Whether straight, L- or T-shaped, staircases can be modified to suit

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This article was published 27/04/2003 (8288 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Q: We are modernizing our home, but having a conflict over the stairs. I say it should be modern like the house, and that can be done with a new look and shape and paint, but my husband wants more traditional and lots of wood showing. Any suggestions?

A: If it is a mater of “modernizing” the stairs, please consult a contractor or carpenter familiar with local building codes before making any changes to them.

According to Mark English, a San Francisco architect, “Stairs are very special places that provide a great opportunity to enliven a space.”

He believes the rich, natural tones of hardwood staircases add warmth to any home. In a traditional setting, they tie in the hardwood floors, trim and furniture. In a contemporary home, they contrast the metal, plastic or glass. The American Hardwood Information Center’s guide at www.hardwoodinfo.com can help you determine what you might like.

The author of For Pros/By Pros: Basic Stairbuilding, Scott Schuttner, a homebuilder and carpenter in Fairbanks, Alaska, says there are dozens of types of stairs.

The straight stair has the simplest design. It usually is easy to build but often difficult to find room for in a floor plan. “They’re long and skinny, so in a house with conventional eight-foot ceilings, a straight case will be at least 10 feet long,” Schuttner says. Added to that area, the landings at both ends make the straight staircase take up a lot of space. It usually fits best against one wall. Adding a landing hallway down a straight run of stairs adds visual interest but eats up more floor space.

The L-shaped stair is versatile because it can be tucked into a corner without looking cramped, Schuttner says. For the equivalent rise, an L-shaped stairway actually needs a little more floor space than a straight stair. “But you don’t have to find one long, straight chunk of floor space, which is difficult in a small house.” An L-shaped stair, also called a quarter-turn can be more appealing to the eye than a straight staircase.

It’s possible to turn an L-shape into a T-shape by building two flights of stairs from a common landing. This type of stair will not fit into a corner and can’t be considered space-saving. But it will maintain visual symmetry if you are trying to divide a room.

You may be able to give an existing staircase new life without replacing the entire thing. For a typical L-shaped staircase, replacing a metal balustrade system with hardwood handrails, balusters and posts would cost about $2,500, says Tom Myer, general manager of Staircase & Millwork, Co., an Atlanta manufacturer of curved staircases.

His company sells oak, cherry, poplar and maple stair parts in a variety of styles, including sleek contemporary, elaborately detailed traditional or simple colonial. Fluted, curved and twisted balusters in different designs can be mixed in the same staircase for a unique look. Stained treads and handrails paired with white painted risers, stringers and balusters are a popular choice. Hand-forged iron balusters can be combined with hardwood handrails for a Mediterranean feel.

If you have enough room, you could replace a straight staircase with a curved oak staircase for about $10,000, Myer says. If there’s not enough room for a curved staircase, the last five steps of a straight staircase can be flared out to add visual interest.

Storage niches can be built into the actual structure of a staircase or spun off from landings and railings, according to architect Joanne Kellar Bouknight, author of Tauton’s Home Storage Idea Book.

— Knight Ridder Newspapers