Cantilever Staircases
The term ‘cantilever staircases’ might sound fancy, but it is really just a flight of stairs running up an inside or outside wall. The word cantilever means that the stairs are only supported by the wall; there are no supports under the outer edge of the individual steps. This has the plus of leaving the area under the steps wide open, which is both aesthetically pleasing and gives you more open space.
There are some things to consider when looking at cantilever stairs.
There are some things to consider when looking at cantilever stairs.
As the wall will do all of the support for the stairs, you need to make sure that the wall is strong enough to take the load. This is where an architect or engineer is needed. If you’re making the stairs part of a new building, merely have the wall designed to take the load. If you are looking to add a flight of cantilever stairs to an existing wall, then you will need to have the wall evaluated by an engineer. As the stairs are mounted to a wall, you only have to install one railing, which is a further savings in the overall cost.
One way of saving on weight is to go with a basic frame, especially metal, solid treads (steps), and no risers. You can also run cantilever stairs up the outside of a building, which is typically for a fire escape. In that case, a basic metal frame set of stairs, painted to protect it from rain, is the standard type. Also, hotels, inns and other businesses often use such stairs for warehouses and access to offices, rooms, and so on. In all of these cases, the stairs are an inexpensive means of providing optimal access.
