Spiral StaircaseA conversion with a spiral staircase can look great but, as I always say, looks aren’t everything. A spiral flight of stairs of under 1m in width will need a handrail which needs to be at a height of at least 900mm from the pitch line Acessing your loft conversion by this style of stair can look good and does seem to save space but quite often this kind of access will use up more room than a traditional flight of stairs. And, actually using them can often pose problems – especially when moving furniture! But, for a modern look and if children aren’t a concern, a spiral staircase will certainly add that final polish to a loft conversion. There are many specialist manufacturers of loft staircases and there are a number of designs available. Installing a spiral staircase will of course cost much more than a tradition flight of loft stairs and, for a spiral staircase at least, it is well worth seeking out one of the specialist companies. Deciding to install a spiral staircase would suggest an individual approach and the specialist loft staircase manufacturers will be able to tailor their designs to fit into your planned loft conversion. These type of stairs will be made to order and installed on site by the manufacturers so it will be important to ensure that their delivery and installation is coordinated with the rest of your building work as getting the timing wrong can result in costly, and inconvenient, delays to your loft conversion. Fire Safety The provision of fire safety is vital, not only from a common-sense approach, but also in order to comply with the building regulations. There are many safety factors to be considered when planning a loft conversion (click here for more information), but staircases are particularly important as they act as a funnel to flames and help them spread in the event of fire. For this reason the building regulations stipulate that staircases should be enclosed by a door, wall or partition which is capable of resisting fire for at least thirty minutes. Related Articles
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