Spiral Staircase Design: Fundamental Concepts

A spiral staircase is an elegant solution to creating vertical access in a tight space. Because of their design possibilities of iron or wood construction, they are installed not only to be functional, but also to add beauty and make a design statement.

Location

One of the fundamentals to designing and installing a spiral staircase is deciding on the location where it will be installed. Because of its tight turning radius, place your spiral staircase where it is not directly against a wall or too close to a corner. Make sure there is adequate space to enter and exit the staircase on both floors.

Rotation

A spiral staircase moves in tight circles but requires enough rotation to projects the stairs upward. If the treads are too narrow, the rotation will be too slow, impeding upward progress. If the treads are too wide, the upward motion will be too quick and you will bump your head on the risers as you go up the stairs.

Center Pole

The center pole bears the primary weight of the entire staircase, particularly as it is being used. As a result, it is important that the pole be completely straight and level. When you mount the pole to the floor, make sure that it is firmly and securely attached. Use a plumb bob line to ensure it is straight and a level to double-check the plumb. As you begin attaching the treads, start by attaching the bottom and top treads. Then work your way up the rest of the the pole, spacing the treads at equal distances from each other following the center radius.

Hand Rail
The trickiest part of the entire spiral staircase to deal with is the hand rail. Most homeowners choose to either purchase a pre-constructed handrail or custom fabricated handrail. Rails can be made of wood or wrought iron. They can also be fabricated out of stainless steel or almost any other sturdy material that can support the shifting weight of people holding the rail while they descend and ascend the stairs.

Spiral staircases are designed to allow people to complete a series of circular upward (or downward) steps to access an upper floor or a loft area. This function and beautiful design has served its purpose well over many hundreds of years.