hole is small, owing to the
difficulty of introducing proper carriages for support, and the number of pieces of which the
work must be built up on account of its curvature. This type of stairs is more suitable for building
in stone, and in this case support is obtained by pinning the end of the stone step well into the
wall and supporting each step upon the one below. The balusters and handrail also, in the case of
stonO, are much more firmly fixed by the former, which are usually of iron, being let into
mortices in the tread or end of the step and run in with molten lead and caulked to secure a firm
fixing.
Solid newel or spiral stairs are circular or polygonal on plan and built around a central
pillar or newel, which may be square, polygonal or circular in section. This also is a form of
stair-building especially suitable for erection in stone, the central newel being formed on the step
itself, and the other end well pirfned into the masonry of the wall. Each succeeding step should
be dowelled at the newel to the one below and should lap for a matter of two or three inches at
least for its entire length over the one below and in this way obtain extra support.
The newel stair was at its best in Elizabethan and later Renaissance times. The older form
of staircase with circular newel and narrow winding steps was found ill adapted to the altered
conditions when Convenience and elegance were becoming more sought after. The designers of
this period found in the open newel stair a construction capable of being developed into a
dignified and beautiful feature of domestic architecture, and they certainly brought out its
possibilities in a remarkable manner. This is evidenced by the many fine examples, handed down
to us by the architects of the Tudor period, to be found in the great mansions which date back to
the time of the early Renaissance. Steps were arranged in broad short flights with wide treads
and easy rise. Landings were freely used, and in many cases were large enough to be used as
galleries for the display of pictures. The work was generally solidly executed in oak, and carved
and moulded decoration was lavished upon every detail. The newels, much enriched, were
frequently carried up to the ceiling and formed a portion of the arcading which was often a
prominent feature around the well. In the period of the later Renaissance the newel principle of
construction was still retained and the main features were the same, but they were planned with
longer flights and the manner of decoration partook of a more severely classic nature. One of the
first examples is that of the Chteau de Blois, and of modern treatment that of the Grand Opera
House, Paris. In the period of the Georgian era the geometrical staircase was muchfavoured and
very generally used in domestic buildings. Although more difficult to build it must be admitted
that this type of stair is not so satisfactory in a number of ways as the newel form. With its
continuous curving strings and handrail it has a certain elegance of its own, but in principle of
construction it is not so good, nor can it compete with the open newel stair in regard to the ease
with which the latter lends itself to schemes of artistic decoration. As before remarked, however,
it is well adapted for stairs circular and elliptical in plan.

Experience has proved concrete to have fire-resisting properties of the most effective
character, and it does not possess the propensi ties for splitting ~onc,ete and flying under
andSione heat that belong Stairs.
~ to stone. Steel or iron is often employed as an additional support for stone and concrete
stairs.
- - In the case of concrete 5~t sr~ ~xinde! ~ quently embedded in the steps for their full
length, and are in this way hidden L~J,t from sight while at the same time serving the pur L11.
Lni poses of support. When a more ornate appearance FIG. 2. is desired than is obtained by the
use of plain concrete the steps may be encased in other material to secure a richer effect.
Marbles, tiles and mosaic are the principal materials used for this purpose. Stairs of fine concrete
to which is given the name of artificial stone have largely superseded those constructed of
genuine stone. It is very strong and capable of being further fortified by the introduction of steel
core bars without detriment to its appearance; it is consistent in quality and special shapes are
readily moulded; it is very hard-wearing, especially when, the aggregate consists of a hard nature
such as granite chippings. The stairs are built by pinning each step in the wall either at one or at
both ends. In the first case they are termed cantilever or hanging Ste ps, and it is advisable to use
steel reinforcement and pin the end of the step at least 9 in.
~li~ into the wall. When fixed at ~~JJ~/4 both ends the pinning need not g~ls~ be so deep,
and unless the stairs ~ are very wide the steel core may be omitted. The steps are either ~
rectangular or spandrel-shaped in section (figs. 2 and 3); the former are stronger and easier - to
fix than the latter, which, however, give a better appear ~ior,r. ,~ar!, - i~uci-~. ~scso,~ - aoce and can be finished with a Fi G. 3- plain smooth soffitt. Iron balus ters are generally
used for stone and concrete staircases, and are fitted with lug terminations which are let into
dovetailed mortices formed in the top or side of the stair tread and held fast by molten lead, neat
Portland cement, or a mixture of sulphur and sand The construction of wood staircases forms a special branch of the joinery craft, and many
books have been written on the subject.
Numerous methods of setting out the handrails have Stalrcaslng been put forward by
different authors, among them and hand- being the tangent system, which gives excellent results
ra zig. at perhaps the smallest cost compatible with good wOrk.
It is noteworthy that the common practice in England with regard to wood stairs is to
frame and form the finished work in the workshop and fix it bodily in the position it has to
occupy. In America, especially in the eastern states, the finished staircase is built up piece by
piece tipon a rough framework which has been used by the workmen during the erection of the
carcase of the building. In many instances the strings consist of easings and panellings nailed
upon the rough skeleton work.
Stairs are built in many kinds of materials, such as wood, stone, concrete, iron and brick.
Often two or more kinds of materials are tised in the same staircase, as when constructions of

concrete or stone are reinforced with iron or steel. It is common also to fit to a staircase
handrails, balusters and newels of a different nature from the steps themselves. The spandrel or
triangular-shaped space between a flight of stairs and the floor is frequently enclosed with woodpanelled framing and fitted with a door so that it may be made use of for cupboard
accommodation.
There are a number of technical terms connected with staircases which require some
explanation to enable the drawings to be easily understood: Staircase.This comprises the whole
of the stair construction and is the name given to the space or enclosure which contains the stairs.
Well-hole, the open sface enclosed by the stairs.
Fligict, a continuous series of steps between two landings.
Landing, a platform forming a kind of halting-place between two flights of stairs. A
quarter-space landing forms a space, usually a rectan~e, equal in width and length to the breadth
of the two flights which it separates. A half-space landing extends the total width of the staircase.
Flier.Fliers are steps that have the nosings of the treads parallel one to another.
WinderThis is an angular-shaped step. A winder fitted into a wall angle is often termed a
kite winder, from the fact that it resembles a kite. In planning stairs the width of the winder tread
at a distance of 18 or 20 in. from the haiidrail should equal tile width of a flier.
Curtail Step.This may be either a flier or a winder. One or both ends of the step are
projected to form a base for the newel and are shaped to a scroll which often follows the line of
the curve terminating the handrail. It is usually the step or steps at the base of a staircase that are
formed in this way.
Bull-nosed step, one having a blunt rounded end. It may be shaped to a quarter or half
circle.
Dancing Stairs.The introduction of winders in geometrical staircases brings about
awkward complications in the curve of the handrail and strings, for the width of the winding
steps at the handrail being much less than that of the fliers, while at the same time the rise is
necessarily equal, causes an unsightly knee in the handrail and in the strings. To obviate this the
whole of the steps are made to dance, that is, they are all shaped as winders in order to divide the
going equally between them and thus obtain a regular slope for the strings and handrail. Often
the first and last three or foui steps of a flight are made ordinary fliers. In a polygonal or elliptical
staircase the whole of the flivht is constructed in this way so as tc obtain a regular sweep up from
the bottom to the top step. Each step may be divided into several different parts such as the tread,
the riser and the nosing. The tread is the horizontal upper surface of the step which supports the
foot when ascending or descending the stairs. The riser is the upright member of a step which
supports the tread. It fills in the vertical space between the nosing of one tread and the back edge
of the one below. The edge of the tread usually projects some little distance beyond the face of
the riser and is. formed into a rounded or moulded nosing. Stone stairs and those of concrete

usually have each step formed separately in a solid piece of stone of square or triangular section,
and these are fixed in position by being pinned into the wall at one or both ends with each step
resting upon the back edge of the one below. Stairs of costly marble are frequently built up in a
manner somewhat similar to that adopted for wood construction.
Rise, the vertical distance between the surface of one tread and that of the next.
Going, the horizontal measurement between two adjacent risers. In America this is termed
the run.
Newels, strong posts occurring at intervals in a newel staircase. They are placed at the
ends of flights where junction is made to landings, at turnings, and at the top and bottom of the
staircase. They should be strongly framed in the stair construction, and have the string and
handrail housed into them. Newels are sometimes of iron, and in large stone staircases of stone.
They are sometimes of elaborate form and often designed as a pedestal carrying a lamp or
stattiette, or they may be carried up to form part of some ornamental framing around the
staircase. In America the newel is the main post where the stairs begin, and the remainder of the
posts used in the framing are termed angle posts.
HandrailThis is a rail commonly of hard wood which runs up at the same slope as the
stairs at a height above the nosing line of about 2 ft. 8 in. (that is 3 ft. minus half a rise) to the
upper surface of the rail. On the level, such as on landings, it is usually fixed 3 ft. above the
surface. These are the heights at which a handrail is found to give.most assistance to persons
going up or down stairs. Handrails are made in other materials such as iron and bronze. A
handrail is generally upheld by balusters, which are vertical bars or posts filling in the space
between the handrail and the string or the treads. They are made in many shapes and in many
different materials such as wood, iron, bronze, stone and marble. Sometimes in the place of
balusters the space usually occupied by them is filled in with scrollwork of wrought or cast iron
or bronze, or with panels of wood perforated, perhaps, and richly carved.
Core-railAn iron band is frequently tised in geometrical stairs to give extra strength and
stiffness to the handrail. It is generally about 3/4 in. thick, being screwed into a groove formed in
the underside of the handrail. It is especially necessary for the curved portions of the handrail,
where the grain of the wood is often cut across.
String.Strings are the members that carry the treads and risers which in wood stairs are
housed into them or else fitted into notches cut in the strings to receive them. In the former case
the supporting member is termed a close string, but if notched out for the steps it is known as a
cut string (see details, fig. 4). A cut and mitred string is,similar to this last, but has the vertical cut
of each notch splayed and the riser is mitred to it so as not to show the joint. Strings are either
wall strings or outer strings; the former are fixed against the wall, the latter run up from newel to
newel or in geometrical stairs ramp and curve according to the nosing line. Rough strings or
rough carriages are placed between the inner and outer strings to afford additional support to the
treads and risers, and rough brackets about I in. thick are fitted into the steps and spiked to the
carriages.

RampThis is a concave curve formed in one plane when changing the direction of the
handrail or string. In America it is known as an easing.
.Knee.This is a convex curve in one direction. When used in conjunction with a ramp it
forms a swan-neck, which is a combination of ramp and knee.
Wreath,This is a curve formed both horizontally and vertically in the handrail or string. It
is often necessary in geometrical stairs where a change of direction takes place.
Although more in the nature of a mechanical lift or elevator than a stair, moving stairways
may perhaps find a place in this article owing to their resemblance and to the fact that their
object is to convey the passenger quickly and easily ~~tl2~ to a higher level without the
necessity of a tedious ~ nes. climb up stairs, or of a wait such as is often entailed with a vertical
lift. The contrivance consists of an endless inclined platform formed of links bolted together,
which allow it to travel round wheels fixed at the top and bottom of the stairway and hidden
within its framing. This is kept in continual motion by mechanical means, usually by an electric
motor, which causes it to travel at the rate of about 100 ft. a minute. The handrail also moves at
the same rate, so that a passenger merely stepson to the lower portion of the stair, places his hand
upon the handrail, and is carried swiftly and safely up to the next floor, where he is deposited
without any effort on his part. The process of stepping on and getting off the stairway is
amazinelv simole and without any element of daneer to the passenger. For high buildings,
underground railways and similar positions, a spiral form is used which winds round in a circular
shaft to the highest level and returns in the opposite direction in a similar manner, taking up and
setting down passengers as it revolves. Although this type of elevator is probably not so rapid as
the vertical lift working in a straight line to the point it is desired to reach, its great advantage is
that it does away with the waiting which often causes so much annoyance with ordinary lifts.
rr ~ Cb5~
-~ c,-oi,ijo~o-, r wooc~w ak~r5
~ t i-_i ~ec1ion AA
Plon Flu. 4.
The by-laws of the London County Council contain many stipulations regulating the
construction of staircases, and these are summarized below. In every public or other building of
more than 125,000 cub. ft. constructed to be used as a dwelling for separate families the floors of
lobbies, corridors, passages, landings, and also the flights of stairs, shall be of fire-resisting
materials. The principal staircase of every dwelling-house shall be ventilated by means of a
window or skylight opening directly into the external air. In buildings occupied in separate
tenements by more than two families the common staircase shall be ventilated upon each storey
above the ground storey by windows or skylights, or otherwise adequately ventilated. Staircases
in churches, chapels, public halls, lecture rooms, exhibition rooms and buildings f or similar
purposes are subject to the following conditions: Stairs shall be supported and enclosed by brick
walls at least 9 in. thick. The treads of each flight shall be of uniform width, and stairs, corridors

or passages shall be 4 ft. 6 in. wide unless the building is for the accommodation of less than two
hundred persons, when it may be 3 ft. 6 in. wide. If for more than four hundred persons the width
must increase by 6 in. for each additional hundred persons up to a maximum of 9 ft. Staircases 6
ft. wide and upwards shall be divided by a handrail. Two staircases may be substituted for one
large one, each to be two-thirds the width required for the single stair, but not less than 3 ft. 6 in.
Accommodation upon different levels must be provided with separate stairs leading directly to
the street or open. Exit doors must open outwards. Under the theatre regulations dated I892 the
same widths hold good, but the minimum width is increased to 4 ft. 6 in. Every staircase for the
use of the audience shall have solid square section steps of approved stone or concrete with
treads of uniform width not less than ii in. wide or rise greater than 6 in- Winders are prohibited,
and the flights must have not more than twelve steps nor less than three steps each. Both ends of
each step shall be pinned into the wall. The several flights shall be supported and enclosed on all
sides by brick walls not less than 9 in. thick carried down to the level of the footings. Not more
than two flights of twelve steps each shall be constructed without a turn. Landings to be 6 in.,
thick, square on plan and supported under the middle by 9 in. brick arches. A continuous handrail
supported on strong metal brackets to be fixed on both sides of steps and land- ings, and if
possible chased into the wall to avoid projection. The roof over the staircase shall be of fireresisting materials. Separate exits are required for different parts of the theatre or hall.
The Factory and Workshop Act 1901 contains somewhat similar conditions, but in this
case the staircases communicate with each floor and the roof. The minimum width of tread shall
be 10 in. and the maximum rise 73/4 in. Steps of spandrel section may be used having a
thickness of 3 in. at the smallest part for staircases > treads must be of non-slippery material as
distinguished from perforated iron or chequered iron plates.
The second schedule of the London Building Act 1894 sets forth the materials that are
deemed fire-resist ing under the act, and specific in the case of staircases oak or teak or other
hard timber with treads and ~ risers not less than 2 in. thick.
cttonAA ~ The law regulating the construction of buildings in ~ the city of New York
provides that stairways serving r~ for the exit of fifty people must, if straight, be at J least 4 ft.
wide between railings or between walls, and .~4 if curved or winding 5 ft. wide, and for every
additional ~ fifty people to be accommodated 6 in. must be added ~ to their width. In no case
shall the risers of any stairs ~~i exceed 73/4 in. in height, nor shall the treads exclusive of
,trsd~et nosings be less than 101/2 in. wide in straight stairs. In ead~ circular or winding stairs
the width of the tread at the narrowest end shall not be less than 7 in.
vah1~n ~ AUTH0RITIE5.The principal works of reference on ~re this subject are J.
Riddell, Carpenter, Joiner, Stair- builder and Handrailer; W. H. Wood, Stair Building and
Handrasling; J. H. Monckton, Stair Building in its Various Forms; J. Newland, Carpenter and
Joiners ~ Assistant; G. L. Sutcliffe, Modern Carpenter, Joiner and Cabinetmaker; W. Mowat,
Handrailing and Stair Building; W. R. Purchase, Practical Masonry; F. E.
Kidder, Building Construction and Superintendence, pt. ii. (J. BT.)