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Useful information

5 tips for choosing a staircase

2H+B=63?

Did you know what the formula 2H+B=63 (so often found in the information materials of the staircase manufacturers) stands for? This formula helps to find/check the optimal ratio between the rise and tread of the step. H= rise of the step and B= tread of the step. E.g.: Your staircase should take you comfortably from one floor to another and the total rise between the floors is 2450 mm. Let’s assume that you divide this rise between 14 steps. It makes the height of all the steps (step rise) 17,5 cm. The tread of the step should be 30,0 cm. Let’s check if the formula is valid: 2×17,5 + 30 = 65. When the value resulting from the formula is close to 63, the staircase is comfortable and optimal.

The location of the staircase in the room, architecture

Finding the best location for the staircase in the room is one of the biggest challenges also for professional architects and ideally they should be the ones handling it. But as a client, we would like to have more information about the staircases when choosing between the different options. This is why I will give you some pointers that one should consider when designing the staircase. In order to assess the suitability of the staircase one should answer the following questions:

1) Is the stair meant as the accent to the interior design or rather blend in with the design
2) How much floor space (and portion of room) should the flight marches occupy
3) Should/could there also be natural light on the stairs
4) Should the staircase have a turn and if so, how much
5) Should the turns/windings have landings or winders

You should also remember that a staircase with landings is more comfortable to use, but always takes more space than a staircase with winders.

The style of the staircase and the budget

Depending on the answers you gave to the questions above, you will start to form the style of your staircase. If you opted for a centrally located grand staircase, you should now continue with choosing the material that supports the initial choice. There is no point in having precious woods steps on a staircase that is comfortably and rationally hidden in the corner. Like in the fashion world, there are currents and undercurrents in the staircase fashion as well and it is also affected by the specific culture. It is recommended to familiarize oneself with the latest trends in staircase making with the help of web pages and magazines and also consult with an architect and the interior designer. The price of the staircase is determined mainly by two factors – the amount of the material and its quality. It means that fewer steps and straighter staircase equals a cheaper staircase. However, if one is not fond of the idea of climbing a ladder every day, they can have comfortable steps and functional handrails designed for reasonable price.

Safety and the ease of use

The staircase unites different levels on which we live and the traffic between them is different in different stages of life. In planning the staircase into the house or a flat where there are no small children at the moment, one should think about the time when there will be children. In addition to children, the safety of using the stairs is important also to the elderly family members. The motif of falling from the stairs is often presented in the crime stories. The culprit is not always the staircase (it nearly never is), but when designing the staircase, we can greatly influence its safe use in the future. When choosing non-slippery covers for the staircase and avoiding tight turns, we create a uniting path that invites to use itself and is safe also after decades of use.

Users

Important information to the staircase designer is also the information about its users. A low-rise, English staircase covered with a soft carpet is a suitable choice for an elderly couple. A single, young person dreams of steps that attach solely to the wall, without the handrail. A mother of a toddler would not approve that choice. Therefore it is wise to consider a longer perspective when designing the staircase. You should not forget the pets either. Consider their ease of movement on the stairs as well as how to stop them.

For safe and stylish choices,
Aru Grupp Stairs

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