Chapter I: Introduction

On entering a building, almost the first thing that meets the eye is the staircase and unconsciously it is made to serve as an indicator of the quality of the architecture. If the design is poor or the construction faulty, this flaw immediately gives the visitor a bad impression of the whole building. Furthermore, stair-building is a rather difficult subject and the principles involved are very little understood, which is evidenced by the fact that the layouts as furnished by architects in their plans are often improperly done.

Probably more mistakes occur in connection with the stairway of a building than with any other construction feature. It is with the idea, therefore, of giving a complete though simple presentation of the construction methods as applied to standard design of staircases, that this book has been prepared.

The article discusses straight and winding stairs, stairs with well hole, layouts for curved turns, the proper proportions of rise and width of tread, the design of hand railings and many other problems, the solution of which will be found very useful.

Coupled with this article is a most instructive section on the Steel Square, containing many applications of this useful instrument to roof and other types of construction.

Frank Chouteau Brown, Architect, Boston, Mass.]

CONTENTS

PART I
STAIR-BUILDING

PAGE
=Stair construction= 1
Definitions 2
Setting out stairs 8
Pitch-board 10
Well-hole 18
Laying out close-string stair 22
Open-newel stairs 32
Stairs with curved turns 34

=Geometrical stairways and hand-railings= 43
Wreaths 43
Tangent system 44
Bevels to square wreaths 60
How to put curves on face-mould 68
Arrangement of risers 74

PART II
STEEL SQUARE

=Introductory= 1
Specifications for steel square 1
Miter and length of side of polygon 4

=Steel square in roof framing= 7
General problems 8
Heel cut of common rafter 13
Hips 13
Heel cut of hips and valleys 16

=INDEX= 28

Frank Chouteau Brown, Architect, Boston, Mass.]