Last night we looked at a house that we really loved but there is a huge structural problem, one that could easily be a deal-breaker for me, it's about a dangerously steep staircase inside the house.

 

I really don't know any architects or anyone to consult to find out if there is some kind of way to tackle this problem that we don't know about, and then I thought of UO and thought maybe some of you might be able to offer an opinion.  We will not even consider putting in a bid if there's not something else that could be done instead, it's just not something we could live with, it's too dangerous.

 

I'd rather not have the whole discussion about this online, but if you are interested in giving me an opinion, please PM me and I'll give you more info, including pix.

Last night we looked at a house that we really loved but there is a huge structural problem, one that could easily be a deal-breaker for me, it's about a dangerously steep staircase inside the house.

 

I really don't know any architects or anyone to consult to find out if there is some kind of way to tackle this problem that we don't know about, and then I thought of UO and thought maybe some of you might be able to offer an opinion.  We will not even consider putting in a bid if there's not something else that could be done instead, it's just not something we could live with, it's too dangerous.

 

I'd rather not have the whole discussion about this online, but if you are interested in giving me an opinion, please PM me and I'll give you more info, including pix.

 

Can the bid be contingent on the stairs.  Have you hired a building inspector?  Have him look at the stairs, and if they are unsafe maybe you can write the cost of repair into the contract or have the current owner(s) repair to your specifications before or while in escrow.

 

Last night we looked at a house that we really loved but there is a huge structural problem, one that could easily be a deal-breaker for me, it's about a dangerously steep staircase inside the house.

 

I really don't know any architects or anyone to consult to find out if there is some kind of way to tackle this problem that we don't know about, and then I thought of UO and thought maybe some of you might be able to offer an opinion. We will not even consider putting in a bid if there's not something else that could be done instead, it's just not something we could live with, it's too dangerous.

 

I'd rather not have the whole discussion about this online, but if you are interested in giving me an opinion, please PM me and I'll give you more info, including pix.

 

Can the bid be contingent on the stairs. Have you hired a building inspector? Have him look at the stairs, and if they are unsafe maybe you can write the cost of repair into the contract or have the current owner(s) repair to your specifications before or while in escrow.

 

 

I don't want to get to the point of hiring an inspector or whatever until I know if/what reasonable "repair" to this might be.  From looking at it, I don't see a solution. But I'm not an architect, that's why I asked for help.  If I know what could be done, then we might proceed to do just what you describe.  I did hear from one person already, so that's a start.

Making a steep staircase more shallow would be extremely difficult and expensive, unless it is only a staircase to an attic or basement.  I have never seen it done on a stair connecting the first and second floor except in a complete remodel, when the layout of the rooms was changing. 

 

One thing that you see in older, steeper stairs is that they will make the nosing stick out almost 2" so that you still have room for good footing going up the stairs, but it doesn't help much when descending, unless you come down backwards like going down a ladder.

Last night we looked at a house that we really loved but there is a huge structural problem, one that could easily be a deal-breaker for me, it's about a dangerously steep staircase inside the house.

 

I really don't know any architects or anyone to consult to find out if there is some kind of way to tackle this problem that we don't know about, and then I thought of UO and thought maybe some of you might be able to offer an opinion.  We will not even consider putting in a bid if there's not something else that could be done instead, it's just not something we could live with, it's too dangerous.

 

I'd rather not have the whole discussion about this online, but if you are interested in giving me an opinion, please PM me and I'll give you more info, including pix.

 

Can the bid be contingent on the stairs.  Have you hired a building inspector?  Have him look at the stairs, and if they are unsafe maybe you can write the cost of repair into the contract or have the current owner(s) repair to your specifications before or while in escrow.

 

 

I don't want to get to the point of hiring an inspector or whatever until I know if/what reasonable "repair" to this might be.  From looking at it, I don't see a solution. But I'm not an architect, that's why I asked for help.  If I know what could be done, then we might proceed to do just what you describe.  I did hear from one person already, so that's a start.

 

Good.  if you buy we want to see before and after pics

Making a steep staircase more shallow would be extremely difficult and expensive, unless it is only a staircase to an attic or basement. I have never seen it done on a stair connecting the first and second floor except in a complete remodel, when the layout of the rooms was changing.

 

One thing that you see in older, steeper stairs is that they will make the nosing stick out almost 2" so that you still have room for good footing going up the stairs, but it doesn't help much when descending, unless you come down backwards like going down a ladder.

 

well, it's kind of an attic.  i suspect when it was built it was the attic, but it's been updated and carpeted and a 2nd (the only other) bath has been put in.  I don't think it's possible to make it more shallow, I'm thinking maybe something can be put in instead, besides a rope ladder or fire pole. Ha.

There are always small spiral staircase that you can buy in pieces and assemble, like you see in a lot of loft apartments.

 

Otherwise, rebuilding a stairway is usually pretty expensive and intensive. 

There are always small spiral staircase that you can buy in pieces and assemble, like you see in a lot of loft apartments.

 

Otherwise, rebuilding a stairway is usually pretty expensive and intensive. 

eww.  no. No. NO!

I have to agree - I've told my partner that if we ever move, spiral staircases and floating staircases are 100% dealbreakers. Spirals are just evil, and I'm convinced that a monster/axe murderer lurks under all floating staircases (and can thus grab my foot from under the staircase!)

As one person pointed out to me off the board, a spiral is really not a good option anyway unless you have some other access to the floor - how are you going to move stuff up and down?  And this is a big, full floor, not just like a crawl space. I don't think a spiral would work.

 

Unfortunately, as I suspected, this is just going to be a deal breaker.  It's too bad.  I don't know WHY they would construct the property that way.  Nor do I understand why the property line for the next property over juts into the driveway so that you cannot drive straight back to the garage, you would have to turn a pretty dicey angle between the neighbors' fence and the corner of the house.  I was willing to at least attempt that one though, to see if it was something you could live with, if we could have solved the stairs problem. Ah well, wasn't meant to be.

I have to agree - I've told my partner that if we ever move, spiral staircases and floating staircases are 100% dealbreakers. Spirals are just evil, and I'm convinced that a monster/axe murderer lurks under all floating staircases (and can thus grab my foot from under the staircase!)

 

LMAO!  Laaawd!

 

No seriously, they are dangerous.  When I lived in BK I had soft spiral staircase to the roof.  Id tripped a number of time but always caught myself.  One day I slipped...it was not cute.  I thought I broke my hip. 

 

My middle nephew fell from the top all the way to the bottom and I thought he seriously injured himself, as he laid at the bottom of the steps.  A few seconds later, he pops up and said, that was fun.  I thought I would kill him.  He considers the stitches he received the "staircase battle scar". 

I think they're awful too.  I tell you though, a spiral is actually LESS dangerous than what's in there now, the stairs are so narrow and STEEP it's almost like climing a vertical wall, like a slightly angled rock climbing wall.

I hate spiral staircases. When I was young I climbed to the top of the Fairport Lighthouse (the one in my avatar; stairs pictured below). I was moving so slowly and clinging really close to the wall, trying to not look down through the holes in the steps (people behind me were getting pissed). The trip back down was equally traumatic.

 

 

I have to agree - I've told my partner that if we ever move, spiral staircases and floating staircases are 100% dealbreakers. Spirals are just evil, and I'm convinced that a monster/axe murderer lurks under all floating staircases (and can thus grab my foot from under the staircase!)

 

If you ever move, don't ever consider a loft apartment!  I don't think I've seen anything but in any of these new condos in OTR.  I actually prefer the open staircases, but would fall to a spiral as a last resort only.  They're actually not permitted as the only access to a "full floor" per fire code.

 

If it's a full floor up there, keeping the steep stair would be a better bet.  I'm currently living in NYC so when you said attic like space, I figured it was something a little bit bigger than the 4'  high "loft" in some of the apartments I have looked at here. 

Is there an online listing to this place that we can check out?  This sounds like a very interesting, albeit unusual property. 

 

Here you go MTS, this is 4 stories tall and in a public building!  One day I went to the small cafe on the ground floor and got cruel laughter as a few people bombed going down this.  It was mostly their faults for not paying attention, but very dangerous.  They do look kind of nice though.

 

Ironically, the building name is 211 Hayward.  Maybe this was my evil plan.

Is there an online listing to this place that we can check out? This sounds like a very interesting, albeit unusual property.

 

I will PM you.

Is there an online listing to this place that we can check out?  This sounds like a very interesting, albeit unusual property. 

 

I will PM you.

 

oh come on, we all want to know.

tough! :)

tough! :)

:cry: :oops: :cry:

 

 

here's a spiral staircase for you... these lead to the top of the fire monument in London.  311 spiral steps.  I have climbed this.  The view at the top is worth it, though the trek back down is terrifying. The steps are so narrow that when you encounter someone coming in the opposite direction you have to press yourself flat against the exterior wall.  When you make it back down the monument, they actually give you a certificate commemorating the fact you made it to the top and back.

By the way, rnr, is this similar to what you are dealing with?

No, it's much, much shorter and IMO steeper than that. 

here's a spiral staircase for you... these lead to the top of the fire monument in London.  311 spiral steps.  I have climbed this.  The view at the top is worth it, though the trek back down is terrifying. The steps are so narrow that when you encounter someone coming in the opposite direction you have to press yourself flat against the exterior wall.  When you make it back down the monument, they actually give you a certificate commemorating the fact you made it to the top and back.

 

 

 

No, it's much, much shorter and IMO steeper than that.

yeah... there's really nothing you're going to be able to do about that.  here's the solution... you're going to have to essentially double the width of the opening taking down one or both of the walls in the stairway, extend the stairs out to the hallway, with a platform roughly where the hallway is, and then turn direction heading back down in the other direction.  Of course in order to make that possible you would have to expand the opening to the attic space all the way to the back of that platform to allow for enough overhead clearance.  So essentially you'd lose all the floor space in that attic space, and it'd be extremely costly.  If you aren't comfortable with the stairs (which surely don't meet code), time to move on.

That attic space or whatever looks cool! I love how they force odd shapes into the wall.

yeah... there's really nothing you're going to be able to do about that. here's the solution... you're going to have to essentially double the width of the opening taking down one or both of the walls in the stairway, extend the stairs out to the hallway, with a platform roughly where the hallway is, and then turn direction heading back down in the other direction. Of course in order to make that possible you would have to expand the opening to the attic space all the way to the back of that platform to allow for enough overhead clearance. So essentially you'd lose all the floor space in that attic space, and it'd be extremely costly. If you aren't comfortable with the stairs (which surely don't meet code), time to move on.

 

the hallway is very small/narrow there, that wouldn't work either.  And construction like that would destroy the only decent sized closet which is the master bedroom closet, right under the stairs the way they are now.  It sucks but I agree there's just nothing that can be done with it.  Honestly, if the 2nd bath wasn't on that floor I would just say screw it and lock it up and use it for storage.

That attic space or whatever looks cool! I love how they force odd shapes into the wall.

 

The whole house has these really cute features like that, built in lazy susans, cool little nooks, it's really too bad.

Well, as a good girlfriend of mine would say:

 

 

 

Tear down that BITCH of a bearing wall and put a staircase where it OUGHT to be!

LOL. Major construction is not what we'd be looking to do when first moving into a house.  We are basically only looking at places that are "move-in" condition for a variety of reasons.

LOL. Major construction is not what we'd be looking to do when first moving into a house.  We are basically only looking at places that are "move-in" condition for a variety of reasons.

 

Don't be scared of a little construction.  Its therapeutic!  LOL ;D

No thanks.  We won't have time for that.