Storey height
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.
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Railing bar
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.
Railing
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.
Hatch box
Professionals refer to the rectangular frame of loft ladders, which is installed in the ceiling and in which the staircase remains when folded in, as a hatch box. The length and width of the hatch box must match the dimensions of the ceiling opening. In addition, when buying an attic staircase, you should choose the height of the hatch box according to the measured ceiling thickness. Hatch boxes can be made of wood or MDF. For many hatch boxes, Minka also offers a matching top cover that increases thermal insulation.
Flat roof exit / flat roof stairs
In order to be able to climb onto flat roofs, for example for repair work or similar, a retractable flat roof staircase is recommended. In terms of function, flat roof stairs can be compared to attic stairs. However, they have special metal exits that are suitable for outdoor use and insulate particularly well.
Rotation per step
The rotation per step is about the angle at which the steps wind around the centre pillar of a spiral staircase. If the rotation per step is high, it means that the steps are comfortable to walk on. On the other hand, if the angle of rotation is smaller, less space is required for the stairs.
Fire-retardant EI30/EI60
According to ÖNORM, the fire-retardant effect of materials is divided into several classes. EI230 and EI260 also belong to these fire resistance classes. The number in the designation indicates the minimum time the material can withstand a fire. For example, if a loft ladder is labelled EI260, it means that the staircase will prevent a one-sided fire from spreading further for at least 60 minutes. Fire-retardant attic stairs therefore save valuable time during rescue from a possible fire.
Attic staircase
Attic staircases are stairs that lead to unoccupied attics or storage rooms. They are usually fixed in the ceiling and only folded out or extended when needed. Attic stairs can be made of wood or metal. A special form of metal attic stairs are so-called scissor stairs, which are pulled out like an accordion.
Staining
Staining is the application of a chemical solution (stain) to the surface of wood. This changes the colour of the wood, but the natural grain remains. The walnut steps of the Minka stairs are not made of real walnut wood, but of beech wood that has been stained to a walnut look. For additional protection of the wood, our stair treads are also coated with a high-quality layer of varnish.
Outdoor staircase
All stairs marked with the term outdoor staircase are suitable for outdoor use. The metal parts of these stairs are galvanised and therefore extremely resistant to environmental influences of all kinds. They do not rust even in wind and weather. It is important to choose a suitable foundation for outdoor stairs. However, Minka outdoor staircases can of course also be used indoors.