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Angled, Winding or Turned Stair FAQs
Q&A on codes for angled or winder stairs, hazards, designs
- POST a QUESTION or COMMENT about winder or curved, turned or angled stairways & landings
Winder stairs, angled, or curved stair specifications:
The angled stairs shown at page top are not "winders" but also involve irregularly-shaped stair treads. That photo shows angled stair treads squeezing a stairway onto a New York City sidewalk.
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Q&A about Winder Stairs - Angled or Curved Steps & Stairways
These FAQs about the codes & construction of angled or winder stairways were posted originally at WINDER or ANGLED STAIRS - be sure to review that data.
Question: Convert from L-shaped to U-shaped landing? No Headroom.
(Nov 27, 2012) salah said:
If I have a scenairo where I want to rerout my stairs on the 1st to the 2nd floor from an L shape to a U shape and having a landing in the transition will violate the headroom clearance.
And then I want to add stairs to the 3rdh floor from the second with some headroom clearance issues too.
The only way to accomplish that, i think, is to have winder stairs. Would there be a violation here? if yes, what is another way to account for that?
Reply:
Why would winder stairs themselves be a de-facto code violation? I must not understand the question.
If you mean that there are multiple turns in the stairs, yes that can be an issue as we cite in
You can use a landing to make the turn. The landing can lead to a right-angle turn or to a "U" turn as you describe it. If you have adequate space, that is.
Headroom is a separate issue that you can sometimes fix by moving the landing and / or extending the length of the stairway run.
See our HEADROOM articles in the ARTICLE INDEX.
On 2019-03-11 by (mod) -
Thank you for tne question, and of gourse we are sorry you were hurt and wish a speedy recovery.
Perhaps you can post photos of the stairs and railings, and we can offer specific safety comments and follow up questions.
1 photo per comment.
On 2019-03-11 by Maisymog - I tripped over the anti slip strip and fell down the stairs resulting in two fractured elbows and various cuts and bruises
Hi,I work in a house (converted into a hospital ward) which was built well over 200yrs ago The stairs leading to the very top of the house are very steep and curved.
They are now carpeted and on the end of each step is an anti slip strip which is part rubber part metal of some kind and is coloured black and silver, the stair carpet is dark grey .
However I tripped over the anti slip strip and fell down the stairs resulting in two fractured elbows and various cuts and bruises. The stairs curve to the right as you walk down them with the smallest part of each step being to the right.
There is only one handrail (banister made of wood) on the right hand side (where the smallest part of the stairs are) which is painted the same magnolia colour as the wall it is on. The carpet on the riser of the stair from which i fell had also come away fro the nose of the stair. I am keen to know if my employer is at fault here?
On 2018-06-19 by (mod) -
I don't quite understand the straps. Why don't you attach some photos to comments and let us take a look.
On 2018-06-18 by Home Renovator
Staircase in house built in 1994 has 4 pie shaped stairs. There is a one inch metal strap on each of these stairs running up the riser and across one corner of the step. Now we are changing the flooring and these straps are interfering with having a flat level surface. Is it ok to remove these?
On 2017-10-10 by (mod) -
Nice question Solo. My opinion is that a single winder "step" is in effect a triangular landing.
You would want sufficient walking space in the direction of travel and you will perhaps want to restrict stepping into the small apex of the triangle at the inside of the turn. In the article above I include model code citations that include restricting walking access into portions of the stairway where treads are less than 6" in depth - the inside apex of the triangular step or "landing".
In sum I think you can make this work but it's got the same trip hazard as any winder stair - so railings are IMO really important.
Near the top of this article at the start of the article text you'll see my photo of a barrier in a winder stair - this was installed in a stairway in San Miguel de Allende in a restaurant - the owner doesn't want patrons falling down their stairway. See this larger copy inspectapedia.com/Stairs/Spiral_Stair_1647_DJFs.jpg
The barrier pretty much gives a grab point but is not a continuous handrail on the stairway's inside turn. A closer look shows that there are no complete handrails on either side of this stairway - something that would be required in most jurisdictions.
Keep in mind that your local code official has the final legal authority. I'd check there before building anything that's nonconforming.
On 2017-10-10 by Solo "Winder" step in a run?
Can you put a single "winder" stair in the middle of a five step run? It's super awkward and you can't freely use the regulation steps, that are above above and below, because it forces you to avoid the narrow side of all the stairs, regulation stairs, included and there's not a lot of room to begin with. (These stairs are 30" wide)
The bottom stair would mimic the angle of this "pie" step," that's above it, but the bottom step is just a regulation step with no wider or narrower part to it, so it really becomes a third different type of stair in a five stair run.
Also, wouldn't the hand rail be required to be on the side of the steps that has this narrow sided step? I've only seen winders/ pie stairs in sets.
(Well, it could work as a singleton in a landing). Is this arrangement as awkward as it seems to me? Is this code anyplace in the US? Not set in concrete . . . yet. Advice?
On 2017-04-03 by (mod) -
You can also contact your building department directly at
Dallas Building Inspection
City Government Office
Dallas, TX, USA
+1 214-670-8160
On 2017-04-03 by (mod) -
David,
At BUILDING CODES for STAIRS - https://inspectapedia.com/Stairs/Stair-and-Railing-Codes.php we include links to Dallas TX and other building codes including stair codes and specifications.
We also include a few of those links in the bottom of the article above (though it may tak 24 hours for them to show up as we've just updated these two pages).
On 2017-04-03 by David Sanchez
Where can i find about spiral stair specifications dallas tx.show details???
On 2016-04-22 by (mod) - restriction on number of staircase turns
Joe, I have not found, on reading through codes, a restriction on number of staircase turns provided other safety measurements & specs are maintained. Ultimately you could describe a circular stair.
On 2016-04-22 by joe rohrich
In the 2003 international building code, can there be more than one set of winders in a staircase?
On 2015-04-08 by (mod) - stair codes vary among countries
Thanks for your note, John. We understand that differences in standards among countries can be confusing; we'll review the article series to make more clear US, Canadian, UK, Austrailian, German, EU, and other standards differences.
Carsun Dunlop's data is not in error but may differ from stair codes where you live.
On 2015-04-08 by John Carroll
Every diagram from Carson Dunlap needs to be pulled from this document. I looked at 3 diagrams and they all contain glaring errors.
The 2 diagrams on winders are inaccurate. The one on straight stairs says that tread depth can be 9 - 9-3/4" and risers 8 - 8-1/4".
Question: want to reroute my stairs from an L to a U shape
(Nov 27, 2012) salah said:
If I have a scenairo where I want to rerout my stairs on the 1st to the 2nd floor from an L shape to a U shape and having a landing in the transition will violate the headroom clearance.
And then I want to add stairs to the 3rdh floor from the second with some headroom clearance issues too. The only way to accomplish that, i think, is to have winder stairs. Would there be a violation here? if yes, what is another way to account for that?
Reply:
Why would winder stairs be a code violation? I must not understand the question.
If you mean that there are multiple turns in the stairs, yes that can be an issue as we cite in the article above. You can use a landing to make the turn.
...
Continue reading at STAIRS, RAILINGS, LANDINGS, RAMPS - INSPECTIONS, CODES - topic home page, a complete list of articles on stairs, railings, and ramps, their inspection, trip hazards, and good design, or select a topic from the closely-related articles below, or see the complete ARTICLE INDEX.
Or see
Or see these
Stair Construction & Code Articles
- BUILDING SAFETY HAZARDS GUIDE
- CIRCULAR & CURVED STAIRS
- STAIR CODES & STANDARDS - home
- STAIR CODE DETAILS
- SLIP TRIP & FALL HAZARD LIST, STAIRS, FLOORS, WALKS
- STAIR CODES & STANDARDS PDF downloads
- STAIR DIMENSIONS, WIDTH, HEIGHT
- STAIRS, RAILINGS, LANDINGS, RAMPS - INSPECTIONS, CODES - home
- WINDER or ANGLED STAIRS
Suggested citation for this web page
WINDER or ANGLED STAIR FAQs at InspectApedia.com - online encyclopedia of building & environmental inspection, testing, diagnosis, repair, & problem prevention advice.
Or see this
INDEX to RELATED ARTICLES: ARTICLE INDEX to STAIRS RAILINGS LANDINGS RAMPS
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Citations & References
In addition to any citations in the article above, a full list is available on request.
- [1] Mansfield Hotel, 12 West 44th St. (between 5th & 6th Avenues,, Manhattan, NY, 10036, Reservations: 800.255.5167, Website: http://www.mansfieldhotel.com/, Email: http://www.mansfieldhotel.com/, 11/09/2013, original source: http://www.mansfieldhotel.com/stories-past.asp, retrieved 11/10/2013
- [2] Personal communication, Daniel Friedman with hotel guests, Mansfield Hotel, West 44th St., Manhattan, NY, 11/09/2013
- Best Practices Guide to Residential Construction, by Steven Bliss. John Wiley & Sons, 2006. ISBN-10: 0471648361, ISBN-13: 978-0471648369, Hardcover: 320 pages, available from Amazon.com and also Wiley.com. See our book review of this publication.
- Decks and Porches, the JLC Guide to, Best Practices for Outdoor Spaces, Steve Bliss (Editor), The Journal of Light Construction, Williston VT, 2010 ISBN 10: 1-928580-42-4, ISBN 13: 978-1-928580-42-3, available from Amazon.com
- Eric Galow, Galow Homes, Lagrangeville, NY. Mr. Galow can be reached by email: ericgalow@gmail.com or by telephone: 914-474-6613. Mr. Galow specializes in residential construction including both new homes and repairs, renovations, and additions.
- [3] Stephenson, Elliott O., THE ELIMINATION OF UNSAFE GUARDRAILS, A PROGRESS REPORT [PDF] Building Standards, March-April 1993
- [4] "Are Functional Handrails Within Our Grasp" Jake Pauls, Building Standards, January-February 1991
- [5] Access Ramp building codes:
- UBC 1003.3.4.3
- BOCA 1016.3
- ADA 4.8.2
- IBC 1010.2
- [6] Access Ramp Standards:
- ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act), Public Law 101-336. 7/26/90 is very often cited by other sources for good design of stairs and ramps etc. even where disabled individuals are not the design target.
- ANSI A117.4 Accessible and Usable buildings and Facilities (earlier version was incorporated into the ADA)
- ASTM F 1637, Standard Practice for Safe Walking Surfaces, (Similar to the above standard
- [7] The Circular Staircase, Mary Roberts Rinehart
- [8] Construction Drawings and Details, Rosemary Kilmer
- [9] Falls and Related Injuries: Slips, Trips, Missteps, and Their Consequences, Lawyers & Judges Publishing, (June 2002), ISBN-10: 0913875430 ISBN-13: 978-0913875438
"Falls in the home and public places are the second leading cause of unintentional injury deaths in the United States, but are overlooked in most literature. This book is unique in that it is entirely devoted to falls. Of use to primary care physicians, nurses, insurance adjusters, architects, writers of building codes, attorneys, or anyone who cares for the elderly, this book will tell you how, why, and when people will likely fall, what most likely will be injured, and how such injuries come about. " - [11] The National Institute of Standards and Technology, NIST (nee National Bureau of Standards NBS) is a US government agency - see www.nist.gov
- "A Parametric Study of Wall Moisture Contents Using a Revised Variable Indoor Relative Humidity Version of the "Moist" Transient Heat and Moisture Transfer Model [copy on file as/interiors/MOIST_Model_NIST_b95074.pdf ] - ", George Tsongas, Doug Burch, Carolyn Roos, Malcom Cunningham; this paper describes software and the prediction of wall moisture contents. - PDF Document from NIS
- [12] Slips, Trips, Missteps and Their Consequences, Second Edition, Gary M. Bakken, H. Harvey Cohen,A. S. Hyde, Jon R. Abele, ISBN-13: 978-1-933264-01-1 or ISBN 10: 1-933264-01-2, available from the publisher, Lawyers ^ Judges Publishing Company,Inc., www.lawyersandjudges.com sales@lawyersandjudges.com
- [13] Slips, Trips, Missteps and Their Consequences, Gary M. Bakken, H. Harvey Cohen, Jon R. Abele, Alvin S. Hyde, Cindy A. LaRue, Lawyers and Judges Publishing; ISBN-10: 1933264012 ISBN-13: 978-1933264011
- [14] The Stairway Manufacturers' Association, (877) 500-5759, provides a pictorial guide to the stair and railing portion of the International Residential Code. [copy on file as http://www.stairways.org/pdf/2006%20Stair%20IRC%20SCREEN.pdf ] -
- [17] Steps and Stairways, Cleo Baldon & Ib Melchior, Rizzoli, 1989.
- [18] The Staircase, Ann Rinaldi
- [19] Common Sense Stairbuilding and Handrailing, Fred T. Hodgson
- [20] The Art of Staircases, Pilar Chueca
- [21] Building Stairs, by pros for pro, Andy Engel
- [22] A Simplified Guide to Custom Stairbuilding, George R. Christina
- [23] Basic Stairbuilding, Scott Schuttner
- [24] The Staircase (two volumes), John Templar, Cambridge: the MIT Press, 1992
- [25] The Staircase: History and Theories, John Templar, MIT Press 1995
- [26] >Steps and Stairways, Cleo Baldon & Ib Melchior, Rizzoli, 1989.
- [27] "The Dimensions of Stairs", J. M. Fitch et al., Scientific American, October 1974.
- [28] Stair & Walkway Standards for Slipperiness or Coefficient of Friction (COF) or Static Coefficient of Friction (SCOF)
- ANSI A1264.2
- ANSI B101
- ASTM D-21, and ASTM D2047
- UL-410 (similar to ASTM D-21)
- NSFI 101-B (National Floor Safety Institute)
- NSFI Walkway Auditing Guideline (WAG) Ref. 101-A& 101-B (may appear as ANSI B101.0) sets rules for measuring walkway slip resist
- OSHA - (Dept of Labor CFR 1910.22 does not specify COF and pertains to workplaces) but recognizes the need for a "qualified person" to evaluate walkway slipperiness
- ADA (relies on the ANSI and ASTM standards)
- [29] A. Sacher, International Symposium on Slip Resistance: The Interface of Man, Footwear, and Walking Surfaces, Journal of Testing and Evaluation (JTE), ISSN: 1945-7553, January 1997 [more focused on slipperiness of polished surfaces
- [30] Algae is widely recognized as a slippery surface - a Google web search for "how slippery is algae on steps" produced more than 15,000 results on 8/29/12)
- [31] Slipperiness of algae on walking surfaces, warning, Royal Horticultural Society, retrieved 8/29/2012, original source: http://apps.rhs.org.uk/advicesearch/profile.aspx?pid=418
- [32] Slipperiness of algae: "Watch your step, wet rocks and algae are slippery" Oregon State University warning 1977 retrieved 8/29/2012, original source: http://www.worldcat.org/title/watch-your-step-wet-rocks-and-algae-are-slippery/oclc/663683915
- [33] Coefficient of friction of algae on surfaces [like stair treads]: Delphine Gourdon, Qi Lin, Emin Oroudjev, Helen Hansma, Yuval Golan, Shoshana Arad, and Jacob Israelachvili, "Adhesion and Stable Low Friction Provided by a Subnanometer-Thick Monolayer of a Natural Polysaccharide", Langmuir, 2008 pp 1534-1540, American Chemical Society,
retrieved 8/29/2012,
Abstract: Using a surface forces apparatus, we have investigated the adhesive and lubrication forces of mica surfaces separated by a molecularly thin, subnanometer film of a high-molecular-weight (2.3 MDa) anionic polysaccharide from the algae Porphyridium sp. adsorbed from aqueous solution. The adhesion and friction forces of the confined biopolymer were monitored as a function of time, shearing distance, and driving velocity under a large range of compressive loads (pressures). Although the thickness of the dilute polysaccharide was < 1 nm, the friction was low (coefficient of friction = 0.015), and no wear was ever observed even at a pressure of 110 atm over 3 decades of velocity, so long as the shearing distances were less than twice the contact diameter. Atomic force microscopy in solution shows that the biopolymer is able to adsorb to the mica surface but remains mobile and easily dragged upon shearing. The adhesion (adsorption) of this polysaccharide even to negatively charged surfaces, its stable low friction, its robustness (high-load carrying capacity and good wear protection), and the weak (logarithmic) dependence of the friction force on the sliding velocity make this class of polyelectrolytes excellent candidates for use in water-based lubricant fluids and as potential additives to synovial fluid in joints and other biolubricating fluids. The physical reasons for the remarkable tribological properties of the ultrathin polysaccharide monolayer are discussed and appear to be quite different from those of other polyelectrolytes and proteins that act as thick “polymer brush” layers. - [34] Jinjin Li, Yuhong Liu, Jianbin Luo, Pengxiao Liu, and Chenhui Zhang, "Excellent Lubricating Behavior of Brasenia schreberi Mucilage" Langmuir 2012 28 (20), 7797-7802
- [35] Jason R. Stokes, Lubica Macakova, Agnieszka Chojnicka-Paszun, Cornelis G. de Kruif, and Harmen H. J. de Jongh, "Lubrication, Adsorption, and Rheology of Aqueous Polysaccharide Solutions, Langmuir 2011 27 (7), 3474-3484
- [36] "Coefficients of Friction for Ice", The Physics Factbook™, Glenn Elert, Ed., retrieved 8/29/12, original source: http://hypertextbook.com/facts/2004/GennaAbleman.shtml
- [37] "Coefficients of Friction for Ice", The University of the State of New York Reference Tables for Physical Setting/Physics. New York: The State Education Department, 2002. Op. Cit.
- [38] Serway Physics for Scientists and Engineers 4th edition (p. 126.)
- [39] "How Slippery Is It", retrieved 8/29/12, original source http://www.icebike.org/Articles/howslippery.htm
- [40] John E. Hunter, "Friction Values", The Source, Society of Accident Reconstructionists, Winter 1998. Study of frictional values of car tires involved in collisions on snow or ice covered roadways.
- [41] Frictional Coefficients of some Common Materials and Materials Combinations, The Engineering Toolbox, retrieved 8/29/2012, original source: http://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/friction-coefficients-d_778.html [copy on file as Friction and Coefficients of Friction.pdf ]
- [42] Stairways and Ladders, A Guide to OSHA Rules, OSHA, U.S. Department of Labor, 3124-12R 2003 - Web Search 05/28/2010 original source: http://www.osha.gov/Publications/osha3124.pdf. OSHA regulations govern standards in the construction industry and in the workforce Quoting from OSHA whose focus is on workplace safety and so excludes discussion of falls and stair-falls in private homes:
OSHA estimates that there are 24,882 injuries and as many as 36 fatalities per year due to falls from stairways and ladders used in construction. Nearly half of these injuries are serious enough to require time off the job--11,570 lost workday injuries and 13,312 non-lost workday injuries occur annually due to falls from stairways and ladders used in construction. These data demonstrate that work on and around ladders and stairways is hazardous. More importantly, they show that compliance with OSHA's requirements for the safe use of ladders and stairways could have prevented many of these injuries. -osha.gov/doc/outreachtraining/htmlfiles/stairlad.html
- [43] International Building Code, Stairway Provisions, Section 1009: Stairways and Handrails, retrieved 8/29/12, original source: http://www.amezz.com/ibc-stairs-code.htm [copy on file as IBC Stairs Code.pdf]
- [44] Model Building Code, Chapter 10, Means of Egress, retrieved 8/29/12, original source: http://www2.iccsafe.org/states/newjersey/NJ_Building/PDFs/NJ_Bldg_Chapter10.pdf, [copy on file as NJ_Bldg_Chapter10.pdf] adopted, for example by New Jersey. International Code Council, 500 New Jersey Avenue, NW, 6th Floor, Washington, DC 20001, Tel: 800-786-4452
- Our recommended books about building & mechanical systems design, inspection, problem diagnosis, and repair, and about indoor environment and IAQ testing, diagnosis, and cleanup are at the InspectAPedia Bookstore. Also see our Book Reviews - InspectAPedia.
- In addition to citations & references found in this article, see the research citations given at the end of the related articles found at our suggested
CONTINUE READING or RECOMMENDED ARTICLES.
- Carson, Dunlop & Associates Ltd., 120 Carlton Street Suite 407, Toronto ON M5A 4K2. Tel: (416) 964-9415 1-800-268-7070 Email: info@carsondunlop.com. Alan Carson is a past president of ASHI, the American Society of Home Inspectors.
Thanks to Alan Carson and Bob Dunlop, for permission for InspectAPedia to use text excerpts from The HOME REFERENCE BOOK - the Encyclopedia of Homes and to use illustrations from The ILLUSTRATED HOME .
Carson Dunlop Associates provides extensive home inspection education and report writing material. In gratitude we provide links to tsome Carson Dunlop Associates products and services.
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