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February 27, 2012

Do Klan spiral stair always have equal tread rises.

The answer is no not always. The Klan spiral staircase kit along with most other modular kit spiral stairs has an adjustable rise, which allows it to be used for various floor-to-floor heights. The adjustment is made by inserting spacer washers between treads to increase the height. The first thing to say is that in the case of the Klan spiral stair these washers are 3mm thick so the final height of the stair can only be accurate to 3mm. 3mm over the entire height of the stair would normally be accurate enough in most circumstances.

The fitting instructions supplied with the Klan spiral stair have a table advising you of the total number of washers that need to be inserted for any range height using whatever number of treads are possible for that height. This makes the on site calculation very easy, because you simply distribute the required number of spacer washers equally between the total number of treads.

However at many heights you will have a situation where they do not divide equally. For instance lets say 27 spacer washers between 13 treads. So each tread will have 2 washers leaving one spare. The one spare therefore needs to be added to any tread to accurately attain the required height. So in that case you will have one tread height 3 mm higher than the others. From my experience you will never notice this small difference when using the stair, but the accurate answer to the question is that in many cases you will need to have a small variation in tread height to attain your required floor-to-floor height. If you need to know more, then your specific floor-to -floor height will allow you or your installer to calculate accurately the situation for your specific stair.

The spiral staircase Doctor

February 22, 2012

Is it possible to have a Mini space saver stair without a side wall for support.

The Mini space saver stair as with most other space saver stairs like the Karina or Kya only need fixing at the top and bottom if it is a straight stair. They do not need any support from a side wall. In fact with the Karina and Kya it does not matter if they turn, they still require top and bottom support. The Mini however turns corners using a quarter landing platform and this changes things.

The central support spine beneath the Mini treads only ever needs to attached to the structure at the top and bottom, but the quarter turn landing platform cantilevers out away from the support spine and needs extra support on one or both outside edges. This is achieved using the wall bracket supplied with the kit. If you need did not support the the landing at this point anyone standing on the extreme outer edge of the landing risks putting serious stress on the structure, which is not advisable.

So if you are thinking of a completely free standing Mini space saver stair, which turns through 90 degrees then it will not work. It needs at least one wall adjacent to the outer edge of the landing.

Bear in mind that any free standing space saver stair will require balustrading on both sides to prevent users from falling. This may sound obvious but I mention it because most modular space saver stair kits are supplied with balustrading on one side only in their basic kit form. Second side balustrading is available but needs to be ordered as an extra.

The Stair Doctor.

February 14, 2012

Can I have a Klan spiral stair kit over 4000mm high.

The Klan spiral staircase as well as its brothers the Civik and Genius are all capable of having one complete 13 tread staircase put on top of another so they can reach heights well in excess of 4000mm. However a single Klan spiral stair kit can only be purchased with a maximum of 16 treads giving a maximum height of 3770mm. In the UK this height should be further reduced to a maximum 3520mm in order to achieve the maximum permissible tread rise of 220mm.

To achieve a height in excess of 4000mm with a Klan spiral staircase you would need to purchase two complete 13 riser kits and use enough treads from these two kits to reach your required height.

The more expensive Genius range can sometimes prove to be the better option for high spiral staircases because you can order the exact number of treads rather having to order two complete kits of the Klan or Civik ranges.

A word of warning on high floor-to-floor height spiral stairs, always seek expert advice before you proceed with your project. With high spiral stairs consideration has to be given to such things as their stability and weight. Personally I would like to know that the supporting floor is adequate to take the point load of the stair, and that there are surrounding walls that would allow some lateral restraint fixings to prevent excessive movement. You should also consider the people who are likely to use the stair. A spiral stair of say 24 treads can present a challenge to less able bodied users, unless a rest platform is inserted somewhere in its height.

The Spiral staircase Doctor.