Everything You Need to Know About Stairs and Staircases

In 2013, more than half of all the new detached homes built in the United States were designed and built with two or more stories. One in five featured a full or partial basement. What all of these homes have in common is that they each required some type of stairs or staircases in order to accommodate the extra levels. For those new to home design and custom home building, stairs and staircases play important roles in how the floorplans in GA are designed. This guide will share some important insight into these must-have features.

Types of Staircases

Stairs and staircases typically come in two varieties – basic and fancy. The basic variety staircase is usually installed in a part of the home where it isn't on display. This is a strictly utilitarian staircase, so it is not built to extravagant design schematics. A basic staircase is one that is most commonly used for accessing the basement or attic levels of a home.

A fancy staircase, on the other hand, is one that is meant to not only provide access to the home's upper levels, but it is designed to accentuate the home's actual aesthetic. With a fancy staircase, the designer can spread their creative wings and utilize different-sized steps, shapes, and configurations.

Staircase Materials

The most preferred material used on fancy staircases is of the natural variety. This can include natural hardwood or any type of natural stone. Using natural products result in an end-product that is not only beautiful, but also resilient and easy to maintain. Although these types of stairs tend to be significantly more expensive than practical plain stairs, they are intended to work as one of the home's statement pieces so you can understand why quality materials are a must.

Basic staircases, on the other hand, don't require any extravagant finishes. These stairs can be finished using a laminate product or even carpeting. Of course, these products won't hold up to high amounts of traffic, so you can expect to replace the surface materials on these stairs from time to time and as wear dictates.

Does Your Floorplan Demand a Spiral Staircase?

A large, airy entryway is best suited for the atmospheric elements of a grand spiral staircase. This type of fancy staircase draws the eyes of all who enter your home and if the space is large enough, it can certainly prove to be a benefit to your home's look and feel. In fact, if your entryway can support such an elaborate structure, you can expect your home's resale value to climb as well as home buyers will be instantly transfixed by the romantic nature of the staircase.

Keeping Your Staircase Safe

Staircases, while necessary for multi-level homes, can pose certain dangers if they don't feature adequate safety measures. For instance, open stairwells should feature handrails along both sides of the stairs to help prevent slips and falls. The foot surface, or tread, should also be in good condition and free of obstacles, toys, and other objects at all times. There should also be plenty of lighting installed above the staircase. Lastly, if you have very young children, then installing latched gates at the top and the bottom of the staircase will help reduce the risk of scary accidents and falls.

Visit Southland Today for the Best Floorplans in GA

Southland Custom Homes is one of Georgia's premier custom builders. We have model showrooms located in Macon (3956 Bloomfield Village Drive, Macon, GA 31206), Dawsonville (837 GA 400 S, Dawsonville, GA 30534), and Marietta (265 N. Cobb PKWY, Marietta, GA 30062). Stop by today to see some of the best floorplans in GA!

Southland Custom Homes builds in the following locations:

Baldwin County
Banks County
Barrow County
Bartow County
Bibb County
Bleckley County
Butts County
Carroll County
Cherokee County
Clarke County
Clayton County
Cobb County
Coweta County
Crawford County
Dawson County
DeKalb County
Dooly County
Douglas County
Fannin County
Fayette County
Floyd County
Forsyth County
Fulton County
Gilmer County
Gordon County
Greene County
Gwinnett County
Habersham County
Hall County
Hancock County
Haralson County
Hart County
Heard County
Henry County
Jackson County
Jasper County
Jones County
Lamar County
Lumpkin County
Macon County
Madison County
Meriwether County
Monroe County
Morgan County
Newton County
Oconee County
Oglethorpe County
Paulding County
Peach County
Pickens County
Pike County
Polk County
Pulaski County
Putnam County
Rockdale County
Stephens County
Talbot County
Taylor County
Twiggs County
Union County
Upson County
Walton County
White County
Wilkinson County

We also build in the following cities in Georgia:

Acworth
Alpharetta
Athens
Athens-Clarke
Atlanta
Barrow
Bartow
Belvedere
Belvedere Park
Brookhaven
Butts
Calhoun
Canton
Carroll
Carrollton
Cartersville
Cherokee
Cobb
College Park
Coweta
Cumming
Dawsonville
Decatur
Dekalb
Douglas
Dublin
Douglasville
Dunwoody
Duluth
East Point
Ellijay
Fayette
Forest Park
Forest
Forsyth
Gainesville
Grantville
Griffin
Gwinnett
Hall
Henry
Hinesville
Hogansville
Jasper
John's Creek
Kennesaw
LaGrange
Lake Allatoona
Lake Blue Ridge
Lake Chatuge
Lake Hartwell
Lake Jackson
Lake Lanier
Lake Nottely
Lake Oconee
Lawrenceville
Lone Oak
Mableton
Macon
Marietta
McDonough
Milledgeville
Milton
Newnan
Newton
North Atlanta
North Druid Hills
The North Georgia mountains
Paulding
Peachtree City
Redan
Rockdale
Rome
Roswell
Sandy Springs
Smyrna
Snellville
Spalding
Stone Mountain
Sugar Hill
Tucker
Union City
Washington
Winder