Stone Stairs & Step Pavers – All You Need to Know

What Is Stairs?

It is a kind of construction design, which is bridging a large vertical gap by dividing it into smaller vertical fragments/distances known as steps.

Traditionally, stairs used to construct mostly from woods, stones, and metals. Today, apart from the traditional materials, RCC and fibers have grabbed a big pie as an innovative and modern material.

Most residential and business constructions have used RCC as skeletal architecture. They used to use natural stone veneers, natural stone step pavers, and other components made from the stone or rocks to augment natural beauty and impress the eyes of onlookers.

It directly signifies the use of natural stones in modern construction despite the availability of innovative technologies and material with added advantages.

Today, World of Stones, Maryland, USA, is going to introduce you to what is stone stairs and where to use step pavers to obtain the maximum out of it.

Different Terms to Describe Natural Stone Stairs

Stair or stairs have different synonyms, such as staircase, stairwell, stairway, or flight of stairs across the different cultures of the world.

Stairs:

It is a term to specify a complete flight of steps in between the lower to upper floors.

Stair Steps:

It is a single step or distance in a flight of stairs.

Stair flight:

It is a run of stairs (Steps) between the landings.

Stair Case or Stairway:

It is one or more flights of stairs occurring from one to another floor. Other components involved in it are landings, newel posts, handrails, and balustrades.

Stairwell:

It is a kind of compartment or spatial differences created to place the entire stairs in a building running across the floors.

Stair Hall:

It is a portion of a public hall where spaces allocated to the stairs, landings, and hallways. It compels the users to pass through from it while going to the entrance from other floors existing in the building.

Box Stairs:

When stairs enclosed between the walls and sustain only with the support of wall strings.

Different Components of Natural Stone Stairs

When you think of the construction of a stair for your building, you may encounter many industry-related and technical terms while exchanging your thoughts with engineers, architects, contractors, and stonemasons. To ease your construction experience, I have listed some of the useful terms here with comprehensive illustrations.

You may have a question about how it can help you in the selection of types of stone stairs, materials, and other aspects of stone stairs construction. Sure, I will give satisfactory reasons for these at the end of the post, wait!

Steps

Let’s comprehend each component with stone stair details.

Tread:

It is a horizontal face of stone stairs. Here, it is as a stone piece at the top surface of the step where you can stand up.

Riser:

It is a vertical face of a stone stair step situated between two consecutive treads. It may be absent in the case of an open stair or floating stair model.

Nosing:

It is protruding edge of the tread extending over the riser beneath. Smooth and curved edge in bullnose shape offers safe ascend, and if the anti-skid property has added, it also becomes secure in most cases.

Starting step or Bullnose:

When the first step of the stair above the lower floor may be wider than rests of the steps above, it provides some visual and functional benefits. The starting step or bullnose may be open at one side or both sides depending on the situations of the stair and attached wall. It offers cosmetic appeal and provides a more stable base to the handrail or end-post.

Stringer, Stringer board, or sometimes just String

Fundamentally, it is a structural element to support treads and risers in standard types of stairs. Stringer may cover both sides of the stairs completely or provides the only slanted element with load-bearing capacity.The structural component of the stringer has three possible locations, one on either side and one in the center of the stairs tread/riser length.

In RCC construction, it may have single-partition brick walls at two ends. It is for the sake of providing structural supports for the long and less degree of slanting angle of the stair.

Trim:

It typically found beneath the nosing and supports it while overhanging. Some decorative molding and enhance the look.

Curtail Step:

It is the first step that used to have enlarged size than other steps above and a curving round at the one or both ends found. Thus, it becomes a decorative element and also improves the elegance of the handrails.

Railing & Other Systems

Railing systems meant to provide support and safety to the users of the stairs. It has some essential and decorative elements, which also are available in stone materials.

Let’s check those elements in stones at an individual level.

Banister, Railing, or Handrail 

It is an angled element of stairs providing a handy support to hold rails while using the stairs. Marble is a highly used stone to prepare various components used in stair rails.

World of Stones, USA is an excellent place to obtain custom designs and crafting on your stone rail elements.

Volute 

It is an end element of the handrail and curves inward. Many designers use it as a decorative element in the stair. Stonecraft provides a variety of designs with details and makes it elegant.

Turnout 

It is a simple form of volute with a quarter turn.

Gooseneck 

When you are going to join a lower level handrail with a higher level handrail, a steep slope occurs in the design. It looks like a curved gooseneck so that curvature becomes famous that way.

Baluster 

It is a series of vertical posts, which hold up the handrail at its place. Stones are sturdy and provide room for crafting artistic designs in baluster.

Newel 

It is a larger post used to anchor the handrail and acts as a structural element. Therefore, it extends below the bottom of the floor surface and sometimes attached to the adjoining wall near the stair.

Finial 

It is a decorative portion on the top of the newel baluster or post at the end of the balustrade.

Baserail or Shoerail 

When balusters or posts begins from a base-rail instead of treads, it provides identical posts in between the shoe-rail and top handrail.

Different Types of Natural Stone Stairs

Every construction project has unique privileges and constraints. Space availability, utility, and budget are significant influencers. Therefore, as a building owner, you must be aware of the different options available while you are going to select the types of natural stone stairs for your projects. The following are common trends prevailing in the USA and most of the countries of the world.

Straight Natural Stone Stairs

The straight type of staircases is simple in design and easy in construction. Today, contractors are building the RCC framework first and lay stone slabs by properly cutting as treads and risers. 

Treads are usually thicker than risers and have bullnose edges at the front-side. Many use stone blocks as railing by wall cladding on either side. 

Metal rails are easy and cost-effective solutions for sides and central applications whenever stairs are wider.

Quarter Turn or L-shaped Natural Stone Stairs

It consumes lesser space than the straight type. Moreover, a sharp (90°) angle makes it more appealing and makes good use of the corner space. 

Natural stone pavers on the landing seem beautiful.

Half Turn or U-shaped Natural Stone Stairs

Three-Quarter Turn or C-shaped Natural Stone Stairs

It changes directions through 270° with at least two landings. It forms an open well with an eye-catching layout and utilizes less space when the height is more. You can use natural stone pavers on two landings and treads and risers. Here, some flights contain only a few risers. 

Winder Natural Stone Stairs

It is less common and maybe takes an L-shape or U-shape layout but without any landing. It has wedge shape steps on the turns, and stones add elegance to the design.

Spiral Natural Stone Stairs

It is an excellent choice where space is a major constraint. Radiating steps around a circular column or attached with walls in the stairwell is giving quick ascent or descent when used as a backup fire stair in large buildings.

Circular Natural Stone Stairs

It seems to mimic a spiral stair layout, but curves are more relaxed than spiral. You can see marble stones are easier in navigation and provide adequate space for users even used as main stairs in the commercial buildings.

Curved Natural Stone Stairs

It is an ideal option for the entryway spaces where your artistic imagination can turn into a perfect reality. Natural stone paving could be added advantages to create dazzling impacts on stair users.

Ladder Natural Stone Stairs

It is not permitted in many areas to use as the main stair. It is an ideal option for temporary use or as a secondary use. It has a taller riser makes it tough to climb and narrow in with so it is a good option for reaching attic or upper shelves tall cupboards.

Bifurcate or Split Natural Stone Staircase

It is Grande Dame of all types of stairs and only suitable for spacious building and at the entryway passage or hall. 

Starting flight is wider than the standard width of the stair, but narrowing down when it is bifurcating and going to both sides, left & right.

Here, you have adequate space to decorate it with natural stone pavers by applying different designs & styles.

Floating Natural Stone Staircase

It consists only of treads without any riser’s support. However, it is structurally perfect and attached to one sidewall.

Floating style is applicable in almost all types of stairs described here but looks beautiful and safe in straight and curved styles. Natural stone pavers with enough thickness prove an ideal choice.

Storage Natural Stone Staircase

It is a wiser option to utilize the available space beneath stairs. You can turn each riser into the drawer when you intend to maximize usage of the space there.

Natural Stone Step Pavers in Garden Steps & Stairs

When you think of garden steps by natural stone pavers, you will encounter some sharp differences between interior stairs and exterior applications in the garden areas.

Height & Width of Risers & Treads in Garden Steps Stairs:

Typical stairs require stone risers of 17 to 18 cm height and tread stones of 22 to 24 cm width. However, garden steps must not more than 15 cm of height. It makes slope less steep and comfortable for all ages of people. It gives experiences of mere walking up or down and let you climb up without any support of handrails and walls as structural elements.

Garden Steps with Granite Stone Pavers

Whole granite cubes and slabs are an ideal and most beautiful option for your garden steps paver needs.

Garden Steps with Marble Stone Pavers

Cream and black marble decorate the exterior stair at the entrance create a marvelous amalgamation.

Garden Steps with Sandstone Pavers

Sandstone deck stair is a perfect solution of stairs with all-natural stone components and design beauty.

Garden Steps with Limestone Pavers

Rich, bold colors of limestone make a real statement when used among the greenery of the garden. Garden stepping stone pavers from limestone is not a new trend, but it has consistency in history.

Conclusion:

We have gathered tons of information regarding the stone stairs, and some garden steps pavers. We have seen a lot of stone styles used to find in different types of stairs. It also demands intensive craftwork and different kinds of finishes on the stair step pavers.

It is World of Stones USA where you can get a huge stone inventory for you natural stone paver needs. Custom stone crafting and designing services also available and can make great differences in your stair design projects.