A builder no longer has to be restricted to wood for building stairs, but can incorporate iron and steel stairs into something quite extraordinary in any building project. Iron and steel have practical side as well, in that both are enduring materials that can withstand the test of time and use. And, in the case of a steel staircase, create a surface that can be sterile as well as safe—a concern for factories or clean rooms.

Using iron and steel stairs can open possibilities for beauty and practicality. It is up to the builder to begin to realize what these might be.

1. Explore installing iron stairs.

2. Install a steel staircase in residential and commercial projects.

3. Rely on industrial steel stairs.

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Let an iron staircase become a part of your building project

Perhaps one of the obvious choice for an iron staircase is a spiral staircase. These can be for both interior use as well as exterior, and can add some drama within a confined space. The iron staircase does not have to be only in the residential building project. Commercial iron stairs can incorporate the lovely detailing of wrought iron, as well as the more staid appearance of fire escape stairs.

I recommend: The Iron Shop is one of the many manufacturers of iron spiral stairs. American Controls is one of the iron and steel stair manufacturers that specializes in commercial iron stairs.

Use a steel staircase in commercial and residential applications

Builders often think of installing steel stairs in commercial applications because steel withstands constant use as well as the weather. One frequent use of steel staircases is in multifamily homes, for both as exterior staircases, as well as fire escapes. A classic use of steel stairs in residential settings as spiral stairs. Never underestimate the statement a spiral stair will make.

I recommend: Tri-City Fabricating and Jerdan Door & Frame manufacturer commercial steel stairs. Stairways makes residential steel stairs--their stainless steel spiral stairs are show-stoppers.

Rely on industrial steel stairs for industrial applications

Industrial steel staircases are designed to withstand the abuse of constant use as well as designed to be safe. As with commercial stairs, these stairs must meet OSHA's strict guidelines. But industrial staircases do not necessarily have to be without personality. They can have personality as well as functionality like the stairs inside the Statue of Liberty. More traditional industrial steel staircases meet OSHA's strict standards and can have checkered or pierced treads to lessen the risk of slipping.

I recommend: Brakewell Steel Fabricators manufacturers industrial steel staircases with character, while Cubic Designs manufactures the more traditional staircases.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Pre-engineered steel stairs work well in industrial applications. These can fit the space, and can be a good option for your business.

The simplest form of steel stairs is a straight flight without winders or landings. Steel stairs can take a virtually infinite number of different forms when winders and landings are combined.

The most common general types of construction for a steel staircase are checker plate, grating and poured-in-place.

Checker plated stairs have a raised pattern on sheet steel to make them slip resistant. Grating stairs consist of a steel bar grating that is welded to a checker plate nosing. Poured-in-place industrial steel stairs consist of pans formed by sheet steel that are ready for concrete fill.

Several trademarked construction types of pre-engineered steel stairs are available. They are:

1. Endura, which has a non-slip grit surface bonded to reinforced cement board and backed with sheet steel;
2. FasTrack, which bonds the non-slip surface directly to the sheet steel;
3. Ready Step, which bonds the non-slip surface to a sound absorbent, non-combustible fiber that is backed by sheet steel.

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Determine the desired construction for iron and steel stairs

The trademarked construction types of iron and steel stairs are generally more durable and expensive than the non-trademarked methods. A manufacturer that specializes in commercial iron stairs should be able to explain the advantages and disadvantages of each type.

I recommend: Find an extensive selection of iron and steel stairs of all construction types from a specialist such as American Stair, which has been building steel stairs for more than 50 years. American Steel Online sells a range of steel products including stairs and provides a full range of services.

Ensure your commercial iron stairs meet the required safety regulations

The Occupational Safety & Health Administration provides safety regulations on many different items, including industrial stairs. All steel stairs contractors should be familiar with the relevant OSHA regulations. Be wary of doing business with one that isn't up-to-date on OSHA specs.

I recommend: Find the safety requirements for stairs in OSHA regulation 1910.24. Find stairs that far exceed OSHA recommendations at SlipNot.

Find a steel staircase supplier in your area

All building components must comply with local regulations. Stairs are potentially hazardous so the building codes concerning these structures tend to be especially lengthy. Local contractors already should be familiar with these codes.

I recommend: Find a local iron staircase contractor in an industrial directory such as MacRae's Blue Book. An introduction to the basic calculations required in designing a set of stairs to fit a given building code can be found at Builder Bill.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  As a rule of thumb, the minimum required tread length for an iron staircase should be at least 9 inches. The riser height should be a maximum of 8.25 inches. Therefore, the slope for a set of stairs should be limited to a maximum of tan -1 (8.25/9) = 42.5 degrees.

Iron and steel stairs conjure up images of stairs winding up the outside lighthouses, or running back and forth up the sides of tenement buildings. These images are real, though limiting. Iron and steel are sturdy, reliable materials from which to build industrial staircases for factories. They are also safe in that they can have carefully designed treads slow one's passage, as well as provide a surface that's easy to clean and maintain—a concern for the clean rooms of factories.

Browse iron and steel information that provides iron and steel stairs basics, as well as iron and steel stair manufacturers. The information should provide you and your company about using iron and steel stairs in various applications.

1. Use iron stairs in residential and commercial applications.

2. Employ steel stairs in commercial applications.

3. Rely on industrial steel stairs.

Action Steps
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Learn about residential and commercial iron stairs

An iron staircase works well in residential and commercial applications. The staircases are sturdy, and can withstand the test of time with some maintenance and coating, such as paint, to preserve them. Some common uses of iron staircases are as fire escapes on multi-family homes as well as iron stairs accessing decks or balconies. In residential building, contractors like to use iron stair for custom interior and exterior staircases where their varying shapes can add interest to any home.

I recommend: Iron stairs contractors include Steel Fabrication and Welding Company, which works with steel as well iron. The company manufactures fire escapes as well as balconies and ornamental iron pieces. Angeles Steel also works with steel as well as iron, and manufactures custom staircases. Straight Steel Stair Construction discusses build straight steel stairs.

Consider steel stairs for commercial applications

The steel staircase works well in commercial applications because it offers the contractor the ability to design and construct a safe, and low-maintenance staircase that will last. Steel stairs contractors don't limit themselves to boring, straight stairs, but ones that curve, or echo the architecture. Steel stairs work well for interior and exterior applications, and can take the abuses of high foot traffic.

I recommend: Steel Stairs and Texas Stairs manufacture custom steel stairs for commercial applications. You can also find OSHA regulations regarding commercial stairs.

Look into the benefits of industrial steel stairs

Industrial steel stairs come in more than one configuration. Some of the industrial steel stair configurations include steel pans that can be filled with concrete (these can include 'slip resistant' treads), pieced steel treads, checkered steel plates, or steel treads of welded steel grating. These stair configurations meet or exceed OSHA's guidelines, and have the benefit of easy maintenance requirements. Other industrial steel stairs include pre-engineered steel stairs that make installing steel stairs in your business an easy proposition.

I recommend: American Stair manufacturers custom industrial steel stairs. Omega Industrial Products manufactures pre-engineered steel stairs that are "based on the concept of a parallelogram." Sustainable Steel Construction discusses reusing steel stairs in new projects.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Iron and steel stairs do not have to be cold or completely utilitarian. Work with a manufacturer to design stairs that not only capture the personality of your company, but also fulfill its main purpose of providing safe passage of your employees between floors.

Stairs can be made of many materials, but one of the most long-lasting materials is metal. Stairs made of iron and steel are both functional and durable. When installing metal stairs, you'll be able to choose from a variety of options, including many types of treads, handrails, risers, and nosings.

Stairs can be fabricated in different ways, but poured-in-place construction is often used. For tighter spaces, you may want to consider a spiral staircase. Whatever option you choose, be aware that OSHA, the Occupational Safety & Health Administration, has regulations that govern both interior and exterior stair construction and installation.

Action Steps
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Stringers

Stringers are long, sloped pieces that support the stairway at each end. The four basic designs include plate, channel, tube, and box stringers. The channel design is often used in wider and heavier metal staircases.

I recommend: Stairframe discusses the advantages of metal stringers and provide a link that shows how to install them.

Treads

Treads are the horizontal sections of each step that people stand on when they walk up a staircase. Treads come in a variety of patterns, formed either from one solid piece of metal or in an open weave style called grating.

I recommend: McNICHOLS has a diagram with the dimensions of expanded grating treads, and SlipNOT shows a variety of tread designs.

Spiral staircases

Spiral staircases are usually installed in tight spaces where there is not enough room for a regular set of stairs. They are an economical alternative, but also offer a visually and aesthetically pleasing look with their open treads, which spiral upward.

I recommend: Duvinage gives the basic specifications and describes the parts of spiral staircases.

Cast stair nosings

Cast stair nosings help prevent accidents by providing an abrasive surface that grips shoes as people walk. They are used in steel-pan cement-filled stairs as well as in poured or pre-cast concrete stairs.

I recommend: American Safety Tread describes the types of cast stair nosings available and explains the advantages.

Poured-in-place stairs

Poured-in-place stairs consist of sheet steel formed into pans that are then filled with concrete.

I recommend: Straight Steel Stair Construction has a video that details measuring, fabricating, and assembling straight steel poured-in-place stairs.

Occupational Safety & Health Administration Regulations (Standards)

When installing iron or steel stairs, contractors must meet the standards set by OSHA (Occupational Safety & Health Administration). These regulations set safe design and construction standards for both interior and exterior fixed industrial stairs.

I recommend: The regulations set by the Occupational Safety & Health Administration are recorded in the document "Fixed industrial stairs-1910.24."