wooden stairs

Different types of wooden stairs

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Wooden stairs are a type of stairs which has a certain charm and evokes a warm and cozy atmosphere. From a technical point of view wooden stairs can be distinguished according to their structural categories. The main categories are: massive staircases with steps, Capuchin stairs; common stairs.

We begin by describing wooden stairs with massive steps: the supporting structure is made with beams, above which are propped up the steps, or alternatively the structure may be formed by sturdy plates, which normally are called stringers, and which are arranged along sides of the ramp of wooden stairs. The steps, in this case, can be placed or trapped in these tables, the support is obtained with the removal of a part of the thickness of the plates themselves, and the interlocking is obtained practicing an apposite cavature.

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wooden staircase

A ‘dream’ loft with a wooden staircase

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When a house hosts a loft, there must also be a wooden staircase which connects it to the other living spaces. The solutions to achieveit are numerous, and vary in relation to the space available and the style and aesthetics of the furniture.

A spiral wooden staircase to the loft is ideal for connecting different levels with the advantage of a smaller footprint to a minimum – it is usually sufficient a compartment that has a diameter of at least 120 cm, or one square of 130 cm. The only drawback is represented by the possible difficulties in the use by the elderly or those with reduced mobility.

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staircases

DIY staircases and security: a serious issue

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In the field of furnishings aesthetics – of course – is important, but many other essential factors are to be taken into account; among them security is foremost important. You can not sacrifice safety on the altar of aesthetics, since the consequences could be disastrous. This is even more true in the field of DIY, and in particular of staircases, which are by definition an element that presents a safety hazard if not made according to all the trappings and rules, those of common sense as well as those dictated by legal regulations. In this post we attempt to outline what should be the design criteria to build DIY staircases in a workmanlike manner with regard to safety.

The first rule to follow is one in which at the end of each step there should be a non-slip strip, which is coupled to the handrail and railing of protection to ensure the safety of users. All this, in addition, must be accompanied by adequate lighting to permit to easily reach the bottom of the stairs, or alternatively another point of light, making it possible to walk without problems in the descent.

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Steven Spielberg at Festival de Cannes

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At this edition of the Cannes Film Festival the president of the giury is Steven Spielberg. The famous american director at the first press conference said: “It’s such a relief that we’re going to be seeing movies and we’ll deliberate a final result and we don’t have to go though the campaign,” said the US director, head of the Palme d’Or jury”.

Last wensday he adeed: “As you know, it’s part of award season in America like a political cycle,” said the Schindler’s List director at the official jury press conference. ghghjWe had campaigning for the 2012 election, and there’s always campaigning for the Oscar election. There’s none of that here so it’s a breath of fresh air.”

Spielberg, who has never shown a film in competition at Cannes, said the judging process was “not so different from watching a movie yourself and forming an opinion”.

Spileberg also said: “We all sit in judgement of the moves we see anyway, waiting to see if the film changes you and introduces something you’ve never seen before. Everyone sits in judgement over us, now it’s our turn. I’ve always just accepted that there is great competition in film, for the attention of the audience”. Go to Cannes from London.

 

ozon

Cannes Film Festival: Francois Ozon

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The Cannes Film Festival 2013 is just started and we want to talk about François Ozon’s Young and Beautiful (Jeune et Jolie), an exploration of a 17-year-old girl’s willful entry into the world of prostitution. In some ways, it treads similar territory to Julia Leigh’s  Sleeping Beauty, but whereas that film maintained a detached, ambiguous tone toward the material.

Vacth plays Isabelle, a 17-year-old girl in a well-off family, who, as the film begins is still a virgin. That doesn’t last so long though, as she more or less sets a personal goal to sleep with a goofy-but-handsome German guy before the end of her family’s seaside vacation.

We remember that François Ozon is a  French  film director  and  screenwriter  whose films are usually characterized by sharp satirical wit and a freewheeling view on human sexuality.

He has achieved international acclaim for his films 8 femmes (2002) and Swimming Pool (2003). Ozon is considered to be one of the most important French film directors in the new “New Wave” in French cinema such as  Jean-Paul Civeyrac,  Philippe Ramos, and  Yves Caumon, as well as a group of French filmmakers associated with a “cinema du corps/cinema of the body”. Go to Cannes from London.

cannes

Trip to Cannes for Pattinson and Stewart

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Next wednesday will start the Cannes Film Festival, the most important cinema kermesse in the world. Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart will be taking a trip to  Cannes together in just a couple days. Expecially Pattinson will be there to work the press for his upcoming film.

Mr Pattinson and Misses Srewart will spend over $7,500 a night on a suite at Hotel Du Cap! Following the festival, the two will be heading off on a romantic vacation. Rumors going on the web reveals that they have their eye on doing a tour of the local museums, like the Picasso one in Antibes, and Renoir’s house. They’re also going to go down to Provence and visit the vineyards there.

We remember that the  Cannes International Film Festival, that in french is calles Le Festival International du Film de Cannes is a very important film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films of all genres, including documentaries, from around the world. Founded in 1946, it is one of the most prestigious and publicised film festivals in the worlld. Take a plane from Orio al Serio Airport.

iron spiral staircase

An iron spiral staircase as a work of art

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Iron is a material that was adopted in the construction of stairs only from the nineteenth century, in correspondence with the Industrial Revolution, as an override of stone and masonry for vertical structural elements, such as iron spiral staircases and beams, at first mainly in the field of industrial buildings, then in every field of civil, industrial and military architecture.

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steel staircase

The sheer beauty of a steel staircase

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The introduction of metal in the field of staircases – which can be traced back to the Nineteenth Century and the growth of the Industrial Revolution – basically consisted in the replacement of wooden beams with regard to the structural parts, and masonry and stone with regard to columns and load-bearing elements. Initially, the iron and steel staircase was employed especially in industrial environments, but later on the use of this ductile and resilient material spread in other architectural contexts.

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wooden staircase

A wooden staircase to the loft: aesthetics and functionality

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In the space of modern apartments – often reduced to a minimum – you need to take advantage of every corner in a functional way, which is why, very often a loft is used, when the ceiling height and shape of the local allow it. This obviously also involves the realization of a wooden staircase to the loft, which in turn must be designed to reduce a further loss of housing surfaces.

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