ᐅ Closed concrete staircase or open steel-and-wood staircase

Created on: 7 May 2019 09:50
E
Egberto
Our ground floor is now built, and we need to decide on a staircase. We are choosing between a closed concrete staircase with a central wall poured in place or an open steel and wood staircase. The space beneath the stairs should remain open. There will be another staircase from the first floor to the attic, which will definitely be open. There is also a window in the stairwell on the first floor.
Visually, I tend to prefer the open option downstairs, but I am concerned about noise, especially since the stairwell will be quite tall (about 8m (26 feet)) and the landing at the attic might feel uncomfortably high because of the two open staircases. I understand that an open staircase requires more cleaning. What do you think? Does anyone have specific experience with a similar situation?

Grundriss eines Hauses mit Garage, Wohn-/Essbereich, Küche, Flur, Bad und Terrasse.
H
hampshire
7 May 2019 18:45
An open staircase in this floor plan makes the whole house noisier. If children live in the house, I would now prefer a closed staircase and forgo an attractive design. We have lived for nearly 18 years in a terraced house with an open, spiral floating steel staircase with wooden steps. That’s how our children experienced their entire childhood through their late teens. It wasn’t very practical when the children needed to sleep and we wanted to be quiet downstairs, or when the kids were listening to music that we didn’t want to hear, or when spending quality time together turned into a noise avoidance exercise...

In the new house, there is an open staircase — it’s just the two of us, and we only have a single combined living and sleeping area over two levels. The staircase will be a real focal point.
T
Tego12
7 May 2019 19:21
Purely from an aesthetic point of view, I would always prefer an open staircase, but with your floor plan and children in the house, I would prioritize safety and choose the quieter option.
E
Egberto
7 May 2019 19:31
There are three children's bedrooms upstairs, and that's what concerns me: Appearance is one thing, but acoustics are also quite important.
opalau7 May 2019 19:50
It's practical when you also find the acoustically better option more visually appealing.
E
Egberto
8 May 2019 17:19
So, we will probably take the middle ground now. No wall in the middle, steel/wood staircase with winding but closed risers. Hopefully, this is a good compromise between aesthetics and acoustics,...