Alternating Tread Stairs

by Adrian How

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Alternating tread stairs have generally been made of steel and used in industrial areas. The really cool thing about these stairs is the fact that they’re great space savers and to a certain extent, somewhat of a plus aesthetically

These things don’t look easy to ascend or descend

On the contrary. These stairs are more user friendly than you think! Alternating tread stairs allow ascend and descend at a steeper angle hence has a greatly reduced footprint as opposed to traditional stairs. If you’ve got a really small area in which to build a set of stairs, the choices are either to use alternating tread stairs or spirals. The former is easier and speedier when it comes to ascending/descending and due to its straight line design, a lot more convenient when you need to shift large objects up or down the stairs.

Why would I not like these stairs?

Several reasons. Due to its steepness, elderly folks will not particularly enjoy using them. Each tread is meant only for one foot and usually has insufficient space for both feet – those with problems on one leg/foot will face problems with alternating tread stairs.

Building codes in the western world usually classify them as ladders due to its steep nature (usually 65 degrees compared to normal stairs which are less than 45 degrees). The great thing about them is how they could look in a modern contemporary home. The image below is taken from treehugger, showcasing a beautiful implementation of alternating tread stairs for residential use.

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I personally like the minimalistic look. If I ever decide to build an attic, I think alternating tread stairs would be the perfect solution to connecting the top floor to the attic. Truth be told, I don’t do too well in steep and narrow spirals.

Love stairs? View a previous post here: 21 Beautiful Modern Stairs

Imagesource: lapeyrestair.com, treehugger