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cj_hawes

U-shaped Stairs Dimensions

cj_hawes
3 years ago

I'm currently in the early stages of new construction, working with a designer who's turning the plans I designed into real plans. My plans include u-shaped/switchback stairs in a walled-in alcove, open up and down with the railings in the middle. I'm trying to keep the footprint to a minimum so I designed the alcove to be roughly 7' wide, which is the size in all of the online floor plans that I based my design off of. The designer said that, according to his stair guy, the stairs have to be at least 8 feet wide. Is this right? I know the minimum tread width is 36" and I don't see how I need much more than a foot for the posts/railings. I'm thinking the stair guy he talked to didn't know that it was walled in on both sides and was assuming railings on the outside, which would account for an extra foot. However, I may just be completely wrong. Any help on this would be great so I don't end up arguing with the designer and being wrong.

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