Stair Component Dimensions – All You Need to Know

Stair Dimensions

Building codes are strictly implemented to make sure that all people, especially the elderly and children, will be safe. When constructing stairs, you also need to follow a set of rules to make the stairs long-lasting. As such, you have to follow the standard measurements for every part of the staircase. So, what are the various stair dimensions?

Standard Stair Width

Standard Stair Width Diagram

Keep in mind that a staircase that is too narrow is a hazard in various ways. For one, carrying objects up and down the stairs can be difficult, and it may even lead to falls. Aside from that, narrow stairs can also be dangerous, especially in emergencies. For instance, a building is on fire. Having narrow stairs will hinder the people from escaping safely out of the building. To avoid these types of accidents, it is recommended to follow the standard stair width.

The stair width is the distance from one side of the stair to another, and its standard measurement isat least 36 inches, excluding the handrails. When the handrails are included, theyshould not take more than 4 1/2 inches of space。在蘇ch, when a handrail is installed on one side, the clear width of the stairshould not be less than 31 1/2 inches。If there are two handrails, the clear widthshould at least be 27 inches

Vertical Rise and Headroom

Vertical Rise

A staircase should be broken up into reasonable intervals to ensure safety; thus, the height limit based on the building code should be followed to ensure that the user will be able to take some rest and prevent the negative effects of a continuous staircase.

The rise refers to the overall height of the staircases. Even if stairs come in various shapes, their rise is a vital measurement. The reason is that it allows you to determine where you should place the landing or floor level. Ideally, a landing must be placed每12英尺的上升。在蘇ch, if the staircase exceeds 12 feet, a landing must be placed in-between to break up the stairs. Other than that, there is no requirement for the rise length because staircases can vary.

Headroom

永遠記住,your staircase should have plenty of headroom so that a person won’t duck down when going up or down the stairs. Plus, having proper headroom will prevent users from hitting their heads when going down the staircase.

The headroom is measured starting from the stair tread to the ceiling, and it should be at least six feet and eight inches.

Stair Tread Depth and Stair Riser Height

Your stairs should be uniform to ensure safety. When the risers or treads have inconsistent measurements, it can interfere with a person’s rhythm when he goes up and down the stairs. For this reason, it is imperative that the maximum height of the riser and minimum width of tread must be followed.

Stair Tread Depth

The stair tread is the top surface of a step. Its depth is measured from the front edge of a step to the front edge of the next step. The distance between these two steps should not be less than 10 inches. However, if the steps don’t have nosings but have solid risers, the tread depth should at least be 11 inches.

Keep in mind that the nosing should project aminimum of 3/4 inches and a maximum of 1 1/4 inches from the riser。Additionally, the largest nosing projection should not be more than 3/8 inches than the smallest nosing projection.

Related:Standard Stair Tread Thickness – What You Should Know

Stair Riser Height

The stair riser is the vertical portion of a step, while the stair riser height refers to the distance between one step to the adjacent step. According to the building codes, the stair riser heightshould not go beyond 7 3/4 inches

The maximum stair height is developed so that the stairs will not be too high if you’re going up or not too low if you’re going down. Aside from that, the measurement of all the risers should be identical or close to each other. Plus, the greatest riser height不應超過最小的3/8英寸

If your staircase has open risers, the space between the steps should not be large. As much as possible, it should not allow a four-inch sphere to get through; thus, the space between the steps should be less than four inches.

Stair Landings

All stairs must have a landing at the bottom and the top, and its width should not be less than the stair width. Also, its minimum depth should be 36 inches.

Handrails

Code Requirements for Residential Handrails

Handrails have specific codes, and they should have proper graspability, which can either be Type I or Type II.

Type I handrails have parameters ofnot more than 6 1/4 inches。On the other hand, Type II handrails have parametersmore than 6 1/4 inches

Stair Handrail Height

Keep in mind that a staircase with four or more risers should have a handrail on one or both sides. The handrail’s heightshould be about 34 to 38 inches。If the handrail is placed against a wall, itshould be at least 1 1/2 inches away from the wall。Lastly, the handrails should cover the full length of the staircases, starting at the bottom riser to the top riser.

Stair Lighting

Stair Lighting

All staircases should have enough light so that the user will be able to see the steps. As much as possible, there should be a light switch on every floor level, especially if the staircase has six or more risers.

Stair Case Calculations

To determine the run of a staircase, you can multiply the tread dimension (excluding the nosing) by the number of steps. If you want to calculate the rise of the staircases, you can multiply the dimension of the rise by the number of steps. Finally, to determine the number of steps, you can divide the ceiling height by different numbers until you get a reasonable riser dimension. For instance, you can divide the ceiling height by 16. If the result is less than the maximum height of a riser, then your staircase can have 16 steps.

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