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Momma2015
Mommax2
Member since 12/12 6656 total posts
Name:
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Spiral staircase in home with children?
Does anyone have an open spiral staircase in their home?
DH and I are closing on our home within the next two weeks and the first thing we wanted to do was finish the attic and build a staircase to connect it to the second floor landing. DH says it's too small of a space to build a regular staircase, which he may be right, but I'd like an actual professional opinion before nixing that idea entirely. He plans to get a spiral staircase kit and install it himself (he installs floors for a living and says he has installed stairs many times... I'm skeptical). Unfortunately, the kits are all very open which makes me very nervous. Our intention was to make the attic a movie/playroom. Our DD is not born yet (due in April), but I see no point in wasting $3k on a staircase that I don't feel is very kid friendly. What do you think? Am I being a paranoid FTM?
This is an example of one of the kits from Home Depot:
Message edited 1/12/2016 3:38:44 PM.
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Posted 1/12/16 3:38 PM  |
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Mags1227
Just a mommy ...
Member since 10/10 2665 total posts
Name:
M
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Re: Spiral staircase in home with children?
i would be scared.
SIL has a spiral staircase to her loft, and i get scared walking up there, let alone having a child using it. especially in the beginning when first learning to walk.
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| Posted 1/12/16 3:58 PM |
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GoldenRod
10 years on LIF!
Member since 11/06 26792 total posts
Name:
Shawn
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Re: Spiral staircase in home with children?
I saw several spiral stairs on-line with the risers filled in, so it's as closed-in as a straight stairs. Some had a solid riser, some had a hanging riser, that still had some space. Not enough for a tiny head to fit, but enough for toes and light to go through. The riser came down from the tread above it.
If your DH installs floors, he should be able to retrofit any existing stairs with some riser filler panels to close up the tread spacing.
I think it's a good idea.
The HD ones all look like pretty much the same design. You may have to look at spiral stairs companies to get what you're looking for.
They have "code risers" that maintain a less than 4" gap between risers.
https://www.salterspiralstair.com/spiral-stairs/classic-steel/
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| Posted 1/12/16 4:20 PM |
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Momma2015
Mommax2
Member since 12/12 6656 total posts
Name:
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Re: Spiral staircase in home with children?
Posted by GoldenRod
I saw several spiral stairs on-line with the risers filled in, so it's as closed-in as a straight stairs. Some had a solid riser, some had a hanging riser, that still had some space. Not enough for a tiny head to fit, but enough for toes and light to go through. The riser came down from the tread above it.
If your DH installs floors, he should be able to retrofit any existing stairs with some riser filler panels to close up the tread spacing.
I think it's a good idea.
The HD ones all look like pretty much the same design. You may have to look at spiral stairs companies to get what you're looking for.
They have "code risers" that maintain a less than 4" gap between risers.
IMAGE
https://www.salterspiralstair.com/spiral-stairs/classic-steel/
Thank you for this!! This was my exact compromise but DH seemed hesitant to add anything to it to close them up saying it would be too expensive or we'd need to have a carpenter come in to do it. I'm going to send this to him. Even if we don't add this right away, we could do it a year from now when she's starting to walk. The space between the treads just makes me too nervous!
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| Posted 1/12/16 4:26 PM |
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NYCGirl80
I love my kiddies!
Member since 5/11 10413 total posts
Name:
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Re: Spiral staircase in home with children?
How much will you actually be using the staircase? If you're connecting the second floor to the attic, it may not be something you're using daily, right?
I find that children who live in houses with staircases learn to do steps safely much more quickly. I'd probably just put stair-safe child gates at the top and bottom and call it a day. Babies are only young for a short time, so build the house you want. By the time your child is a couple of years old, s/he'll be running up and down the stairs anyway.
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| Posted 1/13/16 8:31 AM |
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PitterPatter11
Baby Boy is Here!
Member since 5/11 7632 total posts
Name:
Momma <3
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Re: Spiral staircase in home with children?
Posted by NYCGirl80
How much will you actually be using the staircase? If you're connecting the second floor to the attic, it may not be something you're using daily, right?
I find that children who live in houses with staircases learn to do steps safely much more quickly. I'd probably just put stair-safe child gates at the top and bottom and call it a day. Babies are only young for a short time, so build the house you want. By the time your child is a couple of years old, s/he'll be running up and down the stairs anyway.
I kinda feel this way too. DS is only 20 months old and has been a pro on the stairs since 15 months or so. He can easily go up and down the stairs independently and safely (granted 99% of the time I still watch him). At this point, we only have a gate at the top of the stairs and the main reason for that is he runs in the hallway and I'm scared he'll trip.
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| Posted 1/13/16 9:02 AM |
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Momma2015
Mommax2
Member since 12/12 6656 total posts
Name:
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Re: Spiral staircase in home with children?
Posted by PitterPatter11
Posted by NYCGirl80
How much will you actually be using the staircase? If you're connecting the second floor to the attic, it may not be something you're using daily, right?
I find that children who live in houses with staircases learn to do steps safely much more quickly. I'd probably just put stair-safe child gates at the top and bottom and call it a day. Babies are only young for a short time, so build the house you want. By the time your child is a couple of years old, s/he'll be running up and down the stairs anyway.
I kinda feel this way too. DS is only 20 months old and has been a pro on the stairs since 15 months or so. He can easily go up and down the stairs independently and safely (granted 99% of the time I still watch him). At this point, we only have a gate at the top of the stairs and the main reason for that is he runs in the hallway and I'm scared he'll trip.
Well the basement is more unfinished (and smaller!) than the attic, so we wanted to use the attic space as a movie room/playroom of sorts. So we kind of planned to use it pretty often. I do plan to put a gate there regardless so it's not like I'm going to let her go up and down the stairs unsupervised. There just seems to be so much space between the treads. I think we will do the spiral staircase, but add the risers down the road if I still feel they're necessary. Thanks for the input! I'm sure I'm just being extra paranoid as a FTM. 
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| Posted 1/13/16 9:15 AM |
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busymomonli
Resident Insomniac
Member since 4/13 2052 total posts
Name:
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Spiral staircase in home with children?
We have a spiral staircase that looks exactly like this. In fact, it leads to my daughters room and she's been up there since she was 4.5. She has never had any problem, not one fall ever. Now she's 16 and she flies up and down those stairs like its nothing.
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| Posted 1/13/16 11:09 AM |
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busymomonli
Resident Insomniac
Member since 4/13 2052 total posts
Name:
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Spiral staircase in home with children?
We got ours from Mylen stairs and installed them ourselves!
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| Posted 1/13/16 11:10 AM |
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Momma2015
Mommax2
Member since 12/12 6656 total posts
Name:
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Re: Spiral staircase in home with children?
Posted by busymomonli
We have a spiral staircase that looks exactly like this. In fact, it leads to my daughters room and she's been up there since she was 4.5. She has never had any problem, not one fall ever. Now she's 16 and she flies up and down those stairs like its nothing.
That is VERY good to hear! Thank you!
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| Posted 1/13/16 11:10 AM |
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busymomonli
Resident Insomniac
Member since 4/13 2052 total posts
Name:
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Spiral staircase in home with children?
You're welcome! Good luck.
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| Posted 1/13/16 11:54 AM |
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JDubs
different, not less
Member since 7/09 13160 total posts
Name:
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Re: Spiral staircase in home with children?
I think it would be fine although I would prefer the staircase w/ risers
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| Posted 1/13/16 2:03 PM |
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AliceCullen
LIF Adult
Member since 6/08 1497 total posts
Name:
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Re: Spiral staircase in home with children?
I grew up in a house with a spiral staircase. Neither my brother or I ever fell and our friends always thought it was so cool when they came over.
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| Posted 1/13/16 3:19 PM |
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butterfly20
Party of 5 - 2015
Member since 4/06 7390 total posts
Name:
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Spiral staircase in home with children?
I wanted to bid on a house that had one... the staircase leading to the basement didnt feel very sturdy when we walked in it though.
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| Posted 1/13/16 9:36 PM |
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