That area upstairs

Earthhorse wrote: »

So I couldn't take the tension any longer and decided to e-mail an architect friend of mine to get the skinny on landings and returns. Here's the scoop.

Does a return refer to the part of the landing where the person "returns" or does it just refer to the design of the stairs i.e. a return stairs. Or does it refer to both?

The former. The stairs is called a 'dog-leg' stairs.

Also, when does a landing qualify as a landing? Is it any part of the stairs which isn't steps?

A level area at top, bottom or middle of stairs. You can't have a door at the top step without having a landing in front of it. There can only be 16 risers between landings, any more and you need a landing somewhere in the middle. (I'm assuming she's talking about building regs there).

So is a hall a landing too then, given that the landing at the top of the stairs refers to the entire area between the bedrooms?

Am I right in saying a return is also a landing?

Yes a hall is a landing and a return is also a landing.

In Georgian houses often the stairs is housed in a separate volume at the back of the house - known as the return.