Omaha daily bee., 1908-09-13
(Second Article.)

Second Article.)
One of the important things to consider
in the planning OF a home is the proper
location and plan of the main stairway.
There are a great many ways in which
this prominent feature, which is the first to
greet you as you enter the home, can be
designed, and it is to be regretted that there
are more failures in the building of stair
ways, from the standpoint of convenience
and beauty, than there is in any other
part OF the house. One of the principal
defects encountered in the building of a
stairway Is in trying to get it into too small
a space. 1t matters little whether a house
costs 5000 or $4,000; the stairway takes up
about the same amount of room. 1t re-
quires as many steps to ascend to the Sec
ond floor, and there is very little differ
ence in the width between the stairways
of inexpensive and expensive homes. The
stairway is one of the two features within
the home which give II character, the other
being the fireplace, and as this is the first
to be seen, and first Impressions should
always be good, it is very important that
the main stairway in the reception hall
should be we'll designed.
The more one keeps to a simple design
in the construction of the stairway, the
1 81 10 NV NV aNaNNN ~
comes in trying to make it appear too elab-
crate. Square, simple Newell posts and
plain balusters about an iEch and a quarter
square, with the corners rounded, are
much to be preferred to the huge creations
Of the mill often turned out as orna-
mental CD Newell posts and a crooked,
twisted baluster one so often sees. To say
nothing of the appearance, they are very
hard. to keep clean and require a daily
busting Of each baluster. the same as onc
would dust any piece of furniture.
1t is always best to nave at least one
landing in a stairway, for a continuous run
from floor TO floor without a landing be.
tween on which to pause and rest makes
the ascent too tiresome, especially for the
elder members of the household. 1t is also
quite important that the rise OF each steI
should not be too great. One quarter Of
an inch in the difference Of the height o.
steps makes a wonderful difference In thu
ease of ascending a stairs. For example
Steps that are 74 inches high, they make
altogether too steep a stair, II they ar,
N inches high. they still make an un
comfortable climb for the older people anC
the little children of the household. A
rise OF IA inches to each step is, however
Just right. To make the rise of each stel
only 6k inches would require so many
steps before the floors were reached tina
the ascent would become tedious-so mucl
50 that the members Of the feminine house
hold, no matter how modest, would prob
ably take them two at a time. The tread
should never be less than nine inches II
width and this is somewhat narrow. 4
good width for each tread is II inches
while y inches make a splendid trea'
where the space can be taken.
The matter of hand rail should also re
ceive serious consideration. No stair
should be built without a hand rail extend
ing its full length. Many a slip and fal
by children or convalescent invalids ha
been saved from serious consequence
through having a hand rail handy for i'm
mediate support. Winder should never
under any consideration. be placed in
= stairs. The winder is a step which goe
diagonally across a landing from corner I
corner. The cellar stairs ana line att
stairs should. when possible. follow tn
same general rules that apply on the mai
stairway. Cellar stairs are often made un
comfortably steep when there is no reaso
why they should DO so. Because one
guests do not climb up and down the celia
stairs is no reAs2n for not giving caref,
attention to a correct proportion Of trea
and riser. Many steps are taken up an
down the cellar stairs each day and N
ascent should be made comfortable.
Another very important consideration
the planning and designing OF the home
the proper size and location OF the drll
, and windows. In locating a door in an