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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#1 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

#2 I’ve Seen Some Crappy Stairs, But This One Takes The Cake

#3 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.

#4 Camouflage 101

#5 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 [intimacy], 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.

#6 Stairs That Lead To Nowhere

#7 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!