Smudger Posted July 7, 2017 Share Posted July 7, 2017 Hi, Thoughts and help please. I am installing a staircase in my house in France. The measurements at the moment give a riser height of 203mm and a tread of 200mm meaning that the pitch is around 45 degrees. Two questions. What are the regulations on pitch in France (I plan to rent the property out as holiday accommodation) and is 45 degrees too steep in any case. What pitch should I be aiming at. Any pointers would be really appreciated. Thanks.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cajal Posted July 7, 2017 Share Posted July 7, 2017 Rule of thumb:It would appear images I post won't dispay so the written preferred angle is 37 ° but can be between 30 ° and 45 ° Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andyh4 Posted July 7, 2017 Share Posted July 7, 2017 200mm tread width (8 inches in old money) sounds a very narrow step width.Going up your heel will not be on the tread at all * and you run a risk of falling. * Unless you are Chinese and have bound feet that fit into children's shoes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alittlebitfrench Posted July 7, 2017 Share Posted July 7, 2017 There are regulations for stairs...especially if the property is rented out. If I am motivated (feeling a bit sore at the mo), I will try and find and post them later. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pomme Posted July 7, 2017 Share Posted July 7, 2017 A search for "norme rampe escalier intérieur" will give you web pages with the information which will allow you to make your own decision. The images are useful. The norme varies depending on the type of use of the building http://www.escaliers-echelle-europeenne.com/conseils-pratiques/normes-et-juridiction/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chancer Posted July 7, 2017 Share Posted July 7, 2017 looks like I have deleted all my staircase design bookmarks except this one because it has the best pictures: http://www.eyrolles.com/Chapitres/9782212125399/Pages-8-9_Engel.pdf The figures they give are incorrect regarding the French legal requirements which are really nonsensical inasmuch as a very steep staircase wigh shallow treads like yours does actually conform, there is no minimum and maximum for rise, going or the angle, what that site gives is sensible recommendations, the only requirement is that 2 x H + 1 x G(in cms) must fall between 58 and 62 and not the figures the web pags shows. The staircase I made is very close to yours, prtty sure the rise is 204mm and the angle is 44.6° mine and yours will never be put to the test, I see many new homes with non conforming staircases and using the formula you can sometimes be forced to make a staircase steeper than you need want to conform, real dumb! I have a niggling recollection though that somewhere it is stated that the riser must not exceed 20cm, it wont happen but if ever I have to justify mine I will say that it is 20.4cm and not 21cm, were the requirement expressed in mm's it would be different. My staircase I refer to is to the final upper floor, the others have un escalier confort, its steep but not dangerous if well lit and there is a handrail, no-one has complained and I have no problem running up and down them all day long, those 2 loft studios are rented to Young students 10 months of the year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chancer Posted July 7, 2017 Share Posted July 7, 2017 Andy. The danger with a shallow tread is in descending rather than going up, think of une echelle de meunier or on a boat, if its really shallow its far safer to descend facing up the stairs, same as a steep embankment but most people have a real problem with that, I ask them when they climb up a ladder do they turn around before climbing down? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andyh4 Posted July 7, 2017 Share Posted July 7, 2017 I don't disagree Chancer (as an ex-climber going up is simple, arriving back down in one piece? Now that's the trick.), but the example of going up was easier to get the message across. It is easy to run up stairs on your toes unless you are at the @rse end of a double mattress. As for taking it down........................... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chancer Posted July 7, 2017 Share Posted July 7, 2017 I understand. To the OP, the G measure, giron = going is the horizontal measure from the nose of one stair to the nose of the stair above (or below) the actual tread will be 2 or 3cm deeper, you therefore have more space for the foot going up the stairs than down. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
richard51 Posted July 7, 2017 Share Posted July 7, 2017 With due respect to those who know the legalities, isn't it common sense to have as low a gradient as possible. Stick a bend in if at all possible and it will pay in the long run. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Judith Posted July 7, 2017 Share Posted July 7, 2017 No idea what the technical norms are, all I can say is that when I was learning to do steps again after my hip op, I soon managed the stairs they had in the clinic, and was someone surprised, though the higher ones they hard were difficult. We measured them. I could manage the lower ones, but the deeper ones were hard, and I couldn't do them at that stage. They measured 200 ... guess what our stairs are at home. Took me quite some time to be able to do our steps at home properly though I could go up one by one easily enough. Still need a handrail to get me up, 4 months on ... though I do usually go up normally otherwise now.So read into that what you will ... I can now tell when steps are deep, still need a helping hand, whereas those less steep I can now, sometimes, do without holding on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chancer Posted July 7, 2017 Share Posted July 7, 2017 [quote user="richard51"]With due respect to those who know the legalities, isn't it common sense to have as low a gradient as possible. Stick a bend in if at all possible and it will pay in the long run.[/quote] Of course with the proviso that too low a gradient itself becomes dangerous like a shallow garden slope with steps where you go out of step. But in a dwelling there are always constraints and I really had to squeeze all my 4 staircases in. Here is a concrete one I made! Too steep for the normes though! [IMG]http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/ff295/jr7man/Houses/CIMG0745.jpg[/IMG] Just calculated that I have 6 staircases, all but one made by me In fact 7 including this old one that got cut down to put in a ceiling and then was used as shelving[IMG]http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/ff295/jr7man/Houses/CIMG3400_zpss8wiqvqf.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/ff295/jr7man/Houses/CIMG3399_zpshplwzqax.jpg[/IMG] The Inside access to my cellar is through the door Under the stairs leading to yet another staircase, the external cellar access shown at the top was never needed and was for the moment at least a complete waste of time in hindsight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
richard51 Posted July 8, 2017 Share Posted July 8, 2017 Chancer you have just demonstrated why I am not a builder. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chancer Posted July 8, 2017 Share Posted July 8, 2017 The world is safe for I am now a full time cleaner/housekeeper [:(] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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