Staircases, which today are equally the responsibility of joiners The increasing demand for textbooks on the techniques of stair and carpenters, have had a varied history over the last thirty construction is due to two main factors: . years. Until 1945 nearly all staircases, even those in large resi­ dential blocks, were made of wood. Because of the amount of 1. The relatively small dwellings that were built twenty to thirty destruction that took place during the war, new building regu­ years ago are no longer regarded as acceptable. New regu­ lations frequently stipulated nonflammable materials for almost lations concerning noise and heat insulation as well as gov­ all stairs. ernment aid available to finance such projects have, in ad­ This resulted in a decline in the quality of stair construction; dition, stimulated the rebuilding and thus the design of more what is more, fewer and fewer craftsmen were trained for this generously proportioned dwellings, including, of course, rewarding and varied branch of woodworking craftsmanship. staircases. This is a regrettable development, since good stair builders must combine the design capabilities and three-dimensional approach 2. The style of living has changed. The time when sober inte­ of the carpenter with the exact and neat craftsmanship of the join­ riors were the order of the day has gone. Excessive nostalgic er. Techniques of Staircase Construction therefore provides welcome reversal to previous styles has also passed.