I need help with winder stairs!!!

[SHELLEPOCH]

I need help drawing a set of winder stairs in plan view.

Im using autocad 2008.

[ReMark]

Circular stairs? What shape are the stair treads (rectangular, triangular, other?)?

 

How many steps are there? Are the stairs metal, wood or a combination of both?

 

What have you drawn so far?

[SHELLEPOCH]

U-shaped, wood, 15 risers. Nothing.

[SHELLEPOCH]

Looks like I have room for a striaght run of 5 risers. then 5 winding risers and the last straight run of 5 risers to the second floor.

[ReMark]

What do you have for dimensions? Give us something to work with.

[ReMark]

Looks like I have room for a striaght run of 5 risers. then 5 winding risers and the last straight run of 5 risers to the second floor.

Did you get something drawn up finally or did you decide not to pursue it?

 

You never mentioned any dimensions so we also don't know if you are using imperial or metric units.

Edited November 24, 2013 by ReMark

[ReMark]

I don't draw stairs for a living but this would be my guess at what it might look like. I use imperial units so the stair treads are 36" wide 5/4x10. Dashed line represents the face of the riser below. Tread overhang is set at 1/2". Of course you may, or may not, want to add your newel posts and railings.

[SuperCAD]

If this is for an actual project, you're going to have to be aware of the codes regarding winder stair treads. There is a minimum nose to nose distance that needs to be maintained at a specific distance from the inside edge of the tread. This will limit the number of winder treads that you can have. For example, it was very typical for a contractor to build a set of stairs with a 90 degree turn using three winder treads. With the new codes in place, this had to be reduced to two treads since the spacing wouldn't allow for three (basically a 36" x 36" landing). You could make the landing 36" x 42" and get away with it since you had more room to space the winder treads out.

 

EDIT: It's been a long time since I've had to review a building code (I've been out of the architectural world for a number of years). The building code in Wisconsin states that the nose to nose spacing on winder treads needs to be a minimum of 7" measured 12" in from the narrow end of the tread. In Wisconsin, ReMark's drawing would work since the distance would be about 7-3/4" nose to nose.

 

HOWEVER, according to the 2006 IBC the tread depth needs to be 11" measured 12" in at a right angle from the leading edge of the tread. In that case, you'll only be able to get 4 winder treads in a U-shaped landing. I'm not sure if they've relaxed that rule in one of the more recent codes (I don't have anything newer than 2006 for the IBC or ICC).

Edited November 24, 2013 by SuperCAD

[Dana W]

Looks like I have room for a striaght run of 5 risers. then 5 winding risers and the last straight run of 5 risers to the second floor.

You failed to mention what jurisdiction you will be building in. In my area, you cannot have more than 3 winders (90 deg turn) before a flat landing of at least 36" square.

 

EDIT: the restrictions could very well have been modified since the last time I built any houses, so locally we may only be allowed 2 winders as well. I have always thought that with 3 risers, the tight side of the treads seemed to disappear under foot.

 

I have found it best to design stairs in the elevation/section views. There are headroom considerations to be accounted for, especially at any intermediate landings. In this area, the ceiling has to be a minimum of 6'-8" above the stairs measured at the nosing. This includes landings.

[Dana W]

As well, the dimension restrictions mentioned by others do apply here in my area. Another note; stair nosing overhang must be at least 1 1//8" measured from the edge of nosing to the riser face.

[Bill Tillman]

And don't forget...at least in commercial projects, if you rise more than 144" you have to have an intermediate landing so old people like me can catch our breath...and there are handrail considerations to take into account as well. I know it's sounds complex, but years of study have gone into this because stairs can be a dangerous place to be...and do you have to follow any regulations for handicapped...etc... Stairs I have found are an entire industry unto themselves.

[ReMark]

Seems we might have a case of information overload. The OP hasn't returned. Maybe he thought better of the idea?