ᐅ Acoustics in Staircases

Hello everyone, I hope someone can help me. I have converted a gallery level into two rooms and want to build stairs leading there (it’s more like a storage floor with infrequent use, so a full staircase is not required). It will be a straight stair with 17 risers and 28 cm (11 inches) treads, 70 cm (28 inches) wide (as mentioned, these are stairs, not a staircase that meets building code requirements), with a quarter turn (landing) made of 25 mm (1 inch) or 35 mm (1.4 inches) spruce. The steps will be fully closed, and the space underneath will be used as a built-in closet (whose frame could also serve as “stair supports”). One stringer is intended to be fixed to the wall – but here are my problems:

1.) How can I prevent squeaking in a fully closed stair (since components inevitably rub against each other)?
2.) Won’t the built-in closet underneath act as a large resonance chamber?
3.) Is a free-standing construction (i.e., the stairs resting on the closet’s frame) acoustically better than fixing the stringers to the wall?
4.) Would a complete structural separation between the stairs (planned as closet ceiling) and the closet be advisable?

How can I make this quietly with reasonable effort – thanks for the help!

Hi,

If I were you, I would definitely separate the staircase from the cupboard because sound tends to spread easily when it finds such a large surface to travel over.

by Wurm

Hi,

if you don’t need a full staircase, you could install a space-saving staircase, which doesn’t require as much space.

Would that be an option for you?

Pudel

Hi,

if it’s a staircase that isn’t used very often, the acoustics probably won’t be a big issue. It’s a different matter if the staircase is constantly in use.

Shampoo

Sound Insulation for Stairs

Hello Pflaume massiv,

for sound insulation in such areas, a rubber crumb mat is particularly suitable (available, for example, in sizes of 10 m x 1.25 m (33 ft x 4 ft), thickness 6 mm (0.24 inches)). You can cut it and use it at the transitions between different materials.

Mediator