Unsupported wooden staircases make your staircase appear larger. Another advantage: if a step is damaged, it can be easily removed and reinstalled in the cantilever staircase after resealing.
Handrail-supporting and non-handrail-supporting stairs
A distinction is made between handrail-supporting and non-handrail-supporting stairs. With handrail-supporting stairs, the handrail has a static function and is included in the statics of the staircase. A non-handrail-supporting stair case does not require a supporting handrail. This staircase therefore has the required structural properties even without a handrail.
These types of stairs are classed as engineered stairs and must therefore be approved by the building authorities (ETA).
What are self-supporting stairs?
Self-supporting stairs are structures that are not anchored to a wall. These include spiral staircases and center stringer stairs, for example.
In everyday life, however, other types of stairs are often referred to as "self-supporting stairs" because they do not require a substructure or side walls and have a very light, elegant style. These include bolt staircases and cantilever staircases, for example.