The walking line — also called the line of travel — is the imaginary, smoothly flowing line that joins the front edges of the treads of a stair: the line along which the stair is actually walked. The governing stair dimensions are measured on it. The Dutch term is klimlijn.
On a straight flight the walking line coincides with the centre of the stair and is of little interest. On a quarter- or half-turn stair, or a spiral, it becomes decisive: at the inner side the treads are narrow, at the outer side wide. Where you measure the going therefore determines whether the stair complies.
How it is set out
Different countries fix the walking line in different ways.
- England and Wales — Approved Document K measures the going of tapered treads on the centre line where the flight is narrower than 1 m, and 270 mm in from each side where the flight is 1 m or wider. The going of a tapered tread should be at least 50 mm at the narrow end, and consecutive tapered treads should keep a uniform going
- The Netherlands — the Besluit bouwwerken leefomgeving places the walking line at least 0.3 m from the sides of the stair. For a dwelling, the going measured on that line must be at least 0.22 m, the rise at most 0.188 m, and the tread surface at least 0.05 m wide overall and at least 0.23 m at the walking line
Always check the edition of the regulations that applies in your jurisdiction before relying on a figure.
| Measuring position, England and Wales (tapered treads) | Centre line if the flight is narrower than 1 m; 270 mm in from each side if the flight is 1 m or wider |
|---|---|
| Measuring position, Netherlands | Walking line at least 0.3 m from the sides of the stair |
| Going, England and Wales (tapered treads) | At least 50 mm at the narrow end; consecutive tapered treads keep a uniform going |
| Going, Netherlands (dwelling) | At least 0.22 m, measured on the walking line |
| Rise, Netherlands (dwelling) | At most 0.188 m |
| Tread surface width, Netherlands (dwelling) | At least 0.05 m overall and at least 0.23 m at the walking line |
Where it applies
- Designing turned stairs — the tread division is set out along the walking line so that the stair walks evenly through the turn
- Compliance checking — the going is assessed on the walking line, not at the middle of the tread
- Positioning a runner and lighting — the walked path coincides with the walking line
- Refurbishment — when replacing an old stair the existing walking line is the starting point for the new tread division
Practical tips
- Check the step formula — a comfortable stair roughly satisfies 2 × rise + going = 570 to 650 mm; the bare legal minima give a steep, if permitted, stair
- Spread the turn over more treads — the more treads you use in a quarter turn, the less pointed the treads become at the inner end
- Mind the headroom — clearance is most critical directly above the walking line; measure vertically from the nosing of each tread
- Set it out first — mark the walking line on the floor before cutting the strings; a few centimetres of error decides between passing and failing
Related terms
- Going
- Rise
- Winder
- Landing
- String
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