Installing an Exterior Spiral Staircase Kit

Exterior spiral staircase kits are great ways to access a balcony, upper level doorway or roof terrace, and most are within the reach of an experienced DIY’er if you want to build your own. There are several advantages with spiral staircase kits compared to ready-made spiral stairs, they are cost-effective, they can be easily transported, you don’t need a crane to get one into your back garden, and you can usually complete one in a day or two from start to finish.

Finishes

There are 2 types of finish we recommend, neither of which requires maintenance. Firstly and usually most economically, there is the hot dipped galvanized finish, where the treads and spindles are zinc plated at the factory. When new, a hot dipped galvanized spiral staircase will look quite bright and shiny - a bit too “bling” for some people, but give it a couple of years and the finish will weather to a more subtle “grey” which is actually very attractive. Good examples of this type of staircase are the Gamia Zinc, and the Civik Zinc. Both are very similar to look at, and are virtually identically priced - but the Gamia does comply with British Standards so if that’s important to you, go for the Gamia.

The second type of finish is galvanized but with a powder coated or electrophoretic finish over the top. This means that you get a colour coat finish, which being powder coated will be very tough, weather resistant and maintenance free. The finish is applied at the factory and never needs re-painting. A good example of this type of finish is available in the Neptune range of exterior spiral staircases.

Unless your idea of fun is painting a spiral staircase every year, we don’t recommend the cheap “exterior” stairs which use a spray painted finish - they never last and need re-painting often.

Start with good foundations

Never put an outdoor spiral staircase onto a wooden decking base or similar - the constant movement of the decking timber through the seasons will in turn cause movement in the staircase components, and eventually tiny cracks can appear in the finish which allows water to seep in and corrode the metal underneath. Always put the staircase on a solid base such as concrete, or on a patio. If installing to a patio slabbed area, to prevent slabs cracking ensure the slab on which the spiral staircase is resting is fully supported with mortar, or is on a level base of sand.

Assembling the kit

Follow the manufacturer's instructions for staircase assembly. Some manufacturers suggest sliding the upper landing and steps on to the center support post and then tipping the post up and into position. Or you can fix the centre post in place first, and then simply slide the components over the top of the post, ending with the landing platform at the top. It is crucial that the centre post is perfectly plumb, otherwise you will never get your treads level. At this point you can usually choose which way you want the staircase to rotate, clockwise or anticlockwise. Once decided, simply attach the balustrade spindles to each tread with the fixings provided.

Installing an exterior spiral staircase from a flat-pack kit is really straightforward, and with modern modular techniques of construction and kit design you can save a great deal of money too.

Spiral Staircase Standards - Balustrade

If you’re thinking of fitting a spiral staircase, then it’s worth reading up on Building Regulations and British Standards to make sure you’re fitting the right products. Some continental products which are sold in the UK only comply with European (usually German) standards, and so you could unwittingly fall foul of the building standards. This may not become apparent until you come to sell your property (or rent it) and can become a sticking point to moving house. The most common problem when looking at which spiral staircase to buy is spacing between spindles, which varies across Europe.

This will help to make sure the staircase is safe to give you real peace of mind.

Spiral Staircase balustrade - Building Regulations

Part K of the Building Regulations (Protection from falling, collision and impact) sets out the minimum safety requirements for a staircase. These differ according to how many people are expected to use the staircase.

In a regular home, balustrade must be fitted on all flights of stairs and landings where there is a drop of 600mm or more. This applies to every staircase in the home, e.g. from the ground to the first floor and from the first to the second floor in a three-story townhouse, for example.

Possible exceptions could include small steps down to a conservatory or steps within a split-level living area.

If children under the age of 5 are likely to use the staircase, then the balusters must be no more than 99mm apart – a useful test is to see whether a 100mm sphere can pass through the gap. This is known as the ‘baby’s head’ rule and ensures that children cannot become trapped between the balusters. (Typical products which do pass this crucial test are the Gamia Range by Rintal, The Artemis and Neptune range by Spiral Stairs Direct, at www.spiralstairs-direct.co.uk and certain models in the Arke range)

The balustrade on a domestic staircase including all types of spiral staircase must also be a minimum of 900mm high.

British Standards for spiral staircase balustrade

As well as complying with Part K, balustrade systems fitted to a spiral staircase must also meet the requirements of BS6399 Part 1:1996 Loadings for buildings – Code of practice for dead and imposed loads.

This means that a balustrade fitted to a spiral staircase within a private family home must be able to resist a loading of 0.36kN/m – the equivalent force of one family member falling against the balustrade.

Regulations for a shared staircase

For a staircase used by the occupants of more than one home, the standards are stricter. This would apply to a staircase in an apartment building, student accommodation or a care home.

In line with the requirements of BS6399, stair balustrade must be able to resist heavier loadings of 0.74kN/m. This is because the staircase is likely to be a main thoroughfare used by higher numbers of people, which means the balustrades need to be more robust.

All of the ranges mentioned will withstand these forces and meet British Standards, so you don’t need to worry about meeting Building Regulations. If in doubt ask the supplier to ensure in writing that the spiral staircase they propose will meet both building regulations AND the relevant British Standard before you purchase. 

You can find out more by contacting the spiral staircase suppliers direct at www.spiralstairs-direct.co.uk.

Explaining the Best Access Option for a Loft Conversion

There are various designs of staircase which can be used for a loft conversion, but unless you have a large property you are probably going to need something which saves some space, giving you access to your conversion without taking up too much room.

The standard types of "space saving" staircase (other than loft ladders which aren’t really suitable for a habitable room) are:

·        Millers Ladder, or fixed ladder style staircases. These take up relatively little space, but are steeper than a normal staircase and care needs to be taken by the user, especially when descending, as the tread “goings” are shorter than normal and there is a small area on which to plant your foot - for this reason they usually have to have a handrail each side to meet regulations.  They are cheap to buy and install, but frankly they do look like a temporary staircase solution when all is said and done.

·        Space Saver Staircase, sometimes referred to as a Space Saving staircase or Loft staircase, is a staircase with offset paddle shaped treads. Space saving staircases offer the benefits of the Millers ladder, in that you get a compact staircase solution, but because of the design you get a full depth of tread going, which in my opinion is safer than the Millers ladder type of tread. Most local joinery shops can make you a traditional style of staircase with space saver treads, but for the ultimate in flexibility and style there are now a number of modular stair kits available from Italian manufacturers such as Spiral Stairs Direct and Misterstep. The modular kits feature adjustable height treads, steel structures and usually stylish and yet economical designs. In some models you can even build in 90 degree and 180 degree turns to make the space saver stairs even more compact!

·        Spiral Staircase, the basic design of the spiral staircase has been around for centuries, and so it is a logical choice for lots of people who want to save space. A spiral staircase features tapered treads mounted round a central pole. In modern spiral staircase designs the tread heights are usually adjustable, so there is no need to fabricate the staircase to suit the floor to floor height. The advantages of spiral staircases are many and varied, but the main benefits are that they are compact and stylish, can be fitted in a corner location or against a wall to maximise room space, are safe and easy to use, and these days due to the arrival of modular spiral staircase kits, they are readily available from UK stockists such as Spiral Stairs Direct. The advent of spiral staircase kits which can be installed by any keen DIY’er started in the eighties - before that spiral stairs had to be fabricated by specialists and were only for the wealthy few, or owners of castle towers! Now spiral staircases are very much more affordable, and due to their ease of assembly some excellent cost savings can be made by the home owner on a budget

·         Modular Compact staircase, the modular Compact staircase has treads similar in style to a standard staircase, but is generally narrower to take up less space than a full size staircase. Modular stairs usually feature adjustable tread heights, like a spiral staircase, and in addition they usually feature adjustable tread goings which may help in getting the fit just right. Modular compact stairs can also include one or more sets of winder treads, which turn the staircase through 90 degrees or 180 degrees. Where you place the winder treads is up to you, so a variety of different layouts is achievable from one standard kit. The emphasis is on versatility of layout - you don’t have to have a specially made to fit staircase