The staircase in the house should be not only beautiful, but above all safe and comfortable. Of course, the designer is responsible for the project of the house and for each of its components, but it is best to understand the structures and types of stairs yourself in order to choose the best option for yourself. Looking through magazines on construction and design, looking closely at the stairs in the houses of neighbors and friends, you can get lost in their huge number and variety of their shapes, designs and materials used.
In order to understand which staircase is suitable for you, you need to know about the disadvantages and advantages of a particular design solution.
The size of the stairs and its various structural elements (individual steps, marches, platforms) must be chosen based, first of all, on the purpose and functionality of the room. In addition, you must decide what area of the house you can afford to allocate for the arrangement of the stairs, its size and the steepness of the steps will largely depend on this. The most convenient is a wide staircase, which has wide and low steps, but at the same time it occupies a significant area of \u200b\u200bthe house. Less convenient is a narrow staircase with high (steep) steps. When choosing a large staircase, you need to be aware that you will have less space left for arranging a kitchen or room. When choosing a narrow staircase, you significantly save the space of the rooms, but at the same time you lose in comfort when moving along it, because walking along a narrow and steep staircase is not very convenient. In addition, a steep and small staircase will cost you much less than a comfortable and large one. When planning stairs, it is important that they have a convenient size. The width of the flight of stairs leading to frequently visited premises should be such that two people walking towards each other can freely pass on it. Without a doubt, if you are planning a staircase leading to the attic or basement, then it can be made less convenient, and if you have a laundry room in the basement, then it is necessary to provide for such a width of the stairs and the size of the marches so that it is convenient to move along it with a basket of washed things .
Among other things, when planning a staircase, it is necessary to take care not only of the convenience of its movement, but also the safety of its operation by children and the elderly. Choosing a spectacular and beautiful, but not very comfortable staircase at the design stage, you will eventually create a lot of problems and a lot of trouble for yourself.
At the first stage of designing a staircase, it is necessary, first of all, to determine the dimensions of the steps. So, to perform the correct calculation, designers use the following formula: 2h + s \u003d 61 … 65 cm, where h is the height of the step, s is its depth, and 61 – 65 cm is the average step length of an adult.
In order for the ladder to be comfortable in operation, it is necessary that it has the correct dimensions. When designing, it must be taken into account that in private houses the width of the landing and steps should not be less than 80 cm. The height of the step should be in the range of 16–19 cm, and its tread depth should not be less than 25 cm. more than 18 steps.
After that, we proceed to the choice of the size and shape of the stairs. At the same time, it is necessary to find a compromise solution between a large, comfortable, but at the same time expensive, or a cheap, but small size. Modern construction technologies make it possible to manufacture stairs of any, simple or complex shape.
The most popular currently are the following forms of stairs:
- single-march rectilinear – is a simple structure that connects two floors in a straight line,
- single-march with an intermediate platform – is a straight march, divided in the middle by an intermediate landing,
- a two-flight staircase with an intermediate platform – is a simple march, divided by an intermediate landing on which the direction of movement of a walking person changes,
- with winder steps without an intermediate platform – is a combination between a straight march and winder steps, which I place in the place where the direction of movement changes (usually in the middle),
- spiral or spiral – is a staircase with a radial arrangement of steps, which can be supported on the central pillar from the inside or attached to the load-bearing wall from the outside.
The next step in the design of a staircase is the choice of material for its supporting structure. Structural elements of stairs can be made of wood, metal or even reinforced concrete.
Reinforced concrete is a great material to work with, giving designers a lot of freedom. There are cases when it is not possible to make a reinforced concrete staircase, for example, in houses with a wooden structure of walls and floors. In this case, it is recommended to make the stairs wooden or metal. In houses with reinforced concrete floors, stairs can be made of any material.
Reinforced concrete stairs. Reinforced concrete stairs are mainly constructed in private houses, as they are characterized by a long service life, low cost of materials and work, and fire safety. The wide possibilities of reinforced concrete allow you to fit a staircase into any, even the most intricate, interior. They can be made both from monolithic concrete, and be on bowstrings or stringers. Reinforced concrete structures can be supported on pillars, walls, beams, etc.
Metal stairs. Metal stairs can be made from any standard profiles, such as channels, I-beams, closed profiles (round or square), corners, etc. In most cases, such structures are sheathed with wood, drywall, some elements are poured with concrete and tiled, which is outwardly impossible to understand what the load-bearing structure of the stairs consists of. There are times when the strict look of a steel staircase is specially emphasized, which can become a highlight of a modern interior. Since steel structures are subject to vibration, they are most often performed on bowstrings, a little less often on stringers.
Regardless of which structural material and shape of stairs you have chosen, it can have a different design. Currently, the most popular are the following designs of stairs: cantilever, monolithic and bowstring stairs.
Console ladder. The ladder of this design has only one end of the steps supported, the other is in the air (without support). In most cases, steps are fixed with a crown or directly into the wall. The steps of a spiral staircase are attached directly to the inner post located in the center. One of the varieties of the cantilever staircase is the design of the staircase on the stringers with one or more load-bearing beams that connect the lower and upper floors. With this design, the steps are attached directly to the beams. Externally, the cantilever staircase looks very impressive, but do not forget that with its large spans, the structure can be subject to vibration and even deformation, which creates discomfort when descending or ascending it. In most cases, a cantilever staircase is made of metal, less often of reinforced concrete or wood.
Monolithic staircase. In this design, an inclined reinforced concrete slab acts as a supporting element, which connects the marching platforms. It is supported by ribs and load-bearing walls. The least hassle is the design and construction of a staircase that rests on two walls. The monolithic design of the stairs can be made in various forms: in the form of one-flight, two-flight flights or with winder steps. A monolithic spiral staircase looks very impressive, but its high-quality implementation requires the involvement of specialists with relevant work experience and high qualifications.
Staircase on bowstrings. The staircase of this design got its name from the beams that are attached to the load-bearing elements of the building. In this design, the steps rest either on special beams located along the lower plane of the surfaces of the steps, or are located between the beams, forming a flight of stairs with an integral structure. If the distance between the supports is too large, then it is recommended to use a bowstring with a smaller width, but at the same time a greater height. High bowstring beams, with proper reinforcement, can be used as a protective structure. The bowstring structure is used in the construction of wooden, reinforced concrete and steel stairs.
One of the final stages of the construction of the stairs is its finishing. Visually, it may seem that the entire structure is made of a homogeneous material, say, wood, but such a wooden sheathing can hide a structure made of metal or reinforced concrete. As a rule, flights of stairs are trimmed in order to hide the unsightliness of the supporting structure or its individual elements. A staircase built of steel or reinforced concrete, as a rule, is always finished. When facing the stairs, the same facing materials (tiles, porcelain stoneware, wood, laminate) are used as for arranging the floor. The only unshakable condition is that the horizontal surface of the flight of stairs (tread) should in no case be slippery.
In most cases, wood is used to finish steps. For these purposes, deciduous (ash, beech, oak) or coniferous (larch) tree species are perfect. In the manufacture of the upper parts of the steps (linings), the types of wood most resistant to abrasion are used. The use of soft woods (spruce, pine) is recommended only if the steps are planned to be covered with a walkway or carpet. In some cases, special anti-slip pads are glued to the steps. Recently, more and more often, cork wood is used for decoration, which has a high resistance to abrasion and has a rough, non-slippery surface.
If gres, ceramic or stone tiles are used as a step cover, then its surface should be unpolished and non-glossy, and have a protruding structure or notches that prevent slipping. In this case, you can also use special anti-slip stickers. In most cases, flights of stairs are protected by special barriers, the so-called balustrades. They are primarily installed for the safety and ease of movement of people. Balustrades, as a rule, consist of two structural elements: railings and racks. In private houses, it is recommended to install balustrades with a height of at least 90 cm and a distance between posts (balusters) of no more than 12 cm. tree). In a modern interior, you can find balustrades, also made of glass.
The manufacture of stairs can be carried out directly at the construction stage, and can be performed after its completion. So, stairs are made directly during the construction of the house, mainly having a monolithic reinforced concrete structure. Installation of stairs after completion of construction work in the house is possible both from standard elements, which are available in a wide range in specialized hardware stores, and from custom-made ones.
Consider several options for stairs that can be made directly at the construction site.
Reinforced concrete staircase. The construction of this staircase is a rather complicated and time-consuming process. For its construction, first of all, formwork is necessary. After the formwork is installed, reinforcement is placed in it and filled with prepared concrete. At the same time, one should not forget about the features of the hardening of the concrete solution.
Wooden staircase. This staircase in the interior is perceived as a piece of furniture, therefore, like furniture, it must be of high quality and assembled from high-class seasoned wood. When using low quality wood that has stains, knots or damaged areas, it may turn out that you cannot get the expected visual effect. When building such a staircase, it is best to seek the services of an experienced specialist who has the recommendations of your acquaintances and friends.
Rolled steel ladder. The least time and hassle, in comparison with a reinforced concrete monolithic staircase, is the construction of a staircase from metal profiles. Structural elements made of metal profiles are welded or twisted directly on site. The quality of work in this case will depend on the skill and professionalism of welders and installers.
Currently, there is a huge range of ready-made stairs, which are a block structure consisting of prefabricated factory-made staircase blocks. These blocks, having little skills, you can mount yourself. Prefabricated stairs are made primarily from steel, wood, or both.
Traditional wooden staircase. The finished factory-made wooden staircase is supported by bowstring beams, looks the same as the staircase made on site. This staircase can be both double-flight and with winder steps, both with and without a landing. The range includes openwork stairs and stairs with filling, made of pine, ash, oak or beech. They can be performed both without balustrades and with balustrades made of metal or wood. The choice of such stairs is simply huge.
Spiral (spiral) staircase. These stairs are designed for small spaces. Its design consists of a central metal pipe (pillar), on which wooden steps are mounted on special bolts, with which you can easily adjust the height of the steps. Currently, spiral staircases are produced in square and round shapes, can have steps made of glued or solid wood (ash, oak, beech), as well as made of steel sheet. The diameter of finished spiral staircases can vary from 105 to 160 cm.
Modular staircase. In this staircase, each of its steps is supported along the axial line on a kosour beam, which is a separate repeating element – a module. Modular stairs can have a single-flight or two-flight design, made with an intermediate platform or winder steps. Basically, modular stairs are made in several basic sizes with wide steps in the range from 55 to 100 cm, as well as with the ability to adjust the height from 17 to 24 cm. Steps for a modular staircase are mainly made of glued wood or solid wood (mainly beech), a little less often from granite slabs, metal sheets and even glass. Balustrades, as a rule, can be made of brass or steel, have a chromium-nickel coating or powder paint.
Retractable type ladder. The ladder got its name because of the similarity with the usual ladder. As a rule, I install such stairs in places of ascent to the attic or descent to the basement (cellar). The ladder is attached to the hatch, it easily folds and unfolds, closes with a lock, which is located in the hatch and serves to prevent its spontaneous unfolding. One of the varieties of the extension ladder is the attic one, which is mounted permanently and has a greater width and length than the retractable extension ladder.
Ladder with “scissor” folding system. Its principle of folding and unfolding is similar to the ladder of the attached type, it is also attached to the hatch and has a latch from spontaneous unfolding. Compared to other ladders, it has more compact dimensions, as well as an original folding method – “accordion”.
In this article, we examined the most popular types of stairs, their possible forms, types of structures, materials used. We hope that this information will help you make the right choice, you will become the owner of not only beautiful, but also comfortable, functional and safe stairs.