FAQ staircase

BOSTON, DUBLIN, CORK, BASEL have massive oak treads that are lacquered. Simply select treads on the staircase product page.
BERLIN, FRANKFURT and HAMBURG have oak treads and you can choose between white-oiled oak and oak with natural oil. To ensure the highest sustainable quality all our treads are made from FSC^® certified wood.  

We have made a guide for you "How to measure for a staircase". You can also view more information under the technical section on each staircase model (DIMENSION).

UK Building Regulations provide guidance on how staircases should be designed for both primary and secondary staircases. It is a good idea to take these guides into consideration when designing your new interior staircase.

You need to consider the following:
1.There must be a head room above the stair of at least 2.0 meters on every tread as you climb the staircase. You can use the dimension information we offer on all our staircases.

2.See the illustrated below, ground G shows the tread space for a foot, arrow measure that must be 19 cm.

3.The dotted line is the rise height which for a building regulation compliance stair needs to between 18-21cm. If you choose a lower rise the staircase will be more comfortable to climb.

4. It’s important to pay attention to the distance between vertical balusters at the side of the staircase and if you choose extra landing banisters.  We call our vertical banisters CLASSIC. The more banisters the safer the staircase so you can increase safety by choosing CLASSIC III over CLASSIC II. For UK building regulation compliance, you need to have no more than 100mm gap in the banisters.

5.

You should be aware that the rules regarding the design of handrail banister differ from country to country, and therefore you can find handrail banister in the range that may not comply with certain local building regulations. These are special requirements for the height of the handrail and the design, which may be different including requirements for climbing protection when using horizontal fillings and running handrails, as well as the height of the railing.

The height of our landing banister is 100 cm with and the height of our stair handrail a minimum of 90 cm. It is always possible to choose a railing for the stairs or repos with vertical balusters, where the distance is a maximum of 10 cm. In our assembly instructions and dimension sheets you will find measurements on stair and landing banisters

.  
Understand that staircases must be secured with a railing or other reassuring guardrail. The stairs you buy from DOLLE we include banister railings for the side of the staircase, but at the top of the stairs you will need to secure your landing area. At DOLLE we have landing banister that the design of your staircase. Check out our wide selection of anding banister (balcony balustrades).

Please contact your local building authority before you buy your staircase and landing banister to ensure that any approval issues are addressed.  

Our smallest models are ATLANTA, GRAZ, ROME, BERLIN and BASEL – they take up no more space than a loft stair or mezzanine ladder but provide more comfort than a traditional loft ladder. You could consider if there is room for one of these staircases.

Yes, all our stairs are available as straight flight stairs. Many of the stair models are also available as quarter turn and half-turn staircases. 

The space-saving asymmetric reversing treads provide a comfortable tread surface even when space is limited. The models with reverse treads are ATLANTA, ROME, GRAZ, BERLIN and BASEL. You also have the option to turn the staircase up to 90 degrees. 

You should consider our BERLIN, FRANKFURT and HAMBURG staircases where on designing we have focused the highest quality as top priority. These staircases we have solid oiled treads in oak and beech plus various options for the banister

check out our CORK, BOSTON, BASEL or DUBLIN staircases, they have a semi-gloss surface varnish to give a quality finish. Lacquered treads are more resistant to scratches and contamination and minimal maintenance. Often treads are chosen on the stairs to match to design and colour of the flooring.

The cheapest stairs are those that have multiplex treads such as ATLANTA and DALLAS or veneer treads like GRAZ and ROME. But if you are looking for slightly larger stairs with better comfort, it must be said that all DOLLE's stairs are very good value for money. On one hand, it is do-it-yourself staircase that you can easily build yourself with the instruction videos available on the website. On one hand, our stairs are in standard dimensions that can be adjusted to fit your application. 
 

Multiplex treads are a plywood plate that either has a painted surface or has a top veneer in beech or oak. Multiplex treads are robust and hard wearing.

 

Our staircases require very little maintenance just regular light cleaning. If your staircase has lacquered treads and handrails, they can be cleaned with a hard-wrung cloth and a mild soap. If the stair has oiled treads and handrails, the cleaning should be done with a soap which is recommended for oiled surfaces. 
 

DALLAS, BOSTON, DUBLIN, CORK, FRANKFURT, HAMBURG in addition to our classic wooden staircases: PARIS, LYON and NORMANDIE.

We have 4 staircases available as half-turn stairs our DUBLIN, CORK, FRANKFURT and HAMBURG can be used as a half-turn staircase up to 180 degrees. This allows you to build a staircase that does not take up length space.

 

Yes. Stairs must be secured with a railing or other guardrail, above the stairs. Check out our wide selection of landing banisters (balcony balustrade). Each staircase have a matching landing banister you can also see it as an option under each staircase if you scroll down to "GOES WELL WITH".

When choosing an interior staircase for the home, it is important to consider the need for the upcoming staircase and its function. How often will you use it? How steep can it be? How wide should it be? How much space is there above the stairs (headroom). How much space can the stairs fill at the top and bottom?

Use

Staircase to loft, to bedroom or office? We have staircases that will fit. On the other hand, if it is a staircase to the 1st floor of the home, which you use several times a day, the need for comfort and quality is bigger? Here you should look at HAMBURG, alternatively PARIS or CORK which takes up less space in the room. UK building code has different requirements and specifications for primary and secondary staircases.  Primary staircases have stricter requirements where secondary you may have the option of a cheaper more space-saving option.  Contact us if you require more information.  

Space and location

It is important that you think about how much room the stairs take up? You may want to mark with tape on the floor so that you can get a picture of how much floor space it will take up. It is not only the size of the staircase itself that must be considered when choosing a staircase. There must also be space to get in and out of the stairs. How much space is there at the foot of the stairs and how much space is there at the top – see our elaborate technical drawings (DIMENSION) under each staircase.

Material

A staircase consists roughly of treads. Wooden treads generally feel soft and comfortable to walk on, we have both oiled and lacquered wooden treads. Often wood and surface treatment are chosen after the flooring, so that the floor and staircase match.

 

There are 3 things that determine whether a staircase is comfortable.

1. The treads must have the right depth. In jargon, you talk about the grounds (G) of the stairs (illustrated below), which is the tread surface you have when you walk down the stair. A Ground (G) of more than 18 cm provides good comfort, but a main staircase typically has a larger Ground of about 25 cm.

2. A comfortable distance for the stairs (climb height (S) is the height difference between the treads) and it should be between 18-21 cm. Low rise e.g., 18 cm provides better comfort than 21 cm.

3. The width of the stairs. A good width on a staircase is 80-100 cm – it provides comfort when walking on the stairs, and it allows two people to pass.  

The space taken by a staircase can result in a compromise where space-optimised staircase should be considered. We make staircases that are as comfortable and space-saving as possible – from large to small treads. Check out our large staircase assortment.

Dry conditions are information as the treads and handrails must not get damp.