Staircase: 180° winding staircase or straight staircase with landing?

Hello dear forum,

I have another question. Currently, a 180° turned staircase has been planned in our floor plan, as it fits best with the room layout (the staircase is wider but narrower). However, we have since received feedback from several sides that this staircase is more expensive and less comfortable to use than a straight staircase with a landing.

Is that really the case? Does anyone have experience with this?
We are a bit unsure whether we should plan a different type of staircase. However, that would mean our entire floor plan would have to be changed again....

Best regards

(The stairs are wider but narrower).

Hello,

well, that’s not quite clear to me... Wider but narrower, please explain what you mean by that...

We are also getting a staircase in our house that is turned 180°. We have often looked at and used such stairs in various houses we visited. We never found them uncomfortable...

For a staircase with a landing you need significantly more space (greater depth because of the landing).

I also find that a continuous (180° turned) staircase feels "smoother" to walk on than a straight one with a landing. Tastes are just different.

Don’t let anyone convince you otherwise; if you like the shape of the stairs as they are planned now, then stick with it.

Regards,

Dirk

Stairs are a matter of taste. And above all, a matter of space!
A 180° (half-turned) staircase simply takes up less space than if you also have to add space for a landing.
In terms of walkability, a good planner should actually know the right cross-sections: Winding stairs generally have a slightly larger tread width, while straight stairs can comfortably be narrower. More important than just walking on the stairs is, for example, transporting furniture etc. "around the corner" – which is of course easier with a straight staircase – but you usually don’t do that every day!
And concerning costs: A staircase with a landing of course costs more than one without – after all, there’s more to it.
I agree with my predecessor: Quote "Don’t let anyone talk you out of it; if you like the staircase design as it is planned now, then stick with it."

I think that is a personal feeling. For me, a tight 180-degree staircase is almost like a space-saving staircase. For (small) children, it is certainly uncomfortable to walk on, as each step on one side (usually the side with the railing where the children hold on) is quite narrow. I prefer straight-running stairs or at least with only one turn at the beginning or end. This also greatly facilitates carrying bulky items/furniture up and down.

Sorry, I meant longer but narrower instead of wider but shorter. The landing staircase is "longer," so you don't need a stairwell between (I think that's what it's called, right?). For the spiral staircase, you need a stairwell in between, but it's shorter when you look at it from the starting point.

So do you even think the landing staircase would be more expensive? Everyone says something different *laughs*. Acquaintances kept saying that the spiral staircase would be more expensive because each step has to be customized and can't just be cut straight.

Yes, the uncomfortable walking over time was exactly our concern. We already walked on a staircase with the same dimensions as in our plan in a shell construction; it was without furniture, children, and "ailments," so it was no problem at all. But we do want to live in the house for our whole life...

Ultimately, what matters is that you like the staircase, that it fits into the house, and that it serves its purpose. The landing staircase will definitely be the more expensive choice, because even here the stairs are usually installed on site and thus almost every step is "built" individually. Only the landing is additional effort. The walkability should not be a problem with a sufficiently wide half-turn staircase. You do not walk along the inner edge with such a staircase, but the walking line is a bit further outside, where the steps are also wider. Have fun choosing your staircase!