Spiral Stairs and Non Permitted Uses

At Great Lakes Stair we often get requests for spiral stair projects, and we have noticed that many of the requests can’t be fulfilled because it would violate building codes or conflict with permitted uses. It is our policy and duty to educate our potential customers on what is and what is not allowed when it comes to spiral staircases. If we provide a spiral staircase for your home or business that does not fulfill a need properly or violates permitted uses, we can be held liable for issues or accidents involving those spiral stairs. In fact, the number one area of a home where injuries occur is the staircase, even more so than the kitchen.

As a stair manufacturing company, we know we have to follow the codes that are established so when customers make requests for a particular use of a spiral stair that doesn’t follow an applicable uniform building code, we can’t expose ourselves to a customer potentially getting hurt.

However, because Great Lakes Stair has a long history of successful spiral stair projects we may be able to offer a workaround for customers to help them achieve what they are looking to do with a spiral staircase, while following all the necessary building codes. We have over 30 year education in designing, manufacturing and installing spiral stairs and along that journey we have run into lots of problems and issues for which we have had to find workarounds.

We listen to the customer’s needs, we understand what they are looking for and if they ask us for a specific stair in a specific space that we know we can’t do we’ll inform the customer but we also provide options for moving forward for what can be done.

A perfect example of a spiral stair that can’t be used in a particular area of a home is a spiral stair leading to a bedroom. That is a non-permitted use because it is deemed a safety issue getting down the spiral stairs in the event of a fire. Additionally, fire fighters have difficulty wrapping their hoses around spiral stairs which can choke off the water supply through the hose. However, if the spiral stair is going to a lookout or other area of the home that is not an occupiable area (where no one is sleeping) then we are able to install the spiral stair.

In short, spiral stairs are great choices for access to areas which are not bedrooms.

Great Lakes Stair – Your Most Experienced Spiral Stair Manufacturer

When you are considering a spiral staircase for your home or commercial property, reach out to Great Lakes Stair with your ideas and plans and we can help guide you in permitted and non-permitted uses for spiral stairs.

Ready to have a conversation? Give us a call today at 330-225-2005 or fill out the request form on this page.