Here’s a shot of the basement staircase I just built. Have built other stairs with traditional construction and housed strings, but this is the first with balanced or “dancing” treads–not sure that I’ve even climbed a set like this before.
Instead of the typical three winders in the turn, the last five all have the same distance of travel along the “springing” line. Perfectly natural to climb and you hardly even realize that you’re making a 90° turn.
These will be painted so just used typical lumber company stuff. Never again will I use cheap white pine for the risers. They’re not strong enough to draw the treads perfectly flat via the rabbet at the back of treads and bottom of risers. Four risers cracked, but was able to glue and nothing shows from the top side.
Replies
MT, nice job! Must have been fun to lay those out. Love the fully housed stringers.
For paint-grade risers try veneer-core birch plywood. Strong, stable, cheap, paint well.
Mike
Thanks Mike. Layout was fun even if it did take quite a bit of time. Old book I used for reference (A Treatise on Stairbuilding and Handrailing) INSISTED that you make a full-scale plan of the winding section. Very glad I did. Believe it would have been impossible just using math. Had the overall length been critical (end wall here will be built to suit) believe it would have been best to make a full-scale plan of the entire thing as it wound up longer than I had calculated. Used tracing paper to make patterns for the dancing treads, then transferred corners with an awl. The angled housings for the dancing risers and the newel were the most difficult part to cut.
Will try the good plywood. Next staircase is the one above--replacing the old as it wasn't well constructed to begin with. Long (11' rise), straight-shot with red oak treads and painted risers. Already decided to try LVL for the housed string--was glad to hear a report in a very recent Fine Homebuilding that it works well for staircases.
Shot from underneath is attached.
Mike Thies, Swampeast MO
Great looking work! Lemme see another pic of your rail when you get it done.
Will be walled in save the top and bottom exits, so no true ballustrade, just handrails on the walls. Am going to try the easy way first with two straight rails--one on the bottom end and the other on the newel side. The tread length of the last three treads on that side varies, but the overall run per number of risers stays the same and a straight rail will work.
If it seems unnatural or worse yet unsafe will wreath a curving rail for the long side. First time for everything I suppose and surely it can't be too bad with a simple rail profile.
The book A Treatise on Stairbuilding and Handrailing goes into minute detail with abundant illustrations when it comes to laying out a typical three tread winder. You get, "The steps whose risers are thus placed obliquely to the line of travel of the stairs, so as to decrease the inequality of width between the ends of the winders and fliers, have been termed "dancing" or "balanced" steps...Of course if a close string haed been adopted it would have allowed greater latitude in the placing of the risers and an arrrangement similar to that shown by Fig. 54 would then be preferable." That one figure (a very simple plan showing only the dancers) is the only thing provided with the rest of the chapter on this general form of stairs dealing solely with the norm. Even in the recognized stairbuilding "bible" it seems that some things were left to art and imagination...
Edited 4/29/2005 9:20 pm ET by MTINSEMO
the ones I've done like that I layed the rail on the treads and tried to make the joints at the angle changes and set some brackets and hope it fits!
Looks great, you got any more pixs.?Espicially looking up from the bottom.
Really Looks great.
Here's a shot looking up through the winders. Still have to make and install the scotia molding--no crack to cover but they look nice...
Looks nice. Good job.
I thought, not that I'm supposed to know as an electrician, winders of any description were forbidden by code. Is this 'dancing' pattern an exception? What is code, assuming any applies, on the subject?
Will be perfectly honest and say "I don't know." My own home built in 1903 and this replaced an old steep staircase with 8" rise x 8" run. (DEFINITELY not to modern code.)
Will say however that if this type of staircase is prohibited by any code, then it must prohibit geometric (the beautiful curving staircases that also have "dancing" treads) as well.
Watched a four-year-old go up and down them yesterday. He flew.
Have seen and walked on lots of staircases in old homes with the typical three-tread, square winder. I really don't care for them. In all honesty, the similarity is remote at best.
" thought, not that I'm supposed to know as an electrician, winders of any description were forbidden by code. Is this 'dancing' pattern an exception? What is code, assuming any applies, on the subject?"
In NY which uses the International Code winders are okay as long as the narrow side is at least 6" and at least 10" 12" out from the wall.