Welcome to our guide to floating stairs design including popular types, materials, cost and ideas for your home.
How Do Floating Stairs Work?
Cantilever floating stairs, the most popular style, tend to rely a lot on the structural stability of the wall, as it does not have any additional supports underneath to create a clean modern look.
In the case of a non-load-bearing wall, however, there are still design alternatives that can be used to achieve this. The overall supporting structure of stairs will entirely depend on the wall structure and the engineering of your stairs will be designed accordingly.
If you’re worried about the stability of floating staircases, or your wall doesn’t provide enough support, you can also explore using central-spine staircases.
These stairs also have a floating look to it, but it has an additional central spine (usually steel, wood or concrete) to support its load, so you don’t have to worry about your wall.
One great advantage of quasi-floating stairs is that there will be no damage done to the walls, as the stairs support is attached to the floor and the ceiling slab.
There are many material options if you want to install floating stairs into your home. But always consider safety above all. If you have small children or pets in your home, free-floating stairs is definitely not a safe option as they usually don’t have railings.
Choose a design with utmost consideration to the safety of the users & the safety of the structure above all, and it will surely be worth it.
Free Floating Stairs
Free-floating stairs, also known as cantilever stairs, usually have a very slim and minimalist look. They usually require a load-bearing wall for support and their maximum stair width would depend on the design of its support.
Ideally, free floating stairs design (also known as cantilever stairs) should not be too wide to ensure stability, especially when using wood or other materials that easily bend.
Floating Wood Stairs
There are a couple of ways to install floating wood stairs. The most popular is cantilever wood stairs, you can also use a quasi-floating staircase (or central-spine) with wooden treads.
Always make sure you’re using the right type of wood, because not all wood species are made equal, and some are easier to warp and bend than the others. Choose the appropriate type of wood depending on the support structure of your stairs.
For a more lightweight look, consider using thinner wood treads for your floating stairs. Just make sure that you also use wider metal stiffeners underneath the treads so the wood doesn’t break or bend.
Metal Floating Stairs
Recently, there have been many creative techniques to use metal for stairs. Traditionally, they’re only used for structural support, or for railings. However, recently you’ll also find metal treads made from metal sheets, metal frames, and many other creative applications.
Black stairs are very in vogue right now, and because black is a very versatile color, you can easily use it for your stairs without any worries that it will not match the current look of your space.
Floating Concrete Stairs
Aside from the look & durability, concrete stairs are also popular because of their lower cost. You can easily repaint, refinish, or leave it as is.
Modern Floating Stairs
The modern era brought about a new selection of technology and materials into construction, hence new ways to build stairs were developed. Modern floating stairs often combine a number of construction materials and techniques to achieve a certain design or look.
Floating Stairs With Glass Railing
If you use frameless clear glass, you can still retain that floating look without obstructing the illusion. Additionally, you can use glass that connects from floor to ceiling slab to help add stability to your floating stairs.
Floating Stairs DIY
While DIY stairs is completely possible, it is recommended that you have prior knowledge & experience in building/construction, as it requires a lot of technical know-hows.
If you’re confident with your skills, however, just take note of the following important points:
- Check the building code – make sure you take note of the minimum and maximum measurements and load requirements to ensure the safety and functionality of the stairs you are building.
- Asses support structures – are you building off a concrete wall? Drywall? Or is there no wall beside your stairs? These are all factors that will narrow down your choices for floating stairs supports and style.
- Determine the users of the stairs – if you have small children, pets, and elderly that will also use the stairs, ensure that the stairs you are building will be safe for them. Add railings for extra support, and if your kids or small pets like to run around a lot, perhaps a stair riser will also need to be added to avoid accidents.
- Choose the right material – all the above-mentioned factors will also help you narrow down the material choices for the stairs. Make sure you select appropriate materials and support hardware.
The unique feature of these stairs would be the metal wires crisscrossing on the outer edge of the stairs, which acts both as an artistic feature, as well as a barrier to the edge of the stairs.
Floating Stairs Outdoor
If you want to add floating stairs feature in your yard, garden or front porch, it is also possible! There are a number of ways to build one, and a couple of materials to choose from, but the most popular is of course, concrete.
You can add terrazzo or texture to make it safer for outdoor use, but concrete by itself is an easy low-maintenance choice for outdoor use.
floating deck stairs
Central-spine supports are typically used for floating deck stairs. The chair steps materials are usually matched to the material used on the deck itself, so if you’re using wood decking, using the same for your stair treads would be recommended for a seamless look.
Are Floating Stairs Expensive?
It might be surprising to hear, but floating stairs can go anywhere between $3,000 to $100,000. The cost will be determined by a lot of factors, and as mentioned earlier, a lot of engineering and building knowledge is required to build one successfully.
These types of stairs are highly customizable, so the cost will entirely depend on what you have (structurally) and what you want.
Floating Stairs Ideas
Below are great examples of floating stairs for your inspiration:
This minimalist interiors has a gorgeous wooden quasi-floating staircase that is slightly offset from the wall. The small gap further emphasizes its “floating” look, and keeps the walls free from damage.
Since the wooden steps used in this design are thicker, vertical metal poles attached to the beams and connecting to the end of the stair treads help add stability and load support to the steps.
Tempered glass side railings were also added for extra safety and to compliment the modern look of the open concept kitchen design.
Glass treads were added to the steps to enhance visuals, while metal tension wires were installed horizontally up to the 2nd floor ceiling to serve as the side railings with black hand rails, creating a very unique design.
In this example, the floating spiral staircase is made from wood, and also has railings with decorative metal designs on the sides.
These thick wooden treads are supported by a metal central spine, and metal stiffeners are also attached underneath the wooden treads to help avoid warping. Black powder coated steel handrails were also installed, helping add safety while maintaining a clean aesthetic.
For more related designs check out our gallery of under stairs ideas.