Austrian norms are known by the abbreviated designation ÖNORM. They describe certain standards that are to be complied with in various fields – such as construction. The norms developed by Austrian Standards are often also recognised throughout Europe, which can be seen from the combination of letters EN (e. g. ÖNORM EN 1363).
All staircases by Minka belong to the category “non-essential staircase”. Such stairs are often used to reach an attic or to have a second access to a floor or gallery.
A central stringer staircase is a special type of space-saving staircase in which the steps are mounted on support elements along the centre line of the staircase. The support elements are made of metal and are adjustable in height, which means that central stringer stairs are considered very flexible and space-saving. Central stringer staircases are sometimes also called mono-stringer staircases.
With a left-turning spiral staircase, you go up the steps in an anti-clockwise direction. With this variant, the centre pillar is on your left hand when going up and the banister is on your right hand.
All Minka spiral staircases can be installed in both left- and right-turning versions.
The term clear room height refers to the distance from the upper edge of the floor to the lower edge of the ceiling. The clear room height is particularly relevant when purchasing attic stairs.
Height extensions are available as an optional extra for most of our space-saving staircases and spiral staircases. You need a height extension if you need to reach a room height that is higher than the standard dimension. When you order a height extension, you get an extra step as well as the extra material for the extended railing.
Please note that you may not install more than a maximum of two height extension elements per staircase. Stability and safety when climbing stairs can no longer be guaranteed if more than two additional steps are installed.
The handrail is the upper part of the railing that you can hold on to with your hand. The handrails of the Minka system staircases are either made of solid wood or high-quality plastic (PVC).
The storey height is an important value for the selection and installation of system staircases. To determine the storey height, you must measure from the top edge of the floor of a room to the top edge of the ceiling or gallery.
The term railing bar or railing rod refers to all vertical bars of stair railings. Horizontal rods on some staircases, on the other hand, are referred to as bottom chords, lower girders or bottom rails.
The railing or banister is one of the most important components of system staircases, as it enables safe ascent and descent. There are three different types of banisters for Minka’s spiral and space-saving staircases: The bar railing consists only of vertical bars and a handrail. The lower girder railing has horizontal bars – so-called lower girders – in addition to the vertical bars. The step railing, on the other hand, consists of L-shaped metal rods that are attached to each other.