All You Need to Know About Standard Flight of Stairs

Have you ever wondered what is the standard flight of stairs? Now, before all of the people use elevators and escalators, people use the stairs to get to another floor. Now, a flight of stairs is also called as a stairway, staircase, stairwell, or stairs.

The purpose of the stairs is to divide a large vertical gap into a smaller one which is then called the steps. With that being said, stairs help us a lot as without it we cannot climb to the top of the building.

Now, stairs can be in many forms. Stairs can be straight and it also can be round. Stairs can also be formed of multiple pieces connected by small landings. If you want to know more details of stairs such as parts of the stairs and the standard flight, then keep on reading this article and find out the answer.

How Many Steps In A Standard Flight Of Stairs?

The general rule in the United States is 7-11 with a 7-inch rise and an 11-inch run (17.78cm-27.94cm). More precisely, no more than 7 3/4 inches (19.7cm) for the Steps (vertical) and a minimum of 10 inches (25.4cm) for the tread (horizontal or step).

Are Handrails Required On Both Sides Of Stairs?

the answer is yes if the stairway is between 44 and 88 inches in width.

Parts of the Stairs

There are at least nine parts of the stairs that you need to know. The first one is the step which is a flat surface and used to place our foot. The second part is the tread which is the part of the stairs that stepped on. The thickness of the tread is the same as other floorings. The third part is the riser which is the vertical portion between each of the treads. The fourth one is the nosing which is the edge part of the tread that is protruded over the riser that is underneath it.

The fifth part is the bullnose or the starting step. This is the part where it is usually wider than other steps as it is located above the landing and lower floor. The sixth part is the stringer which is the part that supported both the tread and riser. There are three types of stringers.

The first one is located on either side of the stairs, the second one is located in the center, and the third one is added for wider spans. The seventh part is the winders which are narrowed steps which then used when we need to change direction without the landing. The eighth part is the trim which is used to decorate and support the stairs. Last but not least, the ninth part is the curtail step which is the decorative step that is located at the bottom of the stairs. Now, are you ready to know the standard flight of stairs?

The Standard Flight

Then, after we all know the parts of the stairs, how many are steps that need to be in the standard flight of stairs? Here is the thing, there is no exact number on the flight of stairs.

A flight of stairs is usually an uninterrupted series of stairs. Meaning, the number of stairs is varied depending on the building, the location, and the space between one floor and another. Hence, you will find that there are two stairs in the same building that has a different number for the steps. If you are still curious, you can count the steps every time you climb the stairs.