Making stairs open

[Mollyeyes]

Hello
Is it possible and not too expensive to remove the vertical parts on staircase to make them open ie. just have the steps and banister? Thank you.

You don't need a new staircase for glass. You will need a new handrail. It will look fab, apart from the dog nose smudges.....every bloody day.

Our house had stairs just like that but all metal and wood. We ripped them out and relocated them and put a proper staircase in.

I’d find other ways to find light, I hated walking up and down them, never felt secure.

You do need rails and spindles for building regs. Without them buyers would not be keen to buy and the market for the house diminished. People do have visitors even if they don’t have children. Open treads are not safe and neither is removing spindles and hand rails. No, you cannot normally just knock out risers and insert glass.

@Mollyeyes

Thanks everyone, This is what we are trying to achieve if it helps, an open thread staircase like in this house www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/88159132#/

Thank you

I rejected half a dozen houses with staircases like that because slimmer people and children can get stuck or fall through the gaps. It just takes a slip.

@Chumleymouse

Children can’t fall through if you don’t have any children,

Animals and visiting children can.

I'd reject a staircase like that

One accident and I still shudder at the memory, I was lucky it wasn't worse. Taking furniture etc up and down, ugh.

I've got a friend in a split level flat with dodgy stairs, not like that but in other ways. I avoid going as much as I can.

I think they look dated

You’d have to be a very slim person to get stuck in an open riser. 😂

It’s children where the issue is and older people. That’s why we have building regs. For safety.

@Chumleymouse

You’d have to be a very slim person to get stuck in an open riser. 😂

your foot and ankle need be no slimmer than usual.

@Chumleymouse

You’d have to be a very slim person to get stuck in an open riser. 😂

The lady I know who got stuck was a size 10. Slipped foot and knee went through the riser. Knee dislocated as it went through due to impact.

But I know a number of people who’ve broken ankles coming down them. I also know a woman who fell down with her baby. Baby went through the gaps but was (luckily!) fine.

Thank you everyone for your advise and views, will have a think.

Well I know plenty of people ( myself included) who have fell downstairs with solid risers , so I don’t think it makes any difference. You also don’t need building regs for open risers plenty of modern houses have them nowdays ! So does that mean all those houses don’t have building control sign off ???

I was about to come on and say what @Chumleymousechum says above, they dont look as lethal as my 'normal' Victorian stairs which are hellishly steep with a very narrow tread.

Well I know plenty of people ( myself included) who have fell downstairs with solid risers , so I don’t think it makes any difference.

Imagine falling down and your foot and ankle going through the riser. Snap.

Better than falling all the way down and spilling your brains on the floor

I hate those kinds of stairs. Could you put a glass balustrade in instead if it's for light?

I would just fall off... 😳

You can't take the risers out of an existing staircase because you'd lose structural integrity. You'd have to put a new staircase in.

I had stairs with no risers where I worked many years ago , it was far to easy to catch your toes underneath the next step up when going up the stairs , bloody hated them.
I have open plan stairs at home now but with treads and risers but open sided which means all the heat vanishes upstairs , it makes it hard to heat the ground floor of the house .