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Are my stairs built in the correct position??

catcampbell

Hi Guys,

I am hoping you can help me. My architect designed my staircase for me, and my handrail ended up in the middle of nowhere in the middle of a pane of glass, when the builder built it.

Am I going mad or has the builder started the stairs in the wrong position, hence making the railing land in the middle of the glass.

Thanks so much in advance for your help.

Miss Cat.

 
Sep 13, 18 1:45 am
citizen

Have your architect give us a call.

Sep 13, 18 2:03 am  · 
 · 
Non Sequitur

are you paying your architect to perform site visits?



Sep 13, 18 7:48 am  · 
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Volunteer

The drawing shows the railing to be secured to the vertical member between the windows at the top of the stairs and the wall at the bottom. The photo does show it to be secured between the windows at the top of the stairs; the bottom attachment is not shown.

What is on the other side of the stairs, ie wall, glass panel, open?

The top end of the railing could be made more attractive in several ways.

Sep 13, 18 8:15 am  · 
 · 
Non Sequitur

Look at the elevation drawing. The "architect" shows one of the handrail supports mounted directly to glass. I'd say the contractor built it right and the designer fucked up.

Sep 13, 18 8:26 am  · 
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Volunteer

I see the attachment to the glass now on the drawing. The attachment of the railing at the top on the vertical member between the glass panels (above tread #16) and the one shown halfway down on the wall plus one at the bottom of the stairs on the wall (not shown) should be enough for a stable railing for this one story application, no?

Sep 13, 18 10:49 am  · 
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SneakyPete

That's probably a revit handrail wielded by a lazy intern.

Sep 13, 18 11:23 am  · 
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Non Sequitur

probably?

Sep 13, 18 12:21 pm  · 
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AdrianFGA

Elevation shows top of stair almost aligned with the window mullion, the pic shows the stair starting left of that mullion by maybe 2/3 of a tread

Sep 13, 18 8:52 am  · 
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Wood Guy

It's pretty common for architects, builders and engineers to make mistakes on stairs. It's clear from the images that the top riser as built does not land where drawn. Somebody changed something, for some reason. You need to find out why, and someone needs to come up with a solution. 

Sep 13, 18 10:17 am  · 
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proto

^^^^this...also, what does your architect say? what does your contractor say? what do the permit documents say?

Sep 13, 18 3:36 pm  · 
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randomised

They put the mullions in the wrong place!!!

Sep 13, 18 11:04 am  · 
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Rusty!

This is the problem with architectural minimalism where things are meant to be perfectly aligned. You fuck up and now that fuck up just stands there looking dum. You can't even cover it up with a gargoyle.

Sep 13, 18 11:16 am  · 
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Wilma Buttfit

You CAN cover it up with a gargoyle. That's what I would do.

Sep 13, 18 11:18 am  · 
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Rusty!

Miss Cat should pay us for coming up with a sensible solution.

Sep 13, 18 11:22 am  · 
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Wilma Buttfit

It's worth at least 2 cents, each.

Sep 13, 18 11:25 am  · 
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AdrianFGA

@randomised - did you mean the millions

Sep 13, 18 2:33 pm  · 
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randomised

Doesn't look thát expensive.

Sep 13, 18 2:57 pm  · 
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Non Sequitur

Does anyone know where I could get a good parametric gargoyle revit family?

Sep 13, 18 3:02 pm  · 
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Rusty!

A family of gargoyles is called a clan. You need a parametric gargoyle Revit clan.

Sep 13, 18 3:08 pm  · 
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Non Sequitur

Yes, thank you Rusty. I must have this

Sep 13, 18 9:39 pm  · 
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Wilma Buttfit

Are they affordable? Can I print one myself?

Sep 13, 18 9:50 pm  · 
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JLC-1

are they in vertical position? then they're right

Sep 13, 18 4:05 pm  · 
 · 

That's embarrassing. For both the builder and the architect.

And somebody correct me if I'm wrong but the rail as drawn does not look like it meets code - isn't it supposed to extend horizontally at least one tread width at the landing?

Sep 13, 18 7:29 pm  · 
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kjdt

If it's in a place that has adopted IRC or NFPA for residential then yes, and it's supposed to level out - i.e. the 1 foot extension should be horizontal, not diagonal. But we don't know where this is, and some states have no residential code.

There's no way to tell from the info provided whether the stair is in the wrong place, or the windows, or both - the original poster should consult her contract regarding CA services, and pose the question to her architect.

Sep 13, 18 9:40 pm  · 
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Rusty!

"isn't it supposed to extend horizontally at least one tread width at the landing?" Yes according to IBC but not to IRC. Residential code is fine with it terminating right at first riser. This desig n is an assault at OCD people, but little else.

Sep 13, 18 10:35 pm  · 
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OneLostArchitect

I sometimes ask myself if I’m a good architect. I look at that elevation and say... holy fuck. 

Sep 13, 18 8:04 pm  · 
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citizen

The stair is fine.  The windows are in the wrong place.

Sep 13, 18 8:05 pm  · 
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OneLostArchitect

both architect and builder fucked up in my opinion 

Sep 13, 18 8:05 pm  · 
 · 
( o Y o )

Ms. Cat Campbell, 

The person who wrote the post above is an idiot.

Sep 13, 18 9:14 pm  · 
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Steeplechase

Tempered glass and laminated glass are two different things. Nor is a guard needed.

Sep 15, 18 3:01 pm  · 
 · 
∑ π ∓ √ ∞

someone didn't pay extra for construction administration.

Sep 13, 18 9:18 pm  · 
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∑ π ∓ √ ∞

What's the revision cloud indicating? You're hiding something.

Sep 13, 18 11:08 pm  · 
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cajunarch

I guess we won't comment either on what appears to be a washer/dryer pair under the stairs, in a position sure to cause multiple head traumas over the life of the house?   Not even sure if they will fit as drawn once the material for the underside of the stair is installed

Sep 15, 18 9:36 am  · 
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justavisual

judging by the door swings on the cabs under the stairs this is not in America...

Sep 17, 18 5:00 am  · 
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Wood Guy

Good catch

Sep 17, 18 8:48 am  · 
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justavisual

in Europe we draw door swings opposite of how they're drawn in America - so this is quite correct - it just depends where you are :)

Sep 17, 18 11:49 am  · 
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You just rocked Rick's world with that. Now he's going to have to reevaluate offering architectural services in Sweden.

Sep 17, 18 12:13 pm  · 
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Wood Guy

I use European windows regularly. Not only is the handing shown opposite the US convention; you also show windows from the interior, while we show them from the exterior. It's always confusing and has caused some expensive mistakes.

Sep 17, 18 12:14 pm  · 
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justavisual

2 hinges on one side and a handle on the other - makes sense to us that the triangle would go the other way! But America does everything differently - its okay as long as you know and can work it through.

Sep 17, 18 1:48 pm  · 
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The handrail was most likely supposed to be installed on the opposite side of the stair. It was drawn incorrectly,so was installed incorrectly.

Sep 17, 18 5:49 pm  · 
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