How to attach a ladder. How to attach a staircase to a ceiling - options and methods for arranging interfloor structures

Frame stairs are increasingly gaining increased demand and popularity. Undoubtedly, this is due to the fact that in addition to strength and durability, they can be made in countless different shapes and designs. This article will be of interest to those who set out to make not just a typical staircase, but a real highlight of their home.

By choosing wooden stairs on a metal frame, you are making a choice in favor of practicality, reliability and modernity. With great dignity frame technology has its adaptive properties, first you can make the frame of the staircase with your own hands with the expectation that it will fit into the overall design idea premises, or you can build a rough version of the frame, and then cover it with suitable material.

The combination of metal and wood is one of the most successful design solutions regarding the interior. Thanks to the successful combination of beauty and durability, structures made of wood and/or metal are popular among builders and owners country cottages. This is one of the rare moments when builders and owners, based on their tastes and preferences, clearly agree on one thing, the choice of wooden stairs on a metal frame.

Metal ladder with wood trim will create an original atmosphere and interior in the house in a classic or old style. Possibility of decoration with forged and wooden elements, this is a real work of art that will give any room a truly noble and respectable look.

An elegant metal staircase, decorated with wooden steps, looks fast and light, while remaining a reliable and durable structure that can withstand significant loads over many years of operation. Metal is the strength and wear resistance of the staircase, and steps made of wood are comfort and style. The metal staircase and wooden steps guarantee ease of descent and/or ascent for all members of your family, including the elderly, children and pets.

We calculate the metal frame of the stairs

Wooden stairs to metal base are made from light or durable types of metal, an important indicator of which is resistance to corrosion. The technology for constructing wooden stairs with a metal frame involves partial or complete covering of visible metal surfaces tree.

Having set the goal of designing and building a staircase yourself, it is important first of all to perform an accurate calculation metal frame stairs, so that unpleasant moments do not arise in the future.

The main indicator from which all calculations of the staircase frame are based on the width of the human step.

On average, this figure is 57-64 centimeters. Based on the above indicator, the ratio of step and riser is determined.

• S is the width of the step,
• P is the riser height.

The formula will be as follows:

In addition, it is necessary to calculate the formula for the ease of use of the stairs:

And also the formula for the safety condition:

All quantities cannot be taken into account separately from each other; it is important to perform the growth, taking into account all design parameters, and for this it is necessary to make a clear analysis of the source data.

Do-it-yourself cladding of a metal staircase frame with wood

The most popular finishing method for minimum costs is the installation of wooden steps to the frame of a metal staircase. And the remaining visible parts of the structure are simply painted in a suitable color, as a result the metal staircase looks quite harmonious and natural.

If we talk about completely covering the metal frame of a staircase with wood, then the process includes finishing:

• substaircase space,
• steps,
• risers,
• imitation of a wooden bowstring.

After such “disguise”, the metal frame becomes invisible, and the staircase is visually indistinguishable from a wooden one.

For registration exclusive stairs use valuable wood species:

The above tree species have high aesthetic as well as performance properties.

The hardness of oak wood is several times higher than the hardness of pine wood, and is compared with the hardness of metal alloys. The natural material unique and resistant to mechanical damage and wear. When choosing oak, the service life of the steps is equal to the life of the frame itself.

DIY installation of a metal staircase frame

As for installation and operation, wooden stairs on a metal frame are practically unpretentious. There are several options for installing them. If the owner decides to independently install the metal frame of the stairs in the house, he should take a closer look at structures made from ready-made and prefabricated modules.

They have the appearance of a designer, and are presented in separate parts that are easily assembled into flights of stairs, connecting to each other in accordance with the attached instructions. Such modules are produced at industrial equipment according to established GOST standards for wooden and metal staircase structures. It is important to remember that such stairs require frequent care and special maintenance to eliminate possible backlashes and tighten connections.

All staircase structures are subject to periodic inspection and testing to ensure their safe operation.

Fastening wooden steps to a metal frame.

Basic moments:

• In each step of the metal frame, a mark is made for two mounting holes, every 15-20 cm, we retreat from the edge of the tread by no less than 2 cm.
• If the steps are attached to the frame using ordinary self-tapping screws, then the holes in the metal frame are drilled into a “undertight” hole.
• To compensate for stress when tightening parts, fasteners with washers are used.

Even the best-made metal frame can have slight differences in height between parts. To ensure that the wooden overlays adhere well to the surface, a backing is laid on it. For fixation, which is used with ordinary assembly adhesive with filler effect. It fills voids and forms a durable layer that is resistant to crushing.

The use of polyurethane foam in this option is absolutely excluded; dried foam can wrinkle, which leads to corrosion, loosening and creaking of the steps. The most reliable and popular material for the substrate is plywood.

To summarize, it is worth saying that a wooden staircase with a metal frame with your own hands is perfect combination important points: durability metal structure and aesthetics wooden stairs. No other material has such warmth and attractiveness as wood. In addition to its aesthetic appeal, a wooden staircase pleasantly surprises with its financial accessibility. You won't find cheaper or more reliable materials.

This article talks about how to attach steps to the metal frame of your staircase under construction in various combinations fastening materials and general design, i.e. for stairs on bowstrings or stringers.

To begin with, you need to decide which steps will have to be attached. In most cases, the material for making steps is wood and self-installation staircases, this is the main one, although companies specializing in staircase production and installation make steps from glass, stone, and various polymers.

Technologically, fastening comes down to choosing a method for securing the step slab to a rigid or slightly movable metal frame. If the design uses powerful stringers (under flights of stairs) or bowstrings (on the sides of a flight of stairs), then the step is less susceptible to dynamic loads (except for the bending of the step itself under the weight of a person), and with more lightweight structures, for example, stairs on welded stringers made of profile pipe, dynamic loads are greater. It is precisely because of the mobility of the ladder elements that glue is not used in these connections, except in cases of installation on a solid monolithic surface.

Steps can be fixed:
1. furniture bolts;
2. self-tapping screws;
3. futorka;
4. Fisher fasteners.

Fastening steps to a metal frame with furniture bolts

Fastening steps with furniture bolts

The simplest and reliable way installation of treads to the base. In this case, drill through the step with a drill with a diameter slightly larger than the diameter of the bolt body and the base (angle flange or stringer body). The wide head of a furniture bolt (anodized, galvanized or painted) hides minor defects when drilling, and its profiled part under the head prevents it from turning when tightened. During installation, do not tighten the nut more than permissible, because

the metal head of the bolt will simply push through the solid wood.

The disadvantages of this method include the presence of the bolt head on the surface of the step, especially if the fastening is carried out according to an asymmetrical pattern, and the need to access the space underneath to tighten the nut, which is not always possible. P.s. Sometimes in these cases, bolts with a regular head and a wide washer can be used, but at the base (stringer or corner) a thread is cut or a threaded sleeve (nut) is welded in and a countersunk is made in the surface of the step with a diameter sufficient to use the wrench head the right size. For this option, you can pre-select flat plastic furniture plugs of the required diameter and color.

Advantages: convenience, simplicity, reliability and speed of fastening; availability of quick disassembly if necessary (restoration, dismantling, replacement of treads).

Fastening steps to a metal frame with self-tapping screws

Fastening steps with self-tapping screws

The good thing about installing steps with self-tapping screws is that all fastening elements are located in the riser part and the outer decorative finishing it does not suffer.

It is advisable to use powerful self-tapping screws with a deep cross-shaped or hexagonal groove for fastening to prevent the groove from being licked off when tightening.

Nowadays they are often used to attach steps roofing screws, which have a hex head and a drill tip. It is worth paying attention to the fact that such self-tapping screws are produced for wood and metal and differ in the diameter of the drill (thinner for wood).

How to attach wooden steps to a metal stringer?

If the installation is carried out through the wall of a profile pipe of a metal frame, then there is a natural desire to use roofing screws for metal and immediately stitch through the metal and wood of the steps, but it is worth understanding that the diameter of the drill for wood is much smaller than the diameter of the turns, which ensures a good engagement area for the screw in a solid board, as opposed to a metal screw.

Self-tapping screws with a countersunk head are convenient to use if the bottom surface of the stairs is visible. At the same time, in metal structures, a secretion is immediately made under the cone-shaped cap. It is worth noting that if the steps are not made of pine (relatively soft wood), but from larch, beech, ash or oak, then to screw in a self-tapping screw with a diameter of 5-6 mm you will need to make preliminary holes in the steps with a diameter of 3-4 mm (according to the diameter of the main body self-tapping screw - where there is no thread), otherwise the self-tapping screw will not screw in completely.

Fastening the steps to the metal frame with a footer

Foot for fastening the step

Let us immediately clarify that a futorka is a metal bushing with internal and external threads. This method of fastening steps can be considered optimal in terms of concealment of mounting elements and ease of installation and dismantling of treads, but it can only be used for dense types of wood, is quite labor-intensive, requires stationary preparation and strict compliance with the drawings, because You can’t fix anything here on the spot. In addition, fastening the step with a foot to the metal frame can be done both from below (on the shelf of a corner or stringer) and from the side at the end (string). It is this method or its analogue that is used in modern staircase construction by large companies, for example, the German company KENNGOT. They have designer staircases with treads made of wood, acrylic, stone and threaded bushings for on-site installation.

Technologically, in this case, a fitting with an external thread diameter of about 20-22 mm and an internal thread of 8-10 mm is taken (on the forums they write about using a regular stud with an M20 thread in which a hole is drilled and the thread is cut), in a step with a cutter (the cutter does not have a large cone-shaped part ) a hole of the required depth is made and a thread is cut. Such a large diameter is justified by the need for a sufficient depth of thread grooves in the wood to securely connect the parts. Using glue (for example, Kleiberit Supratac), the futorka is screwed into solid wood. Now the steps can simply be screwed to them (more than once) with a regular bolt or stud with a decorative cap nut.

Fastening steps to a metal frame using Fisher fasteners

Fastening the step to the corrugated pipe (Fisher)

A fairly new fastening method based on the use of a polymer Fisher fastener, on one side of which there is a large-diameter bushing with a hole in the center and conical notches that work like a herringbone (it is driven into the hole easily, but resists coming out), and on the other - a bushing , which opens when screwed into the self-tapping screw.

Before installation, cores from the kit are placed into the holes on the metal frame, the steps are placed in their places and the marks are pressed. The steps are being drilled. Then the Fisher fasteners are installed in their sockets, secured with self-tapping screws, and the step is placed on them. Unfortunately, personal experience There has been no use of such fasteners for stairs, so it is still difficult to say how this fastening behaves, but it is obvious that dismantling the steps in this case will most likely smooth out the polymer splines and will require their replacement. In addition, it is hard to believe that the plastic sleeve will stay in the wooden socket for the entire life of the ladder. Most likely, under the influence of vibrations and bending loads, the steps will loosen these fasteners. Perhaps they can be strengthened using glue.

What should you pay attention to when choosing a step mounting option?

The choice of fastening option should be made at the stage of staircase development.

When designing a metal frame, it is determined whether it will be open Bottom part stairs, whether there will be access from below the steps, whether the mounting elements will be painted and with what, whether the absence of any elements (bolt heads or furniture plugs) on the surface of the steps is important.

When building a staircase with your own hands, you often weld a structure from channels (stringers) and a corner (steps, ties). This option is easier to sew from the bottom decorative material. Drill the corners under the steps from above, and then screw them in from below with roofing screws.

For option modern stairs on stringers made of a profile pipe that follow the shape of a staircase, long M8-10 furniture bolts can be used, piercing through the step and stringer, with a decorative galvanized nut at the bottom. You can order steps with footers, but you must be 100% sure of the dimensions. Also for the version with self-tapping screws you can profile pipe The stringer can be drilled at the top with a little more than the diameter of the self-tapping screw, and at the bottom with a diameter of 12-13, where furniture plugs can then be installed. The self-tapping screw (with a body with a diameter of 5-6 mm) is screwed in from below using a magnetized screwdriver or a screwdriver with a flexible attachment. A screwdriver usually pulls screws through better.

In any case, you should try to design the staircase so that the step rests on the shelf of an angle, channel or corrugated pipe and is attracted to them by fastening, and does not hang on point fasteners. Over time, any fastening weakens, especially in wood, and therefore many serious companies, after constructing a staircase, recommend re-stretching the entire structure after a year or two.

Staircase on a metal frame. Soundproofing experience

22/06/2009 22:19:58

Staircase designs vary and, depending on the materials used, are most often divided into wooden, metal and concrete (stone). Each type has its own advantages and disadvantages. When designing a staircase, you must first of all consider such properties as price, aesthetics (beauty), load on the structure, practicality (wear resistance, noise generated when walking, etc.). In this article I will not consider design features staircase design, such as inclination angle, riser height and tread width, etc. There are a lot of books and materials on the Internet on this topic. Let's assume the conditions allow us to mount comfortable staircase, meeting all the requirements of the “convenience and safety formulas”. Which material to choose?

Traditionally, wood is used to construct stairs. Wood is a warm material, has a beautiful appearance, and is pleasant to walk on. A wooden staircase is quite light, which means it does not create excessive load on the supporting structures. However, wood also has disadvantages. First of all, it is creaking and noise when walking. Of course, a staircase made to all standards from valuable wood, as a rule, does not dry out or creak, but it is very expensive. Inexpensive stairs are most often made of pine and spruce (often not dried enough), which means that over time such a staircase will lose its initial geometric parameters and begin to creak. In addition, pine and spruce - soft rocks and are subject to mechanical damage. Birch, oak, beech and more expensive breeds wood is much more resistant to mechanical stress but is two, three or more times more expensive than coniferous species.

Concrete stairs are often used in houses. Sometimes flights of stairs are purchased from factories, but more often they make a metal frame, arrange formwork and pour concrete right on site. Structurally, concrete stairs can be anything you want, if you correctly calculate the loads, reinforcement and grade of concrete. Concrete stairs are the quietest when walking, but very heavy. It is impossible to support massive concrete stairs simply on floor slabs. The support of concrete stairs must be provided by supporting structures. In addition, concrete stairs require additional cladding. Most often used as cladding ceramic tiles, porcelain stoneware, but also natural stone and wood.

Another type of stairs is metal. More precisely, purely metal stairs are rarely used in houses. Most often we are talking about stairs on a metal frame. Stringers or bowstrings are made from channels (12-18), and the bases for the steps are made from a corner (most often 40), which is welded to the channels. The steps for such stairs are made of wood or metal. Advantages metal stairs a lot of. Firstly, it is quite light in weight. Such stairs can be supported on floor slabs. Secondly, metal stairs are quite durable and can withstand heavy loads. Thirdly, they do not lose their properties over time. The disadvantages are rather inherent not in the metal frame itself, but in the cladding. The steps made from pine on a metal frame also begin to creak over time. To minimize this process, the steps are attached to the metal frame not directly, but through plywood. Plywood with a thickness of 10-12 mm is attached to the metal frame using countersunk bolts, and wooden steps with a thickness of at least 40 mm are glued to the plywood using liquid nails. Thus, plywood performs several functions at once - it acts as reinforcement that takes on the load, distributes the load, and also hides the load-bearing fasteners. The metal frame is also good because the steps can be replaced over time (for example, pine with African mahogany) without any difficulties. However, it is worth mentioning the most important disadvantage of stairs on a metal frame - noise. Steps on such a staircase will be heard by everyone in the household, even if a cat is walking up the stairs.

The higher the weight wood cladding, the less the metal frame knocks. Thus, to soundproof a metal structure, it needs to be loaded with something. Steps, risers, balusters, pillars, railings. All this is understandable. Is there anything else that can be done? I asked myself the same question. Having experience in car soundproofing, I decided to apply my knowledge in the field of construction. When it comes to noise insulation of a metal structure, the technology of metal vibration insulation and dampening of vibrations created in the metal is usually used. After all, any sound is a process of vibration and friction. In order to vibration-proof the stairs, I decided to use the materials I had tested from the StandardPlast company. Before that, I worked with such materials as Vibroplast, Vizomat, Vizomat MP. But the company introduced new material under the Bimast brand. I decided to use the most expensive material, Bimast Bomb, 4 mm thick, which, according to the manufacturer, combats vibro-acoustic noise better than other materials. But I actually chose this material only for the simple reason that it is the heaviest in the StandardPlast line of materials. In addition, Bimast material does not require additional heating and cuts well.

Bimast Bomb consists of two layers - elastic bitumen mastic and heavy bituminous material. This is clearly visible in the photograph. Looking at the material, I got the impression that Bimast Bomb is Vibroplast and Vizomat MP glued together, which is probably not entirely true.

To begin with, I decided to paste over the stringer - a channel with inside. To do this, I thoroughly washed the channel from rust and degreased it with white spirit. The material cuts really well. To keep things in order, I warmed up the mastic a little with a regular household hairdryer and started gluing it. When I covered almost the entire channel, I began to compare (using the tapping method) the sound of the treated channel and the untreated one.

The result, of course, was, but minimal. Bimast Bomb did not significantly reduce the noise level from footsteps, although with light tapping a certain reduction in the vibration level was felt. The thing is that the weight of the material in relation to the eighteenth channel was insignificant. A channel 3.5 meters long took only one sheet of Bimast Bomb weighing a couple of kilograms. This amount was not enough to effectively dampen the thick channel. In addition, the lion's share of the noise was created by the corners, and not by the stringer-channel itself.

Or maybe the material is bad? When I had a roll of Uniflex material left over from waterproofing the foundation, I used it to soundproof metal window trims. The tides knocked during the rain as if empty cans, and when I covered the ebbs on the inside with heavy bitumen material Uniflex, and also planted the ebbs on polyurethane foam, I understood what silence in the house is. Even during a heavy downpour, I only saw water on the glass, but did not hear the sound of falling drops. The Uniflex material also had a thickness of 4 mm, but its weight was slightly greater.

In principle, it is not necessary to buy expensive branded materials for sound insulation. Any heavy bitumen materials are suitable for vibration insulation, because vibrations are dampened primarily by weight. Thus, Uniflex is in no way inferior to Bimast Bomb in terms of effectiveness, but it is worth noting that waterproofing material no adhesive layer. It won't just stick to metal. It needs to be melted! It is advisable to prime the surface with a bitumen primer. I fused the material with regular gas burner Kovea.

All photographs show the staircase without cladding, with temporary steps.

From experience, I can say that on horizontal and vertical surfaces such vibration isolation lasts more or less, but when the material is glued to the metal from below, it usually falls off within six months to a year. 😉

Bimast Bomb or Vizomat MP?

I did another experiment. The second channel of the flight of stairs was treated with the familiar Vizomat MP material, 2.7 mm thick. Without measurements, Vizomat MP is visually actually thinner than Bimast, lighter and more rigid. Cutting Vizomat MP with scissors is more difficult. Vizomat MP must be thoroughly heated with a hairdryer. Vizomat MP adheres to metal worse. And the result turned out to be worse. The sound from impacts on metal of different intensities is muffled on the channel that is treated with Bimast Bomb material. As a result, Bimast Bomb is really still the best material in the product line from the StandardPlast company, although it is 25% more expensive at retail.

Thus I would like to summarize my research. The costs of soundproofing channels that act as stringers are not comparable to the result.

However, the work is not finished yet. It is necessary to find out whether it makes sense to paste over the corners that act as a frame for steps and risers. After all, they create the lion's share of the noise.

And a little more theory

Just in case, for those who are interested, I will indicate several parameters for competent calculation of the stairs.

• Riser - step height
• Tread - step width
• The optimal slope of the stairs is 30-35 degrees
• The slope of the stairs should not exceed 45 degrees
• Double riser height + step width should be within 57-65 cm
• Sum of width and height in optimal staircase should be 45-46 cm (staircase safety formula)
• The optimal step width is 28-30 cm (at least 25 cm)
• Riser height 14-17 cm (no more than 20 cm)
• The difference between the width and height of the step should be about 12 cm (staircase convenience formula)
• The height from the plane of the stairs to the ceiling must be at least 2 m.
• The number of steps in the staircase must be odd (whichever foot we enter the staircase with is the one we leave with)

Add a comment:

2016-03-15 14:23:05 | Tatiana Borzova
Andrey, can I ask a question? House blocks Yutong 375, I already wrote that I confirm all your comments about this material, in the article about the shortcomings of this material and what the sellers are silent about. Metal frame staircase, how did you attach it? I have floors wooden joists. I want to put it on the main foundation, the design of the house allows me to make a hole in the wall and support 4 racks, a turning platform, on the foundation.

2016-03-05 23:00:06 | Alexander
It rings, it means it's playing. Additional boil some kind of scarf on the inside for rigidity. I have a similar design, well welded a little differently, but the idea is the same. If you remove the turning part of the staircase, Straight part Channel 12 wall 1 cm. Length 4.5 m. Step corner 5 wall thickness 5 mm. At the top, the ladder is welded to the I-beam. So despite the fact that there is only metal all around, nothing rattles. Achieve rigidity and there will be happiness.

2016-01-06 07:17:07 | SAU
I have a design of steps made from corners like Andrey’s, but there is no ringing or vibration when walking. The five is screwed on top of the corners with self-tapping screws from below, and the carpet is on top of the five.

Most likely there is no ringing or vibration due to the fact that additional supports made of a square profile are welded in the middle under the channels.

2014-06-01 15:23:23 | Andrey_K
I agree with Paladin! This design really contributes to good acoustics) However, I think, the heavy channel contributes to it even more. I've been racking my brains for a long time about the stairs - I'll install them soon. But I will make the stringers from a thin metal profile, the same one from which the frame is made - it will be much lighter. True, there are some nuances - I will also attach them rigidly - to the frame. but I’m thinking of using it at fastening points rubber gaskets. Much will depend on the material of the steps - its acoustic properties, but I really want to make the steps and the landing platform transparent. Regarding bitumen and bituminous materials- so much of this goodness surrounds us in real life, that I tried to avoid using them inside the house. For vibration and hydraulic decoupling (1 to 2), I used (as far as I know, the only ones in Russia) materials from a plant in Nizhny (like) Novgorod (Abris). Their feature and advantage is that synthetic rubber is used as the main material. The materials are not cheap - the toad was not just strangling...) But, in my humble opinion, and as the British testify, “I’m not rich enough to buy cheap things” ( Russian in-t"Miser pays twice"). So I had to be patient :)

2013-09-23 23:05:01 | Andrey_B
Evgeniy, do you always take everything literally or sometimes do you try to understand it?
1. Formula of convenience and 12 cm - we are not talking about the staircase as a whole, but about the steps.
2. You can call whatever you want a riser. I personally don't mind. But take my word for it, not all stairs are made of wood. In simple words, the most common concrete staircase, like in entrances. Where did the thickness of the material go, huh? And where is her riser?
3. Optimal slope is a subjective concept. I have 4 stairs at home. In my life I have no difficulty with either 20 degrees or 45. But from my point of view (supported, by the way, by theory) 30-35 degrees is the most convenient angle. If it seems to you that this is not so and your opinion is the only correct one, I see no point in discussing it.

2013-09-23 18:53:21 | Eugene
“The difference between the width and height of the stairs should be about 12 cm (formula for the convenience of stairs)” - how does this happen, I have a staircase with a height of 295 cm and what width do you think it should have??? It’s even scary to imagine!

Wooden steps should be attached to a concrete staircase in such a way that the created structure ensures safe movement along it. At the same time, the structure itself should not be knocked out of existing interior, but fit harmoniously into it. Let's figure out how to achieve this.

Wooden steps - we will improve the concrete staircase>

Concrete staircase structures are rightfully considered to be the most durable and reliable. Such structures last for many decades and can withstand heavy loads without problems. You can build them yourself by building them using publicly available and inexpensive Construction Materials– sand, cement, crushed stone. The disadvantage of any concrete staircase is that it does not look the best in terms of appearance. in the best possible way. This problem can be easily solved. You can decorate the building with any decorative material, ranging from natural stone and tiles, and ending with fibreboards or natural wood.

Wooden staircase

Owners of private houses most often use it for cladding. staircase structures made of concrete, solid wood. It's not cheap. But also the results finishing works, made using this material, turn out amazing without the slightest exaggeration. The use of wood allows you to create a special atmosphere of luxury and chic in your home. Finishing the stairs with solid wood also has a number of important advantages. Natural material:

• perfectly protects the structure from operational damage (concrete spalling):
• makes it possible to mask base defects;
• accumulates heat;
• causes pleasant tactile sensations (wood is very pleasant to the touch).

Caring for wooden steps is quite simple. Moreover, their service life is estimated at many years. True, for this you will have to take care of the material in advance - process special impregnations, protecting products from the sun and moisture.

Choosing the type of wood for finishing - what are the options?

You can refine a concrete staircase different wood. The cheapest option is solid pine. Such products are easy to process with your own hands, they are light in weight, which facilitates the process of installing steps. But you need to understand that pine boards in terms of strength properties they are not ideal in operation. With intensive use of stairs, they quickly fail and lose their attractive appearance. The durability of pine structures is also negatively affected by the variable indoor microclimate. Boards dry out and become loose with temperature changes, and also lose their initial properties under the influence of moisture.

Wood for arranging steps

For these reasons, steps are most often made of walnut, oak, maple, larch, beech and birch. If your budget for finishing the stairs is unlimited, you can choose more expensive types of wood - iroko, lapacha, merbau, wenge, teak. Their exotic appearance is complemented by excellent performance characteristics.The most durable products are made from beech. Steps made from this wood are built to last for centuries.. But processing beech wood is very difficult. It is almost impossible to cope with this material on your own. You may have a lot of problems when installing steps from it.

It's easier to work with oak boards. In terms of strength, they are not much inferior to beech wood, but they are much easier to process.

There is a problem here too - high price solid oak. Not everyone can afford to buy similar material for finishing concrete stairs. There is an exit! Instead of oak products, you can use those made from larch. They are cheaper in price, and in most respects they are identical to solid oak. Choose the material for cladding structures taking into account your financial capabilities and personal preferences, and then you can get a staircase in your home that is impeccable in all respects. It will decorate the interior of your home and give you a feeling of comfort.

Installation of steps - start with a concrete base and substrate

The first step is preparing the concrete base. If the staircase was built by professionals, on its surface significant defects Of course it won't. In this case, you just need to level the base using easy-to-use. If there are noticeable differences in height on the surface of the structure, you will have to do additional work on the stairs. You will have to install a special underlay under each step. It is made from plywood. Such a substrate and concrete base will be able to properly level and, in addition, will protect the structure from mechanical loads, acting as a shock absorber.

Installation of steps

You need to purchase 1–1.5 cm thick plywood sheets, cut out substrates from them, focusing on the size of the steps. Then prime the surface of the stairs well, apply wood glue to the pieces of plywood (on the back side) and install them in the intended place. Be sure to check the correct position of the substrates on the staircase structure building level. The plywood should be additionally secured. Adhesive for reliable fixation of substrates to concrete steps won't be enough. Fastening plywood products is usually done with dowels. They are installed on both sides of the steps. Decide for yourself the number of hardware required, remembering that the plywood must adhere firmly to the base.

Installation and fastening of “clothing” for the stairs - we do it together

Now cut the treads and risers from your chosen wood, focusing on the dimensions of the staircase. Installation of wooden products always starts from the bottom of the structure according to the following scheme:

1. Drill three holes at the bottom of the riser (at the end). Their depth is taken to be about 1.5 cm, their cross-section is no more than 0.5 cm. The holes should be located in the middle of the riser and on both sides.
2. Screw 6mm diameter bolts into the holes made. They will play the role of anchors. Their ends must protrude above the structure by about 7–8 mm.
3. Bite off (cut off with a grinder) the bolt heads.
4. Place the riser to the first step (to its end), mark on the floor the places where the anchors fall, and drill holes in the marked areas. Then you need to fill the resulting “holes” with resin (epoxy).
5. Mount the riser in the designated place. This element should be secured to the plywood substrate using liquid nails. Coat a piece of plywood with this adhesive, and then carefully place the riser on it (the screwed-in anchor bolts must be inserted into the holes that were made on the floor).

Arrangement of wooden steps

Some craftsmen fasten risers and plywood with universal self-tapping screws or suitable sized nails. This option can also be used. But such work should be carried out as carefully as possible so as not to damage the wood and fairly thin plywood products. The next step is installing the tread. To do this, you need to cut a special groove in it. It will be located at the joining point of the end (upper) of the already mounted riser and the installed tread.

Now everything is easier. Attach the next riser to the second end of the mounted tread (it must be secured with self-tapping screws). Then coat the groove and plywood backing with adhesive and install the first stage. To ensure that it grips well, it is advisable to place something heavy on it. The remaining steps are installed in a similar manner. After installing the wooden steps, be sure to fill any gaps and sand them. After sanding, you can treat the wood with stain. When it dries, apply varnish to the steps. The latter is usually used three times. Varnish the steps once, wait for the composition to dry, then repeat the procedure twice.

As you can see, there are no serious difficulties with the process of finishing a concrete staircase with wood. The main thing is to adhere to the described recommendations and correctly fasten the steps using liquid nails and other hardware (nails, screws, dowels). The result of your work will be a chicly designed concrete staircase.

Any staircase rests on load-bearing beam, which can be made as a kosour or bowstring.

Bowstrings allow you to maximally adapt the staircase to the characteristics of a particular interior, thus making it elegant and modern.

When supported on strings, the steps are placed between adjacent boards, attached to them at their ends.

It turns out that if you attach the steps to the strings, then their ends, unlike installation on stringers, will be hidden, and the profile view of the stairs will be inclined and even. If you use only one string, then the second end of the step can be mounted into the wall. Stair steps can be with risers (closed) or without them (open), then either the horizontal part of the step or only the horizontal part is attached to the string.

The fencing of the staircase, which makes it reliable and convenient, is formed using balusters (vertical support posts), attached at the top to the railing, and at the bottom attached to the beam, with such frequency that the gap between adjacent posts does not exceed 15 cm. This ensures a safety margin. To protect it from cracking due to deformation under the influence of the environment, a wooden staircase should be made from the same types of wood with fencing and fastenings. Flights of stairs, landings, and railings are connected together by balusters, so they must be especially reliable.

For stairs supported by bowstrings, you can place balusters relative to the steps in any place, since they are mainly attached to the beams, and not to the steps. The easiest way is to attach the posts to the outside of the bowstring. Then it is enough to screw them on the side with screws, having previously drilled recesses for them, and covered them with wooden dowels on top for masking. You can put a beam on top of the edge using a baluster (a board slightly wider than the bowstring), which has a groove at the bottom the size of the width of the bowstring, onto which it fits on top. The racks are placed on the baluster from above, screwed from below with self-tapping screws. Then the structure is coated with wood glue and placed on the bowstring, fastened with clamps. Balusters can be placed on a beam using dowels and fastening spikes round section, drilling holes half their length in the posts and bowstring so that there is no play. All dowels are tightly inserted into the holes of the posts, fixed with glue, then the railings are fastened to the bowstring with the lower halves of the dowels.

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We fix the racks

Attaching the stands to the bowstring is possible using pins. Take tools:

• miter saw;
• drill.

Materials:

• bowstring;
• railing posts;
• standard galvanized studs (M6 thread);
• PVA glue).

Perform in stages:

1. Mark the places for installing railing posts.
2. The racks from below are cut with a saw at an angle (the angle of inclination of the beam).
3. From below, at the ends of the racks, holes are drilled (80 mm deep, drill with a diameter of 12 mm).
4. The pins are placed on glue and inserted into the holes, leaving the ends about 7 cm.
5. Holes are made in the bowstring with a drill with a diameter of 14 mm to a depth of 100 mm.
6. Balusters are inserted with pins into these holes, securing first the outer posts, then the rest.

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How to install steps

The steps themselves are attached to the strings by cutting them into a beam or mounting them on supporting elements. These are corners or bars that are screwed to the beam with screws along the line of the tread, the horizontal parts of the steps. The treads are similarly attached to the supports with screws. You can make a staircase with steps cut into a string, in which grooves of the same (2 cm) depth are made with some indentation from top edge, then treads with risers are inserted into them. Sometimes, using the simplest method, the steps are secured by screwing them into the end from the outside of the board.

A staircase will be reliable and stable if its strings are connected to the balusters. Then the beam consists of sections that are attached to the grooves of the balusters using protrusions. At the same time, loads with upper parts the strings are redistributed onto the fence posts, and when used, the entire staircase, including strings, steps and balusters, turns into a single, interconnected system.

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Mortise mount

To make a mortise mount to a bowstring, the following tools are used:

• manual milling machine;
• drill;
• jigsaw;
• bit;
• screwdriver.

Materials:

• screws;
• wooden slats;
• plywood sheet;
• treads and risers;
• bowstrings.

Perform actions:

1. The string is marked using a plywood tread template (or a tread with a riser), cut taking into account calculations for a march with the required slope and number of steps.
2. We draw a reference line on the bowstring, retreating 50 mm from its edge.
3. We will nail guide rails to the template, which will “slide” along the top edge of the board. Moving the template, we mark the zigzag markings of the steps so that its vertices lie on the reference line. At the top, the marking line ends at the level of the second floor landing, and at the bottom, the end of the tread corresponds to the floor.
4. Grooves are made in the bowstring (chosen at an angle to the grain line). In order to make the grooves efficiently, it is better to cut them using a stencil from plywood, making a hole in it using a drill and jigsaw, slightly larger than the width of the tread and riser and located at the same angle of inclination with the lines on the markings.
5. We place the beam on the trestle, and place the stencil on it, aligning it with the image of the first tread, and nail it.
6. Using a milling machine, moving clockwise, we select a groove to a depth of 20 mm, then working with a chisel in the corners.
7. Having completed required quantity holes, we assemble the structure, coating the ends of the steps and grooves with glue.
8. Treads with risers are fastened with screws; the steps can also be additionally attached with screws outside bowstrings, deepening them and closing them with wooden plugs.

The grooves for the steps must be made with high precision so that the stairs do not wobble or creak. In the strings of stairs with embedded steps, under them, for strength, place (every 4-5 steps) tightening metal rods or bolts at the ends of the treads, if there are no risers, i.e. viewable stairs.

Fastening stair steps depends on the design of the staircase and the materials used, the covering of steps and load-bearing elements, the planned exterior finishing. Let's consider possible options fastening wooden steps in wooden stairs.

There are two main designs of wooden stairs: on stringers and with bowstrings. For quick understanding: stringers- these are the load-bearing elements on which steps are attached on top, A bowstrings mounted on the sides of the stairs and steps are attached between them or between the bowstring and the wall.

Attaching the steps of a wooden staircase to a stringer

In stringer stairs, the stringer absorbs the entire load-bearing load, so fastening the feet solves two problems - fixing the steps from displacement and vibration, as well as hiding the fact of fastening in open, visible structures.

The most simple option installation involves drilling the steps and fastening them through with powerful self-tapping screws to the stringer. Self-tapping screws are used with decorative heads, screwed in, or the surface of the step is drilled to a shallow depth with a large drill and a decorative polymer plug is installed. This type of fastening is often used in DIY stairs. It is worth paying attention to the fact that the steps should be drilled only with feather drills at high drill speeds, which will prevent chips at the mouth of the hole.

In open staircases without casing, steps can be installed in a hidden way using cotter pins. In this case, the tread and stringer are drilled exactly to fit the diameter of the cotter pins and installed with glue. This option is not suitable for dynamically moving stairs with a stringer of small cross-section or steps that are too wide, which will sag under load and destroy the adhesive joint.

In staircases under the cladding, the step can be secured through a block or corner made of metal, fixed in the right places on the inside of the stringer. The photo shows a fastening option using a tie rod with a threaded tread and a sheet (for example, plywood) hemmed underneath.

Attaching the steps of a wooden staircase to a bowstring

The main methods of attaching steps to strings:

1. a support block for the step, secured to a string;
2. a metal bracket for the step, screwed through with self-tapping screws or bolts to the string;
3. an overlay or bump on the inside of the bowstring, according to the principle of a zigzag stringer;
4. selection of grooves for steps in the string (exactly in size or for the option of wedging the tread and riser during assembly).

The first two options for attaching steps to a ladder on bowstrings can be considered the most inexpensive and often used when making stairs yourself. However, for greater security, the third and fourth options are preferable.

Bars, brackets or overlays can only be used in the construction of staircases for sheathing. In transparent, unlined stairs, you need to hide the fact of the fasteners and the grooves do an excellent job of this task, in addition, transferring the entire load from the steps directly to the string.

Attaching the steps of a wooden staircase to the wall

In some cases, it may be more practical to secure one side of the tread to a stringer or bowstring, and fasten the other side directly to the wall. This is the most popular fastening method for staircases on rails, which have become fashionable today, when the steps on one side are pulled together with metal pins, bushings (bolts) and a handrail with posts into a single whole, and the other side is mounted on the wall.

Attaching wooden steps to the wall can be done by embedding them into the wall (this is labor-intensive and depends on the thickness of the supporting wall + if the depth of embedding is shallow, the niche will gradually break when walking up the stairs) or by laying it on a supporting element (block, corner, decorative turned element) , directly fixed to the wall. Typically, anchors, embedded studs or powerful self-tapping screws are used for fastening if the wall is wooden.

In bolted staircases, an option is used when a corner of the shelf at the bottom with the dimensions of the end of the step is attached to the wall with anchors. In the steps, the bottom plane is milled to the depth and width of the corner flange + holes are drilled from the end using a feather drill to hide the anchor nuts.

Still, the most beautiful stairs are obtained from specialists in their field who have gained experience on real objects and who understand how many little things arise during installation and operation of them during life. Excellent examples of wooden staircases can be viewed on the website http://lestnichnik.com.ua/, and if someone wishes, they can order such a staircase for their home. These are high-quality works of art, combining graceful chiseling of balusters and carved decorative ornaments support pillars and finishing of handrails, high-quality monolithic tinting with a soft coating of varnish, conveying all the delights of the natural structure of wood.

There are several ways to attach your feet to the bowstring. The most in a simple way the steps can be secured using support bars or corners (see Fig. 66, c, e). To do this, nail or screw along the tread line to the bowstring wooden blocks or metal corners with holes for screws. The steps are attached to support bars or corners using screws. Despite the fact that this method is the simplest, it is rarely used in practice. A flight of stairs made using this method looks rough and can be placed in utility rooms or in other places where high aesthetic requirements are not placed on the stairs. In our opinion, the implementation of this method is available home handyman without high qualifications, so we will not dwell on it in detail. Sometimes the steps are simply attached to the bowstring and secured with screws screwed in from the front side (Fig. 66, d). This method is called end-mounting. But in this case, the fastening strength is low, since the steps are held in place only by screws. Therefore, this method can be used only in exceptional cases when other fastening is impossible. The loads on such steps should be minimal. The fastening method using a secret groove made in the bowstring helps to avoid this drawback (Fig. 66, b). In this case, the step receives additional emphasis on the edges of the groove and the possible load on such a step increases.

Fastening in groove with remainder(Fig. 66, a) is quite reliable. To do this, two counter grooves are cut out in the string and the steps, with the help of which fastening is performed. The advantages of this method include its greater reliability. In addition, the strings of such a ladder will never come apart during operation. Essentially, this method is a transitional option from a ladder with bowstrings to a ladder with stringers. Appearance such a staircase will look more like a staircase with stringers. The disadvantages of this method include the artificial lowering of the load-bearing capacity of the step and string due to counter-grooves. When loads are applied to the step from the groove side, the wood fibers may peel off, and half of the step may break off. To prevent this from happening, it is necessary to additionally secure the front edges of the steps. Therefore, despite the apparent advantages of the method of fastening into a groove with a remainder, it is not used very often. The installation of railings in such a staircase is carried out according to the methods of fastening to stairs with stringers (that is, not to a bowstring, but to a stringer, which will be discussed later).

Fastening steps using various tenon joints are shown in Fig. 74. Such connections are called middle knitting. Despite the complexity of manufacturing, these connections are durable and have improved aesthetic qualities compared to the methods described above. Let's look at them in more detail.

Rice. 74. :
a - in a wide groove; b - in a narrow groove with one shoulder; c - into a narrow groove with two shoulder pads; g - award with one shoulder pad;
d - reward with two shoulder pads; e - reward with flat spikes; g - using dowels

Connecting steps using dowels(Fig. 74, g) is considered the least labor-intensive. But in this case, the load-bearing capacity of the steps will be determined only by the strength of the dowels and walls of the sockets in the steps. Therefore, this method can only be used when large loads will not be applied to the steps of the stairs. The diameter of the dowels in this case should be maximum (8-10 mm), and their number on one side of the step should be at least three. Dowels should extend into solid wood at a distance of at least 20 mm.

Connecting steps using spikes(Fig. 74, e) more durable. But difficulties in accurately marking spikes and sockets impose certain restrictions on its use. The strength of the steps in this case will be determined by the strength of the spikes made in their sides and must comply with regulatory requirements.

Connected to the award with one or two shoulder pads(Fig. 74, d, e), made in the form of a beveled solid spike (type dovetail), holds the bowstrings so that they do not diverge in different directions. With this method, there is no need to perform additional fastening of the flight of stairs to prevent possible divergence of the bowstrings. However, the use of the award fastening method is limited by the fact that the step tenon can only be inserted into the bowstring groove from the side position. Therefore, this method can only be used in flights of stairs made without a reference line of bowstrings.

Narrow groove joints with one or two shoulders(Fig. 74, b, c) are quite effective. But they are used less frequently due to the fact that it is necessary to perform additional work on the manufacture of shoulder pads, which also weaken the strength of the steps.

Wide groove connection(Fig. 74, a) is devoid of all the previously mentioned disadvantages and therefore is used most often. Therefore, in the future we will talk about this connection, calling it simply a groove connection. With this method, the step with its end fits into a groove made in the bowstring, providing a sufficiently large bearing capacity flight of stairs.

So, if you decide to attach the steps to the groove, then you should make precise markings. The boundary of the groove should be taken as the line of the tread made when marking the bowstring. A piece of board with a width and thickness equal to the corresponding dimensions of the steps can serve as a template for marking. For it, you can use the segment obtained during the manufacture of steps. To mark, the template is applied to the line of the bowstring obtained during preliminary marking, and traced with a pencil, obtaining the contours of the groove.

A flight of stairs can be made with or without risers. In this case, the riser is not a mandatory part of the flight of stairs and its production is dictated the following conditions. If children use the stairs, then between the elements of the flight of stairs there should be no gaps exceeding 10-15 cm. Therefore, in order to prevent the child from sticking his head between two steps, the space between them is completely or partially covered with a riser (Fig. 75) (called sometimes muted).

Rice. 75. :
1 - riser; 2 - tread; 3 - bowstring (kosour); 4 - railing post; 5 - connection of the riser with the tread (in a narrow groove)

In addition, a solid riser can serve as an additional reinforcement of the step against sagging if the thickness of the board from which the step is made is insufficient. The presence of a solid riser makes the flight of stairs closed, so accidentally fallen objects and debris cannot fall through the gaps in the flight. But most often the installation of risers is dictated by purely aesthetic considerations. If you decide to make a staircase with risers, then their marking and fastening can be done using all the methods we have listed for steps. If the strength of the steps is sufficient, then to simplify the design of the stairs, you can omit the grooves for the risers, limiting yourself to attaching them to the step and to the “end” with a bowstring. The length of the riser in this case will be less than the length of the step by twice the distance at which the step enters the groove of the bowstring. Such a riser should be placed symmetrically relative to the step.