Considerations of a Stone Staircase

At The Stonemasonry Company Limited we know that every project is unique, and requires the attention of one of our dedicated designers, sometimes we are engaged once a project is well and truly underway, and at other times we are asked to comment on a project very early on. In those cases there are a number of considerations that can be made to get the most out of a statement stone staircase so we decided to share a little insight into our process in those early stages, and we hope you find this useful. 

- If you want to fit a statement staircase in your home, what should you consider? 

A statement staircase can take many different forms, it could be a statement because of its quirkiness or it size/scale or because of the type of stone. But for a staircase to be a statement, it has to become a focal point of the room and thus the space should be designed with the staircase in mind whenever possible. In new builds the space can often be too tight, leaving no breathing space for the staircase, which can also mean less comfortable staircases.

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Taking into account all of the angles from which you will view your statement staircase, and how you will be welcomed by it, is key for a successful staircase. You will be enjoying the staircase from many angles, the main elevation, but also looking down from the landing or maybe from its stair light.

In existing builds, where the space is set, clever design features and layout come into play, for example reducing landing area or playing on the shapes and dimensions of the stair light. In most cases we try to make the stair look as light and as effortless as possible without loosing proportion. We reach the best designs by encouraging a back and forth dialogue with clients and architects.

- With stone staircases in particular, what are the dos and don'ts?

  • One of the most important things to do is to take time when selecting your stone type, to make sure that the stone is suitable for your space, and perfectly fits into your scheme. You will see from our gallery that there is quite a variety to choose from - https://www.thestonemasonrycompany.co.uk/stone-1 

  • We encourage our clients to consider limestone as an alternative to marble. Limestone isn’t as soft or easy to damage as people might first think, and marble can be expensive, more complex to shape and more work to maintain in the long term, making it a very costly option. 

  • For the design we always advise against a step width of less than 900 mm. Also we try to play with the 3 first steps and make them wide and inviting by flaring them out or adding curtail steps. 

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  • The combination of riser and going is critical. We like to get our ratio close to 270mm going and 180mm high. 

  • In case of long flights (more than 18 steps) try to insert a half landing. This could become an ideal welcoming platform for guest at parties.

  • Regarding the space for a staircase, in tight stair shafts, you want simple detailing on the steps to avoid a noisy and busy space. Play with the texture of the stone with its surface finish (Early Georgian, and John Soane style staircases are always interesting to refer to for simple design ideas).

  • If you are lucky and have space a lot more designs are available, and you can look at late Georgian and Edwardian staircase with their intricate soffits and large going (Check Lutyens works, our blog may give you an insight in to some of his projects - https://www.thestonemasonrycompany.co.uk/news/2019/5/21/the-poetry-of-lutyens).

  • In all cases, visit the St Pancras Hotel and ask to check the grand staircase and wonder in the incredible Somerset House to check out the incredible numbers of stone staircase installed there (naval staircase and stamp stair).

  • Traditional cantilever staircases usually allow a very narrow throat, try to get a well balance proportion between the length of the flight and its side elevation, you do not want a staircase that’s too “skinny”. Also we encourage our clients to think of the way the staircase is going to meet and interact with the landing. Nowadays we find that landing are filled with AV, Ventilation, pipes, light etc., try to push the services as far away from the staircase as possible so that the slender staircase connects to a slender landing.

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  • A traditional solid stone staircase will need at least a sturdy brick-supporting wall. However at The Stonemasonry Company Limited we can implement new systems to make the fitting of a stone staircase possible without a full loadbearing wall. We also use cutting edge technology to post tension natural stone, allowing the design of self supported stone staircase.   These Particular staircases appear to delicately float in mid air, just delicately touching at the top an bottom levels for connection, think of floating, flying, or even levitating stone, such as those featured in our projects page - https://www.thestonemasonrycompany.co.uk/post-tension-and-reinforced.

  • When beginning to plan a staircase remember to include the balustrade in the design as early as possible. When it comes to appointing the work we highly recommend a company like ours that can also deliver the balustrade and all other related items (like stone apron for the bulk head of the landing, skirting, stone stringer, etc.) to ensure continuity and more straightforward project coordination. In addition this will enable an integrated approach to the design that allows for a seamless flow between the lines of the staircase and the balustrade avoiding “kinks” or abrupt changes in height. 

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  • Although lighting is not a service we provide at The Stonemasonry Company Limited we know how important it is and would recommend that in a small light well only very discreet chandeliers or central pendant fittings are used, like LED drops or lights strings. Do not cram big large bulbous glass or numerous light shades that would asphyxiate the light well. Try to go for wall lights or a landing chandelier.

Blog, AllEmma Garner