Alternating Tread Stair Looks Painful If You Slip

I've used stairs like this, and they SUCK. I think they were in a High School I worked at with my brother. I had to carry some Theater lights up them - DANGEROUS!

Great. How are you supposed to get your furniture up there?

Number51X

If they were hinged and flipped up, it would be Zombie-Proofing

@AEchinoderm: but how on earth would any jurisdiction issue a building permit for that contraption?

These stairs are definitely a problem for those of us who tend to go up more than one stair at at time. Also I'd imagine descending on these stairs would be even trickier, especially after 4 beers.

someguynamedjay

@Maximillian: Until you get wasted, and trip going up (or down) and fall. You would look like you fell on a cheese grater.

falling crotch first on the middle bar, don't be funny

it's those edges that will make you bleed when you fall, and bleed you shall, like no other (r)

Crescent

@ Jason Chen: I was | | that close to taking a sip of coffee when I read that! You fiendish writer, you!

@Mike Mehuys: yeah, perfect for the nimble cyclist who prefers to get straight out of bed and into the saddle.

@AEchinoderm: I was only considering the material savings, but you make a great point: with alternating treads you can stack them tighter without worrying about the user tripping while each foot travels every other tread as in a normal staircase, allowing for steeper grade. brilliant old idea.

that would force me to always use my right foot to go up the stairs. BUT IM A LEFTY

NotSoSiniSter

Don't slip.

How are they making sure kids never run up the stairs? Are you saying after trying it a few times and having horrible accidents, they'd remember to not do it? That is if they were still around?

Because yes they would run up these stairs, or at least try and fall off. These stairs are a nightmare for parents.

orthorim

@cmaceachen:
While it is true this type of stair has been around for ages, what's new and scary about this one is the potential damage tripping might cause. Most alternating tread stairs won't rip your face off if you fall onto the tread (see the relatively thin steel and the sharp corners). There's also the fun to be had if you trip and fall off the left side onto the floor below because there is no leftside hand rail. Also, for the gentlemen, the idea of crushed nuts if you slip between the treads.

@Gann: I agree. I think this looks great (and would probably function just as well as regular stairs for me).

USB_Humping_Dog

@Uncletwitch: My thought exactly...if you mistep... it's a metal crotch shredder!

aec007

@32ndnote: Wow, a hows in greyscale...

After a long night of drinking..... I would be sleeping downstairs.

As a firefighter I have to deal with a few of these alternating stairways in non-public spaces within commercial structures. For example, access to the basement area in a recently refinished school building there is one of these.

They're not as sparse as what is shown here -- these typically have side rails to prevent slipping and look almost more like alternating run ladders than stairs.

Still, the idea of going down an unfamiliar one of these in dark, smokey, superheated conditions to fight a basement fire doesn't exactly thrill me. (to fight a basement fire, you have to go down in through the "chimney" to get to the base of the fire).

In building pre-plans and walk-throughs, I've had visions of a huge tangled pile of firefighters ending up on the bottom.

AndrewJayPollack

There's a reason why the classics stay classic for the ages. Stairs have had thousands of years to have the bugs worked out - changing the design will only cause injury and complicate something that should be simple IMO...

@leotris: That would require work and no money on our part. What's the point in that? I'm all for shin-shearing inventions that teach through pain!

Magic Beans? Sure, I'll Buy Some!!

@jacksplat: I think the point is elegant simplicity.

@electricarchie: They're are also not that bad to walk on, quite intimidating but rather natural. But yeah not a new idea at all.

It can be a trick to trap superstitious people upstairs: the first step going up is to be taken with the right foot. Coming down, though...

AEchinoderm

@jacksplat: Stairs with alternating half-steps are as old as dirt. They are very space-saving, as you can make the stairs much more steep without being hard to climb. The all-metal construction, though you can chalk up to 'stylish minimalism'.

AEchinoderm

@cmaceachen:

Yep, I'm originally from Vermont and saw these in 100+ year-old houses. Their most common use was to provide stairs to an attic space which was turned into living space. In these cases, it would be very difficult to fit -in a regular set of stairs from the lower floor. As you said, they require half the run of normal stairs.

Dacker

i have a feeling we'll be seeing accidents on these stairs on youtube in 3....2...1....

SouthendXGF

@enchanted goose:

@electricarchie: Indeed. My (25 years old) house has one of those to the attic and I've always found it very practical.

The main advantage I find is it gets you more length to place each foot without making the ladders too flat.

fredcadete

@CSX321: or you could just skip the first step (the right one that is) and just go to the second step (the first left one) with your first step.

Daniel Rosenthal

You're screwed if you're on crutches.

shorty63136

@ludwigk: But a $20,000 house doesn't have alot of room, that's where this type of staircase comes in extremely helpful. Also your $40 claim would mean pine, and pine warps like nobody's business so your idea would not be ideal for a house.

Snicker... You could get de-nutted real quick

Uncletwitch

is that in the Netherlands? The dutch have a things about steps, especially steep and unpractical ones

yogibimbi

These stairs are the things of nightmares.

NIGHTMARES, I SAY.

I suppose it's related to which is the dominant leg, but I almost always step first with my left foot. I think this stair would always feel awkward because of that.

CSX321

@Toastie: That really explains nothing. In fact, its even more perplexing. Go to the decking supplies in a hardware store and look at how amazingly cheap a couple precut stringers and some boards would be. You could build a tiny staircase out of conventional materials for $40.

I can't imagine those steel plates and fasteners were anywhere near that cheap.

ludwigk

@electricarchie:
Come to think of it, it does seem safer. Your trailing leg won't trip because there's no in-between step.

Firebrand

@electricarchie: Win! For everyone else, see Section 1009.9 of the 2006 International Building Code for requirements for commercial application. Residential construction is not regulated by Fire/Building Codes.

valkilmerisawful

@jamesuschrist: Or you could just train them not to go upstairs.

leotris

Why is this here, it's not really a gadget and it's not new, hell i had one going up to my tree house when i was little granted it wasn't so industrial but was very similar.

leotris

@jacksplat: That or if you hit the link you would see that they have to build a house for less than or equal to $20000. That includes labor.

@electricarchie: Article as followup:
[www.treehugger.com]

electricarchie

Alternating tread stairs have been around for ages. Anywhere you have need of a staircase but not enough space for the run required in a regular stair, an alternating tread staircase can be used and will require half as much run.

Of course they are only up to (US) code in private residential and industrial buildings; you couldn't put this in a public space.

cmaceachen

i like the middle rail. it seems like you could get something up and down these stairs pretty easy with it.

Mike Mehuys

@jacksplat: I'm guessing it was difficult to find materials to match the greyscale theme of the rest of his house. Hence, whatever this is...

Man, if you can motorize the steps on each side, and put something you'd need to live on the other side of them, you'll have the script for Saw LXVII

Alternating tread ladders are nothing new. They've been around for decades, mostly in commercial or warehouse environments. They're safer than traditional ladders and take up less room than stairs.

electricarchie

Looks like a good way to keep dogs off the top floor.

jamesuschrist

@jacksplat: Perhaps he just likes utilizing space.

I'm sure zombie fatties can make it up those stairs.

When do you put 2 feet on the same step? Maybe when you're carrying something heavy, but otherwise, you really only need 1 foot per step.

I think these are pretty sweet.

try flipping a slinky down these stairs

what's the point? the guy need to save material that bad?

jacksplat

Interesting idea though...I like it. Like bike pedals.

Jack Schuleman