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Spiral Stairs in Canada

| Posted in General Discussion on March 10, 2002 05:20am

*
Has anyone here, from Canada, ever gotten approval under the national building code and your local building authority for spiral stairs inside a home or renovation? A friend of mine put on an addition with a loft (16×20) and the building inspector said “no way” based on the curved stairs code section 9.8.5.2.
Thanks in advance.

Newf

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  1. Novy_7 | Mar 07, 2002 02:08am | #1

    *
    Hey Newf,

    I have !

    The way I got it through was to be as code compliant as possible with the spiral and add another exterior set of stairs IE : Fire escape

    P.S.This was in Halifax in 1996-7 in a new residence

    Contact me by email if you like

    1. Ron_Budgell | Mar 07, 2002 04:42am | #2

      *Right on. I read that curved stairs are permitted as long as they are not required as exits.

      1. Adrian_Wilson | Mar 07, 2002 06:11am | #3

        *Hold on....you forget, Newf is dealing with Metro Planning (sharp intake of breath). These guys , in my limited dealings with them (mostly secondhand), have nixed gluelams and paralams as acceptable beam and header material (in one case in a residential reno,for a beam, in another AS A HEADER OVER A GARAGE DOOR ....IN A GARAGE). Also seen them turn down steel. One of their inspectors put a stop work on a job a friend was doing....he was framing in a little roof over a door for his brother (family of four carps, three plumbers, I think)....inspector said "that's not a truss"...."no, it's a rafter"...."but that's not a truss". It was a rafter. Stop work. Explain, with little pictures and stuff, down at city hall.Trying to attract retirees to settle in Cape Breton is a big initiative; I know they have driven several families out of the county with their antics. And that's the tip of the iceberg I hear about, from clients. Good luck on the stair.

        1. Rich_Watkins | Mar 07, 2002 06:19am | #4

          *Seems like our cousins up north are getting all the Govt. they pay for. Hope we never do!Rich

          1. Phill_Giles | Mar 07, 2002 10:07pm | #5

            *Same boat here; it can't be the only staircase to get to the ground floor.

          2. Armin_ | Mar 08, 2002 01:05am | #6

            *Phill, Where is same boat here? Almost every circular staircase I build is the ONLY staircase in the house. USA that is.

          3. Armin_ | Mar 08, 2002 01:11am | #7

            *Ok, a question for you Canadians. In your neck of the woods are circular stairs not allowed because:A. They are deemed unsafeB. You guys don't know how to build themC. Canadians are too clumsy to use them.Ha, Ha, I couldn't resist.OK I'll buy the beer, Molsons or Labats Blue?

          4. Ron_Budgell | Mar 08, 2002 02:08am | #8

            *Ha.Try and work on the self control a bit, Armin. It'll make you a better man.I'll have Propellor, thanks.

          5. Novy_7 | Mar 08, 2002 03:12am | #9

            *Ron, Learn how to spell would ya !!http://www.drinkpropeller.ca/index_flash.html R PS Bridge book is now in the truck PSS John Allen ( Propeller ) is an old friend of mine. We used to drive motorcycles together. I had a 550 Suzuki 2 stroker and John drove a ? 600 Triumph or was it a BSA ? We also worked in the film industry together.

          6. Phill_Giles | Mar 08, 2002 03:13am | #10

            *Armin, I assumed when he said "spiral", he meant "spiral"; those stairs where the treads radiate from a central column and there's usually no other minimal support for the outside edge, not a curved or circular stair where there's support under both sides of each tread. If I have that wrong, then I've mispoken.Anyway - Toronto.

          7. Phill_Giles | Mar 08, 2002 03:14am | #11

            *"Spiral", not "circular".

          8. Daryl(Newf)_Ferguson | Mar 08, 2002 03:15am | #12

            *ArminMake mine a Blue...The problem is the 6" run at the post, 36" min. tread length, and 8" max. rise. That would make it 6' 9 " dia., and you would lose the 6" 4" headroom. No builder I contacted would or could meet our code.If you add a fire escape, or exterior steps from a upper balcony, it can pass......Oh bother...Any more beer, or is it over to the 'shed...Thanks allNewf

          9. Armin_ | Mar 08, 2002 03:27am | #13

            *Ron i Try and work on the self control a bit, Armin. It'll make you a better man. Tried that Done that, my friends (both of them) said I was to boring, so I put my old shoes back on. Newf, 6 inched at the post, 36 inch min length. Thats quite the code. No wonder it's a tough sell.

          10. phil_eves | Mar 08, 2002 05:21am | #14

            *The last spiral staircase I built was a log spiral and I had to send it and install it in Seattle area for it to be legal in B.C.,Ha! (We can build 'em, we just can't have 'em ,unless it's a third staircase NOT for access/egress). Afterthought, I thought, after, that an egress was a female egret.....

          11. Adrian_Wilson | Mar 08, 2002 05:22am | #15

            *Mostly, we're smart enough to place the beer fridge and the dedicated hockey TV on the first floor....all stairs are basically redundant....unless the wife happens to be upstairs. After the hockey game. All kinds of Canadian punchlines you wouldn't get going unsaid here.

          12. Armin_ | Mar 08, 2002 06:07am | #16

            *Canadian humor, a sight more digestible than the British version. Good beer, great people.

          13. Phill_Giles | Mar 09, 2002 12:01am | #17

            *Had a similar conversation today and heard a claim that these folks http://www.TheIronShop.com/homepage.htm build a spiral stair kit that has passed in St. John. Suggest you send them an Email and ask (never hurts to ask).

          14. Blunt_ | Mar 09, 2002 12:30am | #18

            *I thought I would let you know that the USA has the same problem with spiral stairs. Built about 1500 sq. ft. on two floors. MY house. Thought a spiral would be neat. I weld too. Got all the parts and then was told that a spiral could only (only?) handle a few hundred sq. ft. I should build stairs from the widow walk (deck off 2nd floor) to the ground in the back yard. I thought that would be an invite for unwanteds to walk up. Redesigned everything to eliminate the spiral. Works pretty well, but no thanks to Denver area code. Easier to move things like desks, beds, dressers, etc up and down. I don't know how this message will work. Used to post here all the time under the name of Thor. Fell of a ladder, hit my head, and spent 2 months in the hospital. Now I'm probably a guest! Well, it takes a while to heal. Natually, Qwest went to MSN and it doesn't work. Could be a bad disk they sent me. Anybody had similar experience with MSN/Qwest? Know an ISP that uses Netscape? Thanks (I can't access direct email with MSN...so post here) [email protected] Thor

          15. Daryl(Newf)_Ferguson | Mar 09, 2002 02:57am | #19

            *PhillThanks. I'll check it out and let you know.Newf

          16. Ron_Budgell | Mar 09, 2002 04:21am | #20

            *Well, we wouldn't want you boring. Thanks for the beer. Have one on me?

          17. alan_senoj | Mar 09, 2002 05:31am | #21

            *Novy7I don't mean to be picky and I know this has nothing to do with Newf's staircase question and it's possible that i've lost some memory and/or brain cells, But I don't think there ever was a 600 cc BSA or Triumph. I rode a Bonneville in my good days (650cc 1968 vintage) and my friends all rode BSA's (all 650's too, except one bud who had a 750 Norton Atlas. The Norton was a fine and noble bike and I liked it but ALL fell behind when I twisted my throttle. Norton produced a 600; I believe it was a rather wimpy precursor to the Atlas Wait a minute, BMW had an opposed twin of 600cc for years.Anyway, getting back to the subject, as long as you keep the ratio of your displacement divided by your daily run (cc's divided by kilometers or cubic inches divided by miles...doesn't matter, works out the same), you're still going to make that curve.

          18. Daryl(Newf)_Ferguson | Mar 09, 2002 06:08am | #22

            *Bikers!!!!!!!!!!!!!...My thread got invaded by BIKERS???...Cool...(By the way, and don't tell any one, they decided to tell said inspectors, with their grade 2 education to go to hell...)In case you wanted to know...NewfPower to the correct peopleNewfRepublic of Cape BretonCANADIAN& Proud...

          19. Novy_7 | Mar 09, 2002 06:26am | #23

            *Alan, If you stop and think about my post I said I couldn't remember if the bike was a BSA or Triumph so how in the heck am I supposed to remember if it was a 600 or 650 ? Hmmmmmmmm ? Maybe it was a 600 Norton ? I do remember it was English I think. ;)

          20. Phill_Giles | Mar 09, 2002 08:50am | #24

            *1937 model 6S. - 600cc In the 60's/70's, Triumphs pretty much came in two flavours: 500's (Tigers/Trophes) and 650's (Bonnevilles); I'm not sure when the 350 dropped out of the line

          21. Jeff_J._Buck | Mar 09, 2002 12:50pm | #25

            *Armin.....I'm pretty sure Phill is outside of Toronto,Ont. Jeff

          22. Jeff_J._Buck | Mar 09, 2002 12:54pm | #26

            *Armin......You forgot my new favorite....Halifax! What ever flavor Ron handed me! Think it had a pic of a boat....can't remember for sure.....Newf tore off all the labels, then Adrain fed us moonshine. Jeff

          23. Armin_ | Mar 09, 2002 03:34pm | #27

            *Ron,i I'll have Propellor, thanksNever heard of it, does it make your head spin or jet propel your butt into the ozone?

          24. Armin_ | Mar 09, 2002 03:42pm | #28

            *OK I'll admit, dufuss me misread the spiral thread, yeah, we northern stump jumpers can't build a spiral to service an area more than 250 sq. ft. either. In one case the only option was to build a set of of stairs to the second floor deck. The client removed them a year after final inspection, seems his son used them to sneak out of the house after hours. In my younger days I didn't bother with the stairs, rope out the window worked just fine, until mom cut six feet off the bottom that is.

          25. Phill_Giles | Mar 09, 2002 09:23pm | #29

            *The English language: causes more disputes than religion.

          26. Ron_Budgell | Mar 10, 2002 03:28am | #30

            *As a former rider of a BSA Victor, often known as the boneshaker, I feel I have a right to ask this: Why are there no British computers?Answer: they haven't yet been able to make them leak oil.

          27. phil_eves | Mar 10, 2002 05:20am | #31

            *Lucas computers?..... Made by Lucas, the prince of darkness?...... Self-answering question.

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