What Are Witches’ Stairs? Is There Any Magic in Them?

An unusual home design choice made waves as users on social media rediscovered it that was dubbed “witches’ stairs.” These steep, alternating stairways are allegedly witchproof, but in reality, they’re mostly used as a space-saving choice. Let’s check out how witches’ stairs work, where they’re used, and some other relevant info you might find interesting.

What Are Witches Stairs and How Do They Work?

Witches’ stairs, also known as alternating tread stairs, are a stair design choice used in some situations. The stairs feature wide, alternating half treads that require you to climb them in a particular order. The half-treads allow the steps to be steeper than regular stairs without being too difficult to climb. Witches’ stairs are typically used in New England homes to access lofts or attics.

In recent years, the stairs became popular on social media, with some users claiming the stairs were originally used in New England homes. The urban legend goes that witches can’t climb the steps. In reality, they’re used in place of ladders or perilous circular staircases to reach secluded rooms.

Regular stairs require more space than witches’ stairs, and homes with small footprints might not be able to spare the space. The tradeoff is that you’ll have to ascend or descend the stairs more carefully, and witches’ stairs are typically required by building codes to have handrails installed because of their steep height.

Witches’ stairs are also used to save costs because alternating half treads are cheaper to produce and install than standard stairs. In turn, you’ll have more floor space in the rest of the home and can save costs there too. For small homes and apartments, witches’ stairs prevent you from losing valuable floor space for stairways you’ll rarely use.

Lastly, witches’ stairs can be found in a wide variety of colors and styles to match any home decor. Wood to match rustic cottages or metal to err closer to a sleek, modern home.

Other Types of Stairs

Witches’ stairs are aesthetically interesting and a novel concept, but they’re far from the only stairs. We’re all most familiar with the straight stairway, the L-shaped stairway, and perhaps the circular staircase. Let’s check those out below in further detail.

Straight Stairs

Straight stairs are some of the most common out there, and for good reason. They’re relatively cheap to build and only need fastening at the top and bottom. It’s also very easy to install rails for straight stairs, though they may only need them if they exceed a certain height or number of steps. The biggest downside of straight stairs is that they eat up a lot of linear space in your floor plan.

Spiral Staircase

Spiral stairs are very striking stairs, with a tight, helical design that saves space on your floor plan. They’re also pretty easy to install, but they can’t be used as the only stairway for second-floor access. As far as practicality goes, spiral stairways are a hard sell. They’re hard to carry objects on, narrower, and don’t accommodate many people at the same time.

L-Shaped Stairs

L-shaped stairs have a central landing in between flights of stairs, allowing you to rest between steps. They can also serve as a privacy barrier between areas, and putting the stairs between walls can muffle noise between floors. The main issue with this stair design is that it’s difficult to build, requiring more support than other stairs.

Where Are Witches Stairs Used?

As mentioned above, witches’ stairs are most commonly used in small homes or as a space-saving measure for larger homes. Building codes usually forbid alternating treads as main stairways, reserving them as accessways for rarely used rooms like attics. If you hate the idea of climbing a ladder to access your attic or loft, witches’ stairs are a perfect alternative. Witches’ stairs also slash the costs of home construction compared to straight stairways.

Advantages of Witches Stairs

Witches’ stairs have a few main advantages that make them worth using over other stair designs. Let’s go into more detail about their pros below.

Saves Space

Witches’ stairs have deeper half-treads than the full treads on other stairways, which allows more depth per tread. As a result, the stairway uses less linear space to go up to higher levels in the home. For small apartments and homes, this increases livable space that you can add to other areas.

Improved Comfort & Safety

It takes some practice to master ascending and descending witches’ stairs because you have to use a particular pattern of steps. Regular stairs, on the other hand, you can climb with either foot in any pattern. Once you learn how to climb witches’ stairs, though, you’ll find that the higher half-treads are very comfortable. It also helps that witches’ stairs virtually always have handrails!

Cost-Effective

Witches’ stairs require less total material to create and install than regular stairs, so they’re also cheaper to have installed. For homes on a budget, alternating tread stairs can be an attractive and cheap way to access an attic or mezzanine.

Disadvantages of Witches Stairs

Witches’ stairs save space and look neat, but they have some important drawbacks that you should know about before you commit to them for your home. Let’s see what these drawbacks are and why you might not want witches’ stairs in your home.

They Have Building Restrictions

Witches’ stairs might be more popular, but local building codes may have various restrictions on where you can use them. Let’s see some restrictions localities may have in place about witches’ stairs.

Not Suitable for Children

Witches’ stairs are typically steeper than regular stairs, which kids may also struggle with. They probably won’t have the coordination and balance required to safely ascend and descend witches’ stairs. If you have kids, witches’ stairs are strongly discouraged for safety reasons.

Requires Practice

It takes time to get used to the unusual step pattern required by witches’ stairs, and practicing how to climb stairs isn’t on most people’s to-do lists. It may add an additional layer of discomfort while you get used to how to climb the stairs safely.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Were witches’ stairs really used to ward off witches? 

It almost sounds plausible because of the Salem witch trials, but alternating tread stairs were not actually used to deter witches from entering homes. However, there are no mentions in historical literature¹ of these stairs being used to ward off witches. The nickname likely came later due to the stairs being more common in New England and their unique look.

How much cheaper are witches’ stairs than regular stairs? 

It’s impossible to give an accurate quote through an article, but you can expect to save hundreds of dollars going with alternating witches’ stairs over a regular stairway. Other factors that impact cost include the size of the stairway and the chosen material.

Are witches’ stairs right for me?

If you have children, we wouldn’t recommend witches’ stairs for the sole reason that they’re unsafe. But if you live alone or there aren’t any kids in the home, they can be a great secondary stairway to access an attic or basement. They’ll save you floor space in your home and cost less, but you’ll need to learn how to walk up and down them. If you don’t mind that tradeoff, witches’ stairs might be the right choice for your home.

Conclusion

Witches’ stairs have an unusual appearance and name, but they’re mainly a space and cost saver in homes. They can’t be the main stairway, but they’re a great alternative over ladders for attics and lofts.

Featured Image Credit: Joshua Olsen, Unsplash