As far as home designs go, stairs are ones that you want to get right. Any flaw in the execution could lead to an embarrassing trip or, even worse, a serious fall.
We are so used to walking up and down stairways all day every day, that we don't even think to look if everything is in order. These truly horrific stair designs, collected in a list by Bored Panda, are on another level. Poorly planned, dangerous, and maybe even deadly, after seeing them, you might want to look twice before you take your next step!
Seriously, how these design fails even came to live? Scroll down to check out the very worst staircases you'll ever see, and take care out there!
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Not A Good Carpet Choice For Stairs If You Ask Me
Are you ready for some scintillating stair facts? Of course you are! With thanks to StepJockey, here are a few things about home improvement that you might not have known.
- Stair climbing is officially classed as a ‘vigorous exercise’ and burns more calories per minute than jogging
- Stair climbing requires 8-9 times more energy expenditure than sitting and burns about 7 times more calories than taking a lift
- You burn about 0.17 calories for every step you climb, so you burn roughly a calorie and a half for every 10 upward steps
- You also burn calories going down. Every stair descended burns about 0.05 calories, so you burn 1 calorie for every 20 steps down
I've Seen Some Crappy Stairs, But This One Takes The Cake
When You Let Satan Choose The Carpet
- For buildings with five floors or less, it’s nearly always quicker to take the stairs. Studies show office workers save up to 15 minutes a day by taking the stairs.
- As well as guarding against heart disease, diabetes, stroke and some cancers, stair climbing releases endorphins that produce feelings of wellbeing.
- Just 7 minutes stair climbing a day has been estimated to more than half the risk of a heart attack over 10 years.
- Stair climbing cuts carbon emissions. By ditching the lift in a typical office you will save between 0.3 and 0.6 Kg of Co2 a day.
- Professional skiers often climb stairs to keep competition-fit. Many models do the same to keep their legs toned for the catwalk.
Camouflage 101
Built The Staircase Exactly As Designed, Boss
- Climbing stairs is a classic ‘short burst’ exercise and ideal for the time-poor. The biggest variable in stair climbing is your weight. The heavier you are, the more calories you burn.
- Other variables affecting calorie burn while stair climbing include the angle of the stairs, your sex, climbing speed, age and general fitness.
- You burn more calories climbing stairs in high heels.
- It’s a myth that climbing stairs two at a time burns more calories. More energy is expended over time by taking things slowly.
- The greatest height reached climbing stairs in 12 hours was 33,000 feet by Chris Solarz of Philadelphia, USA. Solarz climbed 58,080 stairs.
- The 19th century is regarded by many as the golden era of stair construction. In the 20th century architects gave prominence to lifts.
Stairs That Lead To Nowhere
Stairs Of Death
- Now, with the emergence of ‘active design’, architects are once again making stairs more prominent.
- Many scientific studies show that simple stair prompts significantly increase stair usage. One trick is simply to point-out ‘hidden’ stairs
- The longest stairway listed by the Guiness Book of Records is the service stairway for the Niesenbahn funicular railway near Spiez, Switzerland. It has 11,674 steps and a round trip would burn over 3,000 calories.
- Going down stairs burns fewer calories but works and tones different muscles and joints. It’s also good for balance and coordination.
- The Roman architect Vitruvius established the first guidelines for the stair in the first century B.C, suggesting a 37 degree pitch. Most stairs are not dramatically different today.
So what are you waiting for? Forget the lift, take a few deep breaths and get climbing!
Extreme Wheelchairing
In Case Of Fire Use Stairs, They Said. Do Not Use Elevators, They Said
Almost Broke My Leg
You Don't Have To Be Drunk To Fall Down These Stairs
These Stairs At A Movie Theatre
These Aren’t Stairs. They Are Decorative Waterfalls. My Friend Walked Into Them And Slipped, I Laughed My Ass Off
This Flight Of Stairs Outside A Door Is Death Waiting To Happen
My God
For When You Want A Near Death Experience Every Time You Use The Stairs
What's with stairs with no railing? Who thinks that's safe for a healthy adult, let alone a child or an older person whose balance isn't quite as good any more (i.e. me)?
If You Choose To Go On The Left, On The Ramp, Because You Have A Bike Or Stroller, Then You Will Encounter A Step Later. But If You Choose Stairs Then You Will Encounter A Ramp After The Stairs
These Sloping Stairs
How To Break Your Bones
Man This Hill Is Just Too Steep. Hold On A Sec While I Take The Stairs
These Double Stairs
These Stairs
These Stairs Must Be For Pets And Children Only
These Stairs In Monaco
These Stairs
These Stairs In A College I Visited Had People Confused...
These Stairs In My Sisters House Are A Joy To Use
Someone Directed Us To These Stairs When We Were Lost
These Stairs In A Residence Hall When I Was In College. Always Creeped Me Out
These Stairs Are 1ft/30cm High
The One Stair Slightly Shifted To The Side
The Stairs To Nowhere
You Win This Time, Stairs...
Good place to hide your valuables. Though you’ll need to figure out a secret entrance; from the other side of the cabinet, or a way to move that stair. Just spitballing ideas here....
These Stairs...
Terrible Floor To See The Depth Of The Stairs
Space Saving Stairs
Let Them All Fall From Those Stairs
Carpeted Stairs To Shower
Constant dampness. Mold. Mildew. Gross. Plus, no room for a bath mat, because there’s only about 3 inches of space to step out onto.
Nearly Died Carrying A Box Down These Basement Stairs
I lived in a place that had similar stairs. Amazingly enough, your legs/feet do eventually pick up the rhythm and oddities of the stairs.
Stairs Leading To Nowhere At My School
These Stairs
These Stairs Made To Trip You
These Stairs With No Access To Retrieve Items That Fall Through
Even The Stairs At Ubsoft Have Glitches In Them
These Beautiful Stairs
They do not lead you to weight room, they lead you to emergency room when you run fast enough.
New Cinema In My City Has The Stairs In The Exact Middle Of The Screen, Forcing Everyone To Sit To The Side
You Have To Take The Stairs To Use This Elevator
"Extra Storage" Stairs Are A Tripping Hazard Deathtrap
Random Stairs!
The Carpeting On These Stairs
Legit Saw A Kid Walk Up The Stairs And Stared At The Gate
It's a life lesson for kids. Take the easy way up and you'll end up behind bars lol
Crappy Stairs
The Stairs To Nowhere, At Michigan Technological University, An Engineering College
Escalators + Stairs. Bruh
What A Perfect Spot To Build Some Stairs....
If you have hard time making choices, this staircase is a b***h!
Time To Take The Elevator... Oh, I Might Take The Stairs.
I hope there’s another, working, accessible elevator somewhere. Just think of moving day.
These Extremely Disorienting Stairs At The Hotel We Stayed At Last Week
Third time I’ve said it. Rubber strips at the end of each step. Why aren’t these places thinking of that after making such horrible design choices?
Excuse Me! Could You Tell Me Where I Might Find Apartment 9 And 3/4?
Looks like a single family house cut up into apartments, and this guy lives on the ground floor by the Old stairs to the upper floor. Keeping the old stairs may not be great for apartments, but terrific when someone decides to reconvert it back to a single family home.
This Set Of Stairs At My Relative’s House. (I Almost Fell)
Outstanding Stairs.
They built the stairs and then they were told they needed a disabled entry so the added it over the stairs.
These Stairs At My School
Stairs That Lead To The Corner Of The House
Should We Make Stairs Or A Ramp? Yes.
Pointless Stairs Found At The National Children’s Hospital
Clearly there was a door there at some point, but it's been bricked up
I Walked Up These Stairs Without Really Thinking And Got So Confused
The Stairs In My Parents House. You Get Used To Walking Down The Grippy Carpet Then The Last Three Steps Are Incredibly Slippy When Wearing Socks. Perfect For Killing Elderly Relatives
Four steps, mate. It’s FOUR steps, not three...ya don’t have to be old to take a solid hit on some steps!
These Stairs Lead To Nowhere
These Stairs In The Toronto Airport
The Stairs On This Bridge
I suppose it's to make it easier for bikes, but to force them to dismount first?
What Are These? Stairs For Ants?
I Like This Efficient Stair Design
Stairs To Nowhere
These Stairs
Was the house converted to apartments, meaning they had to add a private entrance to the second floor? Over here the old back entrance to the house was?
Only The Left Side Opens Leaving The Right Side Of The Stairs Useless
About 80% of these could be summed up with “sometimes things get remodeled”.
By a fly-by-night contractor and with no building permits, presumably.
Load More Replies...So the people who designed these, the people who issued the permits, the people who built them... all failed to see the idiocy? And they got paid for that? They all need to give the money back and start looking for other jobs, preferably not involving people's safety!
Most of these were probably built without permits. Or at least without any inspection afterward to make sure building codes were followed. I wonder what countries these came from, because I've never seen anything like this where I live.
Load More Replies...About 80% of these could be summed up with “sometimes things get remodeled”.
By a fly-by-night contractor and with no building permits, presumably.
Load More Replies...So the people who designed these, the people who issued the permits, the people who built them... all failed to see the idiocy? And they got paid for that? They all need to give the money back and start looking for other jobs, preferably not involving people's safety!
Most of these were probably built without permits. Or at least without any inspection afterward to make sure building codes were followed. I wonder what countries these came from, because I've never seen anything like this where I live.
Load More Replies...