Common Home Systems and How They Work.
A Few Facts ABout Steps
You might ask, why are steps included here ? Steps are all around us and provide us means of getting up to one place and down to another. Most of us travel them everyday, and for some of us - not to often. This section is geared towards the steps, handrails and landings you find in the average residential home.
Shown here are a few pictures and codes related to a residential house. Pictures are provided by Stairway Manufactures Association (SMA) and interpreted by the International Residential Code (IRC).
Since steps are all around us, it's important they be built correctly and do not pose any physical harm to the public or to the home owner. For this reason, the SMA performed 20 Case Studies on the construction of steps, handrails and landings that changed the stair industry. Although there are a few different variations in codes specs from different organizations - as far as specified heights / dimensions, etc, the stairs should be built in a uniform fashion to the particular staircase in question.
The codes you see below refer to the International Residential Code and should be used as a general guideline only. Many states, provinces and city's as well, have their own guidelines to follow, ... often refered to as the Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ). The AHJ is the final decision-making authority for fire-protection systems, building features and suitability for occupancy.