Have you ever been out and about and encountered stairs that seem awkward and uncomfortable to climb? Were you hiking in a park with those carved-in steps that make you trip because they’re so uneven? It happens because when you’re using stairs, your brain is triggered to expect each step to be of equal distance.

When manufacturers don’t make stairs properly, it leads to serious trip issues. Therefore, we have safety standards and building codes specifically for stairs. Here is the checklist of safety standards for residential staircases to make your home safe.

Know Your Stair Parts

First, you need to familiarize yourself with the different parts of your staircase. Each step has three parts:

  1. Stair tread: This is the part you step on.
  2. Riser: This is the part rising from each step
  3. Nosing: This is the overhang of the stair tread

You then have the following parts that make up the rest of the staircase:

  • Handrail: This part provides support and something to hold onto while using the stairs.
  • Spindles: Also known as balustrades, these poles support the handrail.
  • Newel post: This is the large post at the top and foot of the handrail.
  • Newel cap: This is a decorative piece on the newel post.
  • Base rail: This piece holds the spindles and posts in place.
  • Stringer: This is what the stair treads sit on.
  • Wall string: This is the secure stringer attached to the wall side of staircases.

What is a flight of stairs?

A flight of stairs is a continuous run of stairs. It is typically 13 to 16 steps in a home.

What is a landing?

A landing refers to any area where a flight of stairs ends. It can be the top and bottom of traditional stairs or areas between stairs where they complete a flight/change directions. It allows people to rest when they reach the end of a flight.

Understand Safety Standards

Now that you know each part, you can better understand the safety standards that apply to each staircase component.

Stair Tread Measurements

Stair treads must be of equal size. When measured from the stair riser to the stair nose, they should measure at least 10” deep. If the stair tread does not have nosing, it must be a minimum of 11” deep measured from the riser to the stair edge.

Riser Height

Risers must be no more than 7¾” measured from the top of one riser to the top of the riser above or below each tread. When measuring from the top flight of stairs to the bottom, risers can’t have a difference over ⅜”.

Nosing

The nosing area of a stair tread must be a minimum of ¾” and a maximum of 1 ¼”. The maximum radius of stair nosing must be no more than 9/16”.

Handrail

A handrail can’t be interrupted in a flight of stairs unless there is a doorway or the stairs change direction. They should be placed between 34” to 42” from the floor and be between 1” to 2” wide for circular designs and more than 5” wide for other designs.

Each handrail piece must be less than 4” apart. Also, any stairs with four or more risers require a handrail. When installed, you need at least 1 ½” clearance between the wall and the handrail, so people can hold on safely. However, the handrail projection from the wall should be no more than 4 ½”, or the staircase will be considered too narrow.

Spindles/balustrades

When installing spindles, you require less than 4” between each to prevent small children from falling between the openings.

Staircase width

The staircase must be at least 3’ in width measured from each side of the stair tread. It does not include the width of the handrail.

Landing

Stairs can only rise 12’ 7” before a landing is required, or about 13 to 16 steps. For landings at the tops and bottoms of the stairs, you need at least three square feet of space (3’ x 3’) or for wider staircases, be the same width as your staircase while allowing 3’ in depth from where the stairs end. So, if your stairs are 5’ wide, your landing would be 5’ x 3’.

Clearing (aka headroom)

Clearing refers to headroom. When building stairs, you require at least 6’ 8” of headroom between the ceiling and stair nosing for the entire flight of stairs.

Tips to Make Your Staircase Safer

Whether you’re building a new staircase, making over your staircase, or want to avoid accidents, use these tips to make your staircase safer.

Buy pre-cut stair treads.

First, always buy pre-cut stair treads to ensure they meet the requirements of safe tread measurements.

Don’t cut stair treads to reduce depth.

Never cut your pre-cut stair treads to reduce the depth. We’re not sure why you might decide to do this, but it will create a serious tripping hazard, especially for people with size 12 or bigger shoes!

Be careful with runners.

Stair runners add a lovely finishing touch to stairs, making them less slippery. However, when installing a runner, you must tightly secure it to each riser and stair tread to ensure it does not bulk up and present a tripping hazard.

Don’t skimp on balustrades.

It is tempting to downsize the amount of spindles you invest in to save some money when replacing balustrades. However, those spindles are extremely important to keep small children and pets from falling through (or getting caught between) the spindles.

Always measure to make sure your spacing is correct. For most spindle designs, you’ll likely require two spindles per stair tread—although some have wider designs. Ensure you understand how the size of the spindle impacts how many you need!

Keep the lights on.

Ensure you have light for all staircases in your home to make it easy to see the steps. Motion detectors work well when carrying something up/down the stairs and can’t reach the switch!

Consider a different colour for treads and risers.

Having a different colour for treads and risers makes it easier to see the height of the stairs and where the treads begin. While it is not helpful going down the stairs, it makes going up better.

Avoid area rugs on landings.

Avoid area rugs at the top and bottom of stairs, as this creates a dangerous tripping hazard!

There you have it—our easy guide to basic stair standards to keep your home safe.View our stair treads to create your new staircase. For more information, contact us here and speak to the Cosmaroma team.