Why do old homes have a door on the second floor?

A coal delivery man came with horse and cart they had a rope and pulley system to hoist up the heavy hessian bags so the ground floor would have a man securing bags to a rope and a wooden door that opended on the first or second floor would have a servant or coalmans apprentice on the upper level to pull up the bags …

How close can a door be to the bottom of stairs?

When it comes to national building codes, you need to have a minimum of 36 inches (or three feet) from the bottom of your stairs to your front door. However, most people prefer to have four to eight feet at a bare minimum when it comes to personal preference. Individual municipal codes may require more space as well.

What is the bottom of a staircase called?

A landing is the area of a floor near the top or bottom step of a stair. An intermediate landing is a small platform that is built as part of the stair between main floor levels and is typically used to allow stairs to change directions, or to allow the user a rest.

Why do Victorian homes have two front doors?

Families used to have numerous people; subsequently, two exits were needed in case of emergency. The other door was for servants in many homes. As the owners used the first door, servants are instructed to use the second one. Design and decoration are also considerable for having two doors at the old house.

What is a coffin drop in a house?

The ‘coffin drop’, however, a rectangular trap door in the downstairs ceiling – through which the coffins of those who’d died in bed were ferried – was probably something only mentioned in the most hushed of whispers.

How much clearance is needed at the bottom of stairs?

The headroom is the space between the ceiling and the stair tread. There needs to be enough room to allow a person to be upright while walking up the stairs. Building codes require a minimum of 6-feet, 8-inches of height clearance for stairways.

How much clearance do you need at the bottom of a staircase?

At any point on the staircase, a user should have a full 6 feet, 8 inches minimum vertical distance between the top of the stair tread and the bottom of the ceiling. Anyone walking up or down the stairs should have plenty of clear headroom without having to duck down.

What is Winder in staircase?

Definition & Properties of Winder Stair Hazards. “Winder” or “curved” stairs refer to stairways that make a turn without including an intermediate landing or platform to provide a flat rectangular turning space.

Can we have door under staircase?

The room having a staircase in the southwest corner of a basement is not auspicious. > It is advisable to have doors at the end and beginning of a staircase.

How many stairs to the second floor are there?

By the way, in the structure of such staircases do not differ at all from the same, only made of other materials, because their design also includes landings and marches, as well as railings and steps. For stairs to the second floor, one to three flights of stairs can be built. Most commonly used twin march designs.

Why do some houses have two staircases in the back?

In old mansions, household servants—and pre-Civil War, possibly slaves—were often directed to stay out of sight. The solution was a separate staircase in the back just for the servants to use. This is why your kitchen or pantry might be accessible by two staircases!

What is the first step on a staircase called?

Where stairs are open on one or both sides, the first step above the lower floor may be wider than the other steps and rounded. The balusters typically form a semicircle around the circumference of the rounded portion and the handrail has a horizontal spiral called a “volute” that supports the top of the balusters.

What is an intermediate landing on a staircase?

A landing is the area of a floor near the top or bottom step of a stair. An intermediate landing is a small platform that is built as part of the stair between main floor levels and is typically used to allow stairs to change directions, or to allow the user a rest.