Reader's home of the month
This month's £150 Habitat giftcard goes to lise76 for her 'French' flat in London...
Stair designs
Carpeted stairs
If you prefer carpet to bare wood or glass, make sure you buy one that's suitable for stairs. 'It's imperative you choose a quality, hard-wearing carpet – 80 per cent wool to 20 per cent nylon,' says Rupert Anton, marketing director of The Carpet Foundation. 'Avoid loop-pile carpets as they “grin” (open up when bent) and are more slippery.' Use a good underlay over both tread and riser and fit the carpet so the pile runs down the stairs. It's also possible to use a strip of carpet as a runner. Look at Ryalux, which does carpet to your width. For runners, see Roger Oates or The Carpet Library's Hartley runners, which are reversible so last twice as long.
Cantilevered stairs
A cantilevered staircase can look stunning, but is also a feat of engineering, with most of the weight of the treads supported by one wall. You need a balustrade to comply with UK building regulations, but glass is unobtrusive and will still give that 'weightlessness' look. These staircases should always be designed and built by a specialist.
Straight stairs
Straight doesn't have to equal dull, and it's possible to modernise less than lovely stairs with cladding, such as timber, tile or stone. Many modern homes have stairs built in concrete, which is ideal for resurfacing. If you're updating a less sturdy staircase, make sure it's sound by cladding with marine plywood before affixing any sort of tiles, otherwise they might crack. 'You can re-clad a staircase in oak for about £500-£1,000, depending on the balustrade you choose,' says Vanessa Garrett, director of Broadleaf Timber. 'This is a much more accessible solution if you don't have a huge budget, would rather not embark on big structural changes or are limited by space.'
Alternate stairs
'Ninety per cent of new staircases are constructed to create access to a loft conversion,' says Mark Dyson. 'The pitch of the roof can make constructing a flight difficult and, if this is the case, alternate-tread stairs can be the answer. These have one tread for the left foot and another for the right, and mean the angle of the stairs can be tighter, increased from 42 to 65 degrees.' Consider who will need to use them, as they are trickier to negotiate than standard stairs. It can also be hard to move furniture up and down them.
Spiral and helical staircases
Spiral staircases wind around a central pole and have a handrail on the outer side only. Helical stairs do not have a central pole and there is a handrail on both sides. If a spiral staircase is being used to access a single room, it must be at least 1500mm in diameter. But if the spiral goes up to more than one room, it is classed as a main staircase and needs to be at least 1900mm. 'Bear in mind that the opening in which your spiral fits needs to be 100mm wider than the spiral itself,' says Sally Noseda, director of Oakleaf Industries. Many spiral staircases are available in kit form from about £800, but only go up to 1600mm wide. A bespoke spiral would start at £3,000. It can be difficult to get furniture up and down, so move large items in before you install the stairs.
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If you prefer carpet to bare wood or glass, make sure you buy one that's suitable for stairs. 'It's imperative you choose a quality, hard-wearing carpet – 80 per cent wool to 20 per cent nylon,' says Rupert Anton, marketing director of The Carpet Foundation. 'Avoid loop-pile carpets as they “grin” (open up when bent) and are more slippery.' Use a good underlay over both tread and riser and fit the carpet so the pile runs down the stairs. It's also possible to use a strip of carpet as a runner. Look at Ryalux, which does carpet to your width. For runners, see Roger Oates or The Carpet Library's Hartley runners, which are reversible so last twice as long.
Cantilevered stairs
A cantilevered staircase can look stunning, but is also a feat of engineering, with most of the weight of the treads supported by one wall. You need a balustrade to comply with UK building regulations, but glass is unobtrusive and will still give that 'weightlessness' look. These staircases should always be designed and built by a specialist.
Straight stairs
Straight doesn't have to equal dull, and it's possible to modernise less than lovely stairs with cladding, such as timber, tile or stone. Many modern homes have stairs built in concrete, which is ideal for resurfacing. If you're updating a less sturdy staircase, make sure it's sound by cladding with marine plywood before affixing any sort of tiles, otherwise they might crack. 'You can re-clad a staircase in oak for about £500-£1,000, depending on the balustrade you choose,' says Vanessa Garrett, director of Broadleaf Timber. 'This is a much more accessible solution if you don't have a huge budget, would rather not embark on big structural changes or are limited by space.'
Alternate stairs
'Ninety per cent of new staircases are constructed to create access to a loft conversion,' says Mark Dyson. 'The pitch of the roof can make constructing a flight difficult and, if this is the case, alternate-tread stairs can be the answer. These have one tread for the left foot and another for the right, and mean the angle of the stairs can be tighter, increased from 42 to 65 degrees.' Consider who will need to use them, as they are trickier to negotiate than standard stairs. It can also be hard to move furniture up and down them.
Spiral and helical staircases
Spiral staircases wind around a central pole and have a handrail on the outer side only. Helical stairs do not have a central pole and there is a handrail on both sides. If a spiral staircase is being used to access a single room, it must be at least 1500mm in diameter. But if the spiral goes up to more than one room, it is classed as a main staircase and needs to be at least 1900mm. 'Bear in mind that the opening in which your spiral fits needs to be 100mm wider than the spiral itself,' says Sally Noseda, director of Oakleaf Industries. Many spiral staircases are available in kit form from about £800, but only go up to 1600mm wide. A bespoke spiral would start at £3,000. It can be difficult to get furniture up and down, so move large items in before you install the stairs.
NEXT - USEFUL CONTACTS