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White marble staircase, from royalty free image site.

Tiny House Spiral Staircases: Will It Solve Space Issues?

Do you want to learn all about spiral staircases for a tiny house? In this article we will explore your different options and see if they truly help you save space.

The tiny house movement has enabled several people in the world to own a house of their liking. This minimalistic lifestyle also gives them plenty of time for chores around the house. Tiny homes are usually between 80 to 400 sq ft and are usually considered to be the perfect solution for homeowners for a variety of reasons.

However, tiny houses come with a fair share of challenges. Because of their limited space, these homes have storage problems, and most of the tiny houses we see popping up have lofts to deal with these storage issues. A loft gives you tiny home storage and a high ceiling. A high ceiling also means better ventilation for a tiny home since a small space can heat up quickly if you don’t take the proper steps to ventilate your home.

Since your tiny home now has a useful loft space, accessing it effectively is the next challenge. To reach this loft, one has to choose between getting their home a ladder or a tiny house spiral staircase.

What Is a Tiny House Spiral Staircase?

A spiral staircase inside a narrow corridor, with a black arty effect to the photo.

A tiny house spiral staircase is the ultimate solution to the accessibility problem in most tiny homes. Since they are sleek, they don’t take up much space (as can be seen above, a tiny house spiral staircase is pretty much a pole that has circular steps around it).

It helps you save space, but its sturdiness can also make sure that you’re safe while climbing the staircase. However, if you are thinking of adding a spiral staircase to your tiny home, you should also know that this feature of a tiny home requires a custom design, which might drive up the cost of your tiny home. But when you look at the finished product – we bet you won’t regret any of the money you’ve spent!

The Advantages of a Tiny House Spiral Staircase

Spiral staircases are often an alternative for people who don’t want to choose a ladder. Since ladders have an unstable structure – picking them can be a tough decision. Because of growing concerns surrounding ladders, people have leaned towards tiny house spiral staircases more and more in the last few years. And to be fair – there are quite a few reasons why you should get your tiny house a spiral staircase!

1. Storage

When looking for spiral staircases online, we came across several useful options that demonstrate how a spiral staircase can also give you additional storage options. This means that space a ladder would typically take up can instead be given to a spiral staircase that can give you more place to store stuff! There are also different designs that you can choose that suit the needs of your tiny house.

2. Kid and Pet-friendly

If you live in your tiny house with your kid or your pet – a spiral staircase might be a necessity. Kids have unpredictable behavior. Choosing a ladder might put them at risk of falling from a dangerous height. However, spiral staircases give them a defined route to and from your loft. Hence, incidents like these shouldn’t be much of a problem.

3. Safety

Safety is one of the biggest reasons people opt for tiny house spiral staircases. Because a ladder can shake unpredictably, it can be scary to climb one when you’re trying to reach your loft. It can be even more dangerous if you’re trying to climb down or climb up a ladder when you’re half sleepy. Losing your footing is very easy, and this might cause you a serious injury.

Read Next: Tiny House Tansu Stairs: The Solution To Storage Problems?

Should You Get a Metal Staircase or a Wooden Staircase?

Another factor to consider when you’re opting for a spiral staircase in your home is whether it should metal or wooden. Both sides put up great arguments, but between these two – there’s a clear winner.

Wooden Staircases

Wood gives your tiny home a beautiful aesthetic look. No matter how hard you try, you can’t achieve the same look with different materials, which is why many people gravitate towards wooden staircases. Even though wooden staircases can seem like a big investment in the start, your investment can pay off in the long run. They are durable!

However, they also contribute to noise pollution. Every time someone steps on your staircase, we bet you’ll hear it loud and clear. Another problem with wood is that it expands and contracts with different seasons. Because of this reason, they can be quite squeaky in the summer. Simply getting a glass of milk at night will wake up anyone in your tiny home.

Metal Staircases

Metal staircases are versatile, like wood, too. To give their spiral staircase a modern look, some people also choose to get wooden railings on their metal spiral staircases. This contributes to the growing trend of using metal as a core material for your staircase, but still incorporating elements of wood in it.

But if you’re trying to go with an all-metal staircase – that is fine, too! However, you must know that because of metal’s excessive weight – it can be hard to carry. Carrying in each element piece by piece to assemble the staircase might be a huge hassle.

Verdict

Our verdict in this situation would be to stick to a combination that gives you the best of both worlds. You should try using a metal core for your staircase, so it doesn’t change with oncoming seasons. While for the steps and the railings, you can consider using wood. This way, not only will you have a strong staircase, but it will also give off a modern contemporary look.

A metal core also gives you the freedom to pick different kinds of accent materials and finishes. The one reason you shouldn’t go with an all-metal tiny house spiral staircase is the cost. Since a tiny home is built with the purpose of avoiding high costs, a metal staircase might seem a tad bit luxurious.

Important Considerations to Make Whilst Getting a Spiral Staircase

White marble staircase

Now that you’ve decided you’re getting your home a spiral staircase, there are a few important considerations you need to make. These factors will ultimately decide how your tiny house spiral staircase will turn out, and how usable it will be.

1. Height

First and foremost, you need to know how tall your spiral staircase will be. This is an important part of the process that must be done before you’ve started building your tiny house. There are online calculators that can help you do this. To know more about this, click here.

2. The Angle of Rotation

You need to know how much a foot has to turn with every step while someone is climbing the spiral staircase. The goal in this situation is to keep the spiral gradual and to make climbing distance smooth.

3. The Location of the Staircase

In most situations, a staircase is located close to the loft, so the person directly enters the loft when they climb the staircase. But in some situations, homeowners get creative and leave out small spaces for a balcony or a spot for a barbecue in their home. Hence, deciding where you build the staircase is also a crucial component of the planning process.

4. The Design

There are quite a few ways you can design your tiny house spiral staircase. An open spiral staircase has a minimalistic feel and a lot of open space. It is one of the commonly used designs by tiny homeowners since it makes your room look big. A closed spiral staircase is also an option, but they can make your tiny house look a bit cramped. But they do look luxurious!

Comparing a Spiral Staircase to a Ladder

If you have a loft in your tiny home, your options for reaching that loft are limited. You’re either picking a staircase that is sleek enough not to take up a lot of space, or you’re picking a ladder. A ladder is an affordable option since you won’t have to break your piggy bank to set up a ladder in your home. Here are a few other reasons why spiral staircases don’t stack up well against ladders.

1. Space!

A sleek ladder can save up a lot of space in your home. For some people, adding a staircase to a tiny home isn’t a good decision since staircases can be bulky. If that isn’t enough, there are also specific instructions with the construction process that you have to follow that don’t necessarily make your job easy.

2. Versatile

Not adding a staircase in your home also saves you from the time you have to spend in planning for it. You don’t necessarily have to plan for a ladder since it’s sleek and can fit in a tight spot. You can even put it away if you’re not using it!

Conclusion

Deciding how we design our tiny homes is one part of the process that we’ve all grown to love and admire. It’s one of the most prominent reasons why an increasing number of people are becoming a part of the tiny house movement, and a spiral staircase is just one small element of the process.