Flight of stairs to a frame house. Making a staircase frame

The construction of a staircase in a private house is, although labor-intensive, an interesting creative process that gives room for imagination and the emergence of experience and ingenuity. Any frame for a staircase inside a house is assembled in several stages, regardless of whether it is metal or wood. Each design has its advantages, but for self-assembly, the simplest would be a rigid wooden frame. But if you have a welding machine and work experience, then a metal staircase constructed from a metal corner will be more solid, stronger and more durable. But nothing compares to the elegance of wooden staircase structures.

What type of stairs should I choose?

Depending on the functionality, stairs can be internal or external. The frame of the staircase to the second floor can be of different types, and the most common are:

• marching;
• screw;
• ring, etc.

The shape of the staircase is chosen relative to the space it should occupy:

• straight;
• rounded or rounded;
• trapezoidal;
• -2, 3-section;
• L- and U-shaped;
• screw.

There are ladder-type stairs, but they are made only to the attic or cellar, when there is not enough space to tilt at a sufficient angle. In rare cases, in a private house, vertical frame stairs are made of metal, equipped with reliable handrails. They are convenient to climb up, but inconvenient to go down. Due to the great steepness and dangerous descent of the steps of the steep staircase, it is reasonable to make a rowing type - a separate base for each leg. Because of their waddling walk, they are called “duck steps.”

But the most common stairs are marching stairs. Flights of stairs rest on façade or row crossbars or consoles of stiffening diaphragms.

Flights of stairs are designed to provide ease of movement along 2-flight or broken stairs when ascending to any floor or descending.

Tip: When choosing the type of staircase, it is worth considering the most appropriate type of frame and the shape of the handrails. The design of the staircase frame can be right or left, and between the turns you need landings that are mounted wider than the steps.

A metal frame for a staircase differs from a wooden one, primarily in that the wood, if one of the elements falls out, is easy to nail into place. The loss of one part of the metal structure adversely affects its safety and the strength of the entire staircase, which is unsafe for the inhabitants of the house. It is not always possible to weld this fragment back immediately after a breakdown, moreover, with high quality and aesthetics. And if the staircase already has decorative cladding, it is difficult not to spoil it by welding.

Metal staircase

Making a staircase frame is not a difficult task, but it is painstaking and responsible. Some types of staircase designs can be assembled by welding within a few hours. But preliminary calculations and production of the main parts of the metal structure are very important, in compliance with:

• horizontality;
• symmetry;
• location of the axis of symmetry of the center of gravity during frameless installation.

Modern craftsmen have developed several simple options for frame-type stairs, which are convenient to use in a country house or for access to an auxiliary room. But inside the house, the aesthetic metal staircase is designed to become a real decoration. But the most important thing is the reliability of the structure and the safety of movement on the stairs. Therefore, for any metal staircase frame, special attention should be paid to the quality of welds and corner processing.

The most common types of bases for internal stairs between floors:

In the first case, the steps look more reliable and solid, in the second - more weightless and light, and the staircase is more economical.

A welding channel shaped like a rectangle is used as a guide. It is important to calculate and measure the angle of inclination relative to the floor and base of the stairs.

Tip: It’s easiest to weld the staircase frame on site than to deliver the welded structure to the cottage under construction. Only solid turned or wooden stairs with carved parts are delivered ready-made. But they also consist of several structural parts, which are then assembled by hand.

Basic requirements for self-made stairs

• work in special clothing and gloves, and protect your face during welding;
• grind the cut channels, round them, remove nicks and burrs, especially on the handrails;
• control the strength of all welding seams;
• calculate the interval and height of the degrees so that it is easy and safe to move along them;
• the frame structure must be processed and painted not only for aesthetic reasons, but also to eliminate the possibility of injury;
• the staircase should not be too steep and slippery, and handrails or a restrictive capsule are mandatory for a spiral staircase.

External metal stairs must be protected in such a way that the soles of shoes do not slip on the steps and do not freeze.

Attention: Do not forget that metal is susceptible to corrosion, and rust spoils its appearance. After the staircase frame is made, it is recommended to cover it with a primer or any anti-corrosion compound so that the structure receives sufficient moisture resistance.

Important Safety Precautions

1. During welding, sparks and drops of molten metal are formed. Therefore, it is important to protect the body with a mask and protective clothing, and the base where welding work is carried out.

4. It is important to be careful when handling the equipment to avoid accidentally touching the electrodes to avoid electric shock. When working with welding equipment in a country house, it is important to make sure that the voltage in the network is sufficient for the device.

What is important to know about building a metal staircase?

To determine the design of the staircase frame, you need accurate measurements and drawings so that the design is convenient to use and does not take up a lot of usable space. Its appearance is also important, since it can decorate the house or create visual discomfort. For the final choice of staircase type, look at our illustrations:

Once the choice has been made in favor of one configuration or another, depending on the size of the room, you can proceed to design calculations. Important things to consider:

• span dimensions;
• area of ​​steps (not less than the width of the foot);
• span inclination angle;
• right or left handrail, etc.

For a single-flight staircase, the angle of inclination is usually within 45°. A flat surface requires more material and supporting parts of sufficient thickness. Stairs that are too steep are not very convenient, especially for children and the elderly. They are used to go to auxiliary and utility rooms that are rarely visited - the attic, attic, pantry or basement.

We divide the height of the floor by the distance between the steps in height - this is the number of steps. It is indicated in mm - from point to point, without taking into account the thickness of building materials. The optimal height distance between the feet in the frame of modular stairs is about 20 cm. But there may be options, especially if there are children in the house who will often climb these steps.

The width of the step is determined by the length of the march, but taking into account the step, which can protrude forward on the tread 250-320 mm. A tread is a fragment of a step from the leading edge to the projection below it. Next, we draw up a diagram or drawing of the future structure indicating all the dimensions.

The dimensions of the stairs determine the consumption of materials:

• under load-bearing elements;
• for risers;
• supports and fasteners;
• sheet metal for steps.

What's the easiest thing to do yourself?

1. Cantilever stairs without inclined supports look light and compact. The steps are secured at the side end with special horizontal pins. Only a professional can handle such installation, but thick glass can be inserted into the frame of the step to literally fly above “zero gravity.”

2. The simplest is a straight single-flight staircase; it is easier to make a frame for a staircase with your own hands than for a round or spiral one. It is only important to maintain a right angle and the location of the steps parallel to the floor. The steps will rest on the supports, and the sides, ends, risers and handrails will rise from them. A marching structure with landings is a little more complicated. They are mounted on vertical supports or directly to the wall.

3. Spiral staircases are perhaps the only way out with a minimum area for the lower support of the staircase structure. They are not very easy to lift, but they look great. The great thing is that some designs require minimal welding. For example, if you string 230-250 mm sleeves onto a wide pipe between floors, between which wedge-shaped metal steps are located, then all that remains is to secure them with railings from the outside at equal intervals.

Attention: Under the sleeves you need a galvanized pipe of a slightly larger cross-section of almost the same length. The cutting is done strictly perpendicularly so that the angle of the step is not distorted, and the sleeves must fit tightly on the main pipe between the steps. If there is a significant difference in the diameter of the base and sleeves, a sealant is installed. The edges of the sleeves must be sanded or sanded. You can separately weld each step to its own sleeve.

Wooden staircase

Much of what is described above also applies to wooden stairs:

• determining the length of the stairs;
• calculating the height of steps;
• width and number of steps, etc.

A staircase frame made of natural wood is more expensive than a metal one, but for a home craftsman who has skills in working with wood, it is easier and more enjoyable to make a staircase without welding with his own hands. But it is important to consider that wood is a softer material and less durable. The steps of such a staircase may creak and sag over time. But designers have also developed universal structures based on metal and modular wood. For example, modular prefabricated staircase “Ladder”, video:

To build the frame, you will need wood for the main structural parts, and subsequently for the railings and finishing parts. For the base you will need:

• steps;
• stringers (an inclined part with cut-out corners for fastening steps and risers);
• risers (closes the gap between the steps);
• foundation beams;
• landing (if the design involves a turn).

Tip: Use the illustrations to choose the most aesthetic staircase option that you can handle, but keep in mind that for any design there must be enough space in the house, especially at the lowest point of support.

Based on the selected sample, we design the frame of a wooden staircase with our own hands. The drawings must indicate the exact dimensions, taking into account:

• sufficient area of ​​the room where the span will be located;
• width, height (between two floors) and total length of the staircase; * * dimensions of steps;
• lift and riser height.

Attention: When planning the frame of a wooden staircase, if it spans several floors, the height between each floor must be clarified and adjustments made! Approximate drawing of the frame with dimensions.

The height of the rise (the distance between the degrees in height) can be varied - from 15 to 28 cm. You can save on the amount of wood for reducing the number of steps, due to the greater height, but this will make the descent (ascent) more difficult.

Sometimes the frame of a straight flight of stairs cannot be placed in the allocated space, so sometimes you have to split it into 2-3 fragments. This is also a good design, but it will require more wood. With a minimum of space, a spiral wooden staircase with railings is built - photo:

Flights of stairs and landings make adjustments to the formula for calculating the number and height of feet. Classic formula:

• 2.8-(1.8+0.25)=0.75 m;
• where 1.8+0.25 is the average height of a person;
• 2.8 m - ceiling height of the house;
• We take into account the minimum clearance.

Attention: Do not make the staircase too narrow - at least 0.75 m, and sometimes it is necessary to separate the staircase or an external glass gallery on the side of the house for a full-fledged staircase. This decision has to be made for a separate entrance to the attic or extension.

It is important to think about the method of attaching the frame to the lower support and the upper floor, as well as the attachment points for the structural parts of the staircase itself. Its durability and safety largely depend on the reliability of its attachment to the floor. For more reliability you can use:

• metal plates;
• corners;
• anchor;
• screws and other specialized equipment.

Tip: It is important to maintain equal spacing between steps. Even if in a large house there are so many staircases of different designs, your feet get used to the same height. If there is a difference between the number and height of the march, and there is still some space left without a step on the frame, it is not recommended to equalize the error from above. It is better to make a wide decorative step at the bottom.

Attention: Under no circumstances should you equalize the difference at the top, especially if there are problems with lighting.

To learn how to assemble the elements of the entire structure of a wooden flight of stairs, watch the video:

There is probably no homeowner who would not dream of expanding his holdings. The development of new territories is inherent in every person. One of the simplest and most economical ways to acquire those coveted additional square meters is to convert an attic space into a living space.

But despite all the attractiveness of this activity, the most difficult place remains the installation of an inter-level staircase. This article discusses the procedure for determining a place for a staircase, its type and obtaining an opening when reconstructing an attic space in an old house.

Undoubtedly, stairs made using classical technologies using expensive materials give the house monumentality, importance and a special gloss. But modernity in the style of minimalism and the permanent crisis have led to the fact that nine out of ten owners of economy class housing will vote for the efficient use of space in their home and for saving money.

An interlevel staircase is an expensive structure. Especially if it is made to order. However, with some skill you can do almost all the work yourself. This applies not only to calculations and construction of wooden, but also welded metal stairs. But before you begin to put your plans into practice, you need to decide on the shape and location of the staircase, as well as prepare the opening.

Determining the location of the stairs in the house

Whatever it is, everyone knows that stairs take up too much space. The flatter it is and, accordingly, more convenient for passage, the larger the size of the opening under it and the farther the first step needs to be moved in projection from the last.

The most convenient staircase is considered to be one in which the width of the tread (horizontal part of the step) is at least 30 cm, and the height of the riser (vertical part of the step) does not exceed 17 cm. Such indicators can be obtained if the angle of inclination of the flight of stairs is within 30 - 40 degrees . Here are a few simple rules, following which you can quite easily choose the location of the inter-level staircase in the house.

1. If possible, locate the stairs in a non-residential part of the house. It is extremely inconvenient to use a living room if a bulky structure is installed in it.
2. If an inter-level staircase opens into the attic, then try to position it so that the exit is as close as possible to the longitudinal center line of the attic.
3. Use a simple geometric rule to roughly estimate the length of the opening - a leg lying opposite an angle of 30 degrees is equal to half the hypotenuse. That is, if the ceiling height in the room is 3 meters and the slope of the stairs is 30 degrees, the length of the opening will be 6 meters.
4. Approaches to the stairs must be free. If something interferes with this, consider whether to make winder steps.
5. There are types of stairs that take up virtually no space in the room, for example, spiral ones, but they are problematic for lifting anything. Consider such projects as a last resort, giving preference to simpler models.
6. Stairs can be open or built-in. It is advisable to place open staircases where it is undesirable to clutter the space with massive structures, and built-in ones where it is planned to use the space under the stairs (for example, for a guest bathroom or storage room for household equipment).
7. It is not possible to knock out an opening in the ceiling of the upper floor in every place. If we are talking about a monolithic floor or floor with reinforced concrete slabs, it is necessary to develop a separate project and endorse it from the author or from an organization recognized as the author of the project for the entire house.
8. If the size of the opening does not allow you to fit the staircase in the place that you have determined as the best according to the above indicators, then you can reduce the opening by increasing the angle of inclination, but in this case change the shape of the steps into a “duck step”. Such a staircase is more difficult to manufacture, but is very convenient at slope angles from 45 to 70 degrees.

Calculation of stairs

Most stairs don't require a lot of math. It is important to be able to determine, using basic knowledge of geometry, the angle of inclination of the stairs, the number of steps, the height of the riser, the width of the tread and the length of the opening.

The initial data for these calculations is the height from the finished floor of the lower level to the finished floor of the second level. This means that if wooden floors are laid on top of a concrete screed, the height is measured from the concrete screed, since wooden floors are not clean. The same rule applies to upper level floors.

For example, having measured the height of the ceiling at the place where the stairs were installed, the result was 3 meters. The most convenient angle of inclination of the stairs is 30 degrees, which means that the length of the opening will be 6 meters. With a tread width of 30 cm, 20 steps can be laid on the projection of the opening. Dividing 3 meters of floor height by 20, we get a minimum riser height of 15 cm.

However, most often such a long opening cannot be found even in a large house, let alone a small one! Therefore, the next step will be to optimize the spatial arrangement of the stairs in the house while simultaneously adjusting the sizes of steps and risers, which is achieved by choosing the shape of the stairs.

Determining the type of staircase

In most cases, an internal interlevel staircase should provide comfortable ascent and descent to a height of 2.5 to 3.2 meters. It is important that the opening takes up as little space as possible. And you can minimize the size of the opening by installing a ladder of a suitable type, which can be classified according to the following criteria:

• Based on the number of flights, one-, two- and three-flight staircases are distinguished;
• Based on the presence of an intermediate platform, staircases with one and two intermediate platforms are distinguished. Straight and with a rotation of 90 or 180 degrees;
• Based on the presence of winder steps, a distinction is made between staircases with lower, upper, combined winder steps, as well as spiral staircases, as an extreme case of using winder steps;
• Stairs with straight steps and specially shaped steps that facilitate ascent and descent at slope angles of 45 degrees or more.

The choice of material from which the staircase will be made is also of great importance. After all, assembling a ladder on a single string of wood is fraught with great technical difficulties. Such stairs are made of metal, which is much cheaper. In addition, under equal conditions, wooden stairs will be much more massive in terms of load-bearing capacity than metal ones. Therefore, designers give preference to metal stairs in cases where it is necessary to install an open staircase. But the choice of material for the steps still most often remains with the type-setting adhesive wood board.

So, choosing a two-flight staircase with one intermediate platform allows you to reduce the length of the opening by up to 30% and change the direction of movement along the stairs from 0 to 180 degrees.

Choosing a single-flight staircase with winder steps allows you to change the direction of movement along the stairs up to 180 degrees and reduce the size of the opening to 20%.

Choosing a spiral staircase allows you to reduce the size of the opening by up to 80% and change the direction of movement up to 360 degrees.

Changing the slope angle of the stairs while simultaneously changing the shape of the steps and combining them with winder steps allows you to reduce the size of the opening by up to 60%.

Installation of a frame ceiling and identification of an opening in it

Work on constructing a staircase begins with punching an opening in the upper level ceiling. In this case, the floor material is of significant importance. If the floors are monolithic or made of slabs, then independent dismantling is impossible. This type of work must be carried out by a company that has a license for this type of activity. All work must be carried out in accordance with the agreed and approved project.

Independent dismantling is only possible if the upper level ceilings are wooden and do not bear the load. At the same time, it often happens that in old houses there are practically no attic floors. Which is most often associated with the hasty post-war reconstruction of the house. In this case, it is best to remove the ceilings completely and replace them with new ones based on frame technology.

Photo 1. Fragment of the ceiling, restored using frame technology

Photo 1 shows a fragment of a removed attic floor, which has been replaced with a frame based on 50x120 mm bars, supported on one side by the rafters through special support shoes (photo 2), and on the other side by an I-beam steel beam that acts as a purlin (photo 3 the beam is shown from its underside). Reliance on shoes allows you to significantly increase the maximum permissible load on the floor, since the risk of breaking old rafter boards is significantly reduced, and dividing the floor by a beam in half allows you to dismantle the floor in parts.

Photo 2. Support shoe installed on the rafter

Photo 3. Support beam as a purlin

Photo 1 shows that in the frame cells there is an opening for the stairs. Here it should be taken into account that the pitch of the rafters is 60 cm. And this size has not changed since those times. And the width of the stairs may vary. In this case, the width of the stairs along the steps is 65 cm, and the opening is 72 cm.

Photo 4. Embedding board for expanding the opening by any size

The solution to this problem is shown in photo 4. As can be seen in the photograph, the frame beam rests not on the shoe, but on the embedded board, which is installed between two adjacent shoes. Using this method, you can change the width of the opening by any amount up to the next beam.

After the frame is assembled, it needs to be sheathed underneath with OSB sheets. A sheet 10 mm thick is quite suitable for this purpose. When sheathing, it is not necessary that the edges of the sheets touch the beams or cross members of the frame. After all, the final cladding will be made of plasterboard.

Photo 5. The ceiling is sheathed underneath with OSB

A fragment of the floor sheathed with OSB on the bottom is shown in photo 5. After this, you can begin to heat and sound insulate the floor. It is best to use mineral or basalt wool as insulation due to their non-flammability. But before you start filling the frame cells with insulation, you need to line each of them with a vapor barrier. Photo 6 shows the cells of the ceiling frame, in which the film is laid and secured with a stapler.

Photo 6. Laying vapor barrier on the bottom and walls of cells

When all the cells are insulated, you can begin laying the insulation. Its thickness should be no less than the thickness of the beams. In this case - 120 mm. Mineral wool can be laid more densely with the expectation that it will settle a little later.

By the way, the same insulation scheme was used in the construction of the house back in 1940. Only instead of basalt wool, white glass wool was placed in the ceiling, carefully packed in bags of thick black paper. But over time, the glass wool stuck together and became completely flat, completely losing its insulating properties.

Photo 7. Cells after filling with mineral wool

Photo 7 shows the appearance of the cells after filling them with mineral wool. The top of the mineral wool needs to be covered with another layer of film and secured with brackets. This stage of work is shown in photo 8.

Photo 8. The top of the mineral wool is covered with film

And the last stage of work on heat and sound insulation is OSB sheathing of the floor from the attic side. When performing this work, in contrast to sheathing the ceiling, it is important to touch the edges of the frame with the edges of adjacent OSB sheets. Otherwise, at the joints they will bend under the weight of a person. Photo 9 shows the appearance of the ceiling from the attic side after laying the OSB.

Photo 9. OSB attic floor covering

The thickness of the sheets depends on the pitch of the frame. So, with an average cell size of 40x40 cm, a sheet 15 mm thick is sufficient. If the cell size exceeds this value, then the thickness of the sheet must also be increased proportionally. The part of the opening that will be located above the back of the stairs can be reduced, but it is important not to forget to take into account the height of a person above average. This size is 190 cm. The opening should be reduced in order to reduce heat loss during heat exchange between levels.

The sides of the opening formed by the outer floor beams must be smooth. This is necessary because the basis for the final finishing will be plasterboard, which can simply be screwed to it with self-tapping screws.

Facing the opening

The lining of the opening begins with the installation of a suspended plasterboard ceiling on the lower level. Otherwise, it will be impossible to calculate the size of the side slopes of the opening. Installation of a plasterboard ceiling is best done on metal profiles, rather than screwing the plasterboard directly to the OSB of the ceiling. The fact is that when walking on the ceiling from above, in this case the load will be transferred directly to the sheets, which will eventually wear through the heads of the screws. When sheets of plasterboard are suspended on profiles, dynamic loads do not occur along the entire plane of the floor, but only in the places where the suspensions are attached to the ceiling. Such loads are quickly absorbed in ceiling structures without causing deformation. In addition, under such ceilings it is easy to hide all electrical wiring and other communications.

Photo 10. The ceiling plane next to the opening is lined with plasterboard

Photo 10 shows the working moment when the entire ceiling plane next to the opening is already lined with plasterboard along the profiles. The remaining part, which includes the attached ventilation pipe and the reduction of the opening on the back side of the stairs, is sewn up last. In this case, you can take a larger sheet of drywall, screw it into place, and then cut out the outline according to the footnotes made using a vertical level. These manipulations are shown in photos 11-14.

Photo 11. Covering a difficult area of ​​the ceiling with a sheet of obviously larger size

Photo 12. Cutting along a contour marked by level from the inside

Photo 13. Drywall exactly follows the contour of the opening

Photo 14. Bottom view of the opening and plasterboard ceiling

Once the outline of the opening is outlined on the ceiling, you can screw in the side slopes. It is enough to fix them with self-tapping screws directly to the beams. The process is illustrated in photo 15.

Photo 15. Installation of side slopes of the opening

The edges need to be reinforced with perforated aluminum corners. They are fixed with staples using a stapler (photo 16). After which they are coated with putty (photo 17) and then two more layers of putty are applied to the entire plane of the drywall with intermediate and final sanding (photo 18).

Photo 16. Installing perforated corners on the edges

Photo 17. Puttying edges and seams

Photo 18. Finishing putty

An opening prepared in this way is ready for most types of finishing, from painting to decorating with thin plasters, wallpaper or PVC panels.

1. The use of facade putty will significantly expand the list of types of decorative finishing of the opening. After all, it is made on the basis of white cement and is much more reliable;
2. There is no need to line the opening slopes with plasterboard at all if you plan to cover it with clapboard;
3. After sanding, it is necessary to prime each layer of putty;
4. It is better to place the wiring on the OSB floor in non-combustible boxes.

The example of making an opening used in the article as an illustration, and the technology of the work being carried out, are demonstrated using the example of the renovation of an old German house built in 1940. The house was badly damaged during the war and post-war years. It was partially renovated by household means, but no one had ever carried out major repairs on it. Therefore, we can consider the given example the most indicative and the most difficult when arranging an opening for an inter-level staircase in a private house.

In the next article, dedicated to the independent production and installation of an internal staircase, we will talk about how to carry out welding work using the example of a metal staircase with one string, open steps and stringers.

Maxim Fedorov, rmnt.ru

Part 1: How to prepare an opening for an interlevel staircase
Part 2:

Most people associate a private country house with a two-story cottage, with a large living room and a beautiful staircase leading to the second floor. Often the choice falls on two-story houses also for reasons of efficiency. A two-story house takes up less space on a plot of land and is cheaper to build compared to a one-story house of equal area. If your choice fell on a two-story house, then you need to think about the location, size and technical characteristics of the interfloor staircase, even at the design stage. Otherwise, you may face many problems. There may not be enough space for a staircase, for example, and you may be forced to settle for an inconvenient and unsafe staircase.

At the end of the article you can see video about building a comfortable and safe interfloor staircase with your own hands.

Safety ladder

The main characteristic of the ladder is safety! Therefore, you should not neglect the standards for such staircase elements as treads, angle of rise, width, pay special attention to this. Tread- this is the horizontal plane of the step, which must be no less than the size of the foot of the person descending along it, otherwise it will be unsafe. The most convenient tread width for interfloor stairs is 30 cm. The vertical plane of the step is called riser, can be closed or open. With a tread width of 30cm, the optimal riser height is 15cm. The width of the flight, for the safe separation of two people on the stairs, should be 90-100 cm. An odd number of steps is preferable; in this case, the descent and ascent will begin and end with one foot, left or right. The elevation angle should be no more than 45 degrees and no less than 26 degrees.

When positioning the stairs, it is worth considering the width of the doors opening towards the stairs, leaving sufficient areas in front of the doors for safe opening. The height of the handrail is preferably at least 90 cm, especially if children will use the stairs. The vertical posts of the railings are located in increments of no more than 15 cm, or additional horizontal slats are used. If the staircase is wide, more than 100 cm, then it is worth taking care of the wall railings. Provide sufficient lighting for the stairs, especially the initial and final steps.

Types of stairs

There are many options for stairs, they all have their own specifics, different shapes, are made of different materials, and have their pros and cons. To figure out which staircase is suitable for which operating conditions, let's look at the main design options for interfloor staircases, their disadvantages, advantages and features.

Marching staircase

Single flight stairs do not have turning platforms, and represent one flight of stairs connecting the floors. They can be straight or rotary with winder steps at an angle to the flight. The advantages of a single-flight staircase are ease of manufacture, reliability, and with sufficient width they are convenient for lifting furniture. The downside is low security. A large number of steps located in a single line can pose a high danger if they fall.

Double flight stairs have two flights of stairs connected by a turning platform. For ease of use, turntables must be no less than the width of the flight in width, and be a multiple of the step in length. Double-flight staircases are more complex to manufacture and more expensive, but have a number of advantages over single-flight staircases. It is easier to make the ascent angle in a two-flight staircase more comfortable. The safety of a two-flight staircase is significantly superior to that of a single-flight staircase, both due to a flatter angle of ascent, and due to short flights, and due to the turning platform. Typically, two-flight stairs have an L-shaped (flights rotate 90 degrees relative to each other) or U-shaped (flights rotate 180 degrees) shape.

A common disadvantage for flights of stairs is the area they occupy, but you can still benefit from this disadvantage if you resort to rational use of the space under the stairs. Under the stairs can be a pantry, storage cabinets, shelves and a resting area for you or your pet.

Spiral staircase

Spiral staircase It is a structure with a central vertical post to which steps are attached, arranged in a spiral. The diameter of the stairs depends on the length of the steps. The steps of spiral staircases are specific; their width increases from one side of the step to the other. The narrowest part is located at the central post, the widest at the railing. This means that the width of the steps will be different for the right and left legs. This immediately implies a disadvantage of a spiral staircase - the danger of a foot slipping when stepping on the narrow part of the step. The most convenient trajectory for moving along a spiral staircase is the middle of the flight. In this case, you must hold on to the railing. This should be taken into account when calculating the diameter of the stairs and the length of the steps.

The area occupied by a spiral staircase with a step length of 100 cm, compared to a straight staircase, will be one and a half times less. But everything is not so simple, and as the length of the step increases, this difference will become less and less significant, and then the area of ​​the helical one will exceed the area of ​​the straight one. So, for example, with a step length of 150 cm, the areas of the spiral and straight stairs will be equal.

The advantages of a spiral staircase are its compactness (with short steps) and attractive appearance. The disadvantages of a spiral staircase are traffic safety and extremely difficult lifting of large objects and furniture.

Materials for making stairs

The choice of materials is quite large, but the main criterion for choosing a material for making stairs is its reliability. You should not lose sight of such criteria as practicality and ease of maintenance.

Wooden staircase, this is a traditional version of the staircase in a private house. The environmental friendliness of wood, ease of manufacture and installation, accessibility, reliability - these are the main advantages of a wooden staircase. The disadvantages include creaking of the steps, which may appear during operation, the need for regular coating with paint or varnish, abrasion of the steps over time, cracking and sagging of the steps if the material is not dry enough and of poor quality. When choosing a coating color, you should not choose too dark tones, since even minor damage that will appear over time will be clearly visible on a dark color.

Metal and forged stairs more often used for technical needs, for example, fire fighting, and stairs in factories. In private homes, marching metal staircases are usually difficult to fit into the interior, and therefore spiral staircases are often metal.

The advantages of a metal staircase are fire safety, strength, and durability. The disadvantages of a metal staircase are its weight, the difficulty of making and installing it yourself, the noise of footsteps, the coldness of the surface, electrical conductivity, installation in reinforced concrete floors, and increased injury from falls compared to a wooden staircase.

Stairs made of natural stone, this expensive pleasure comes from the Renaissance. They are luxurious and monumental, silent, but not suitable for any interior, they are very heavy, difficult to manufacture, and are susceptible to chips and cracks, which affect their service life. In addition, the stone is quite slippery if its surface is smooth, cold and dangerous when falling, due to its natural hardness.

Stairs made of glass, composite materials and other more exotic options are used even less frequently; these are mainly design solutions, they are expensive and require special conditions of manufacture, installation and operation. We will not consider them in detail.

The cost of stairs varies greatly depending on the material used. From very inexpensive hand-made stairs to very expensive designer stairs, exclusive forged ones or stairs made of precious wood and stone.

In this video you will see how you can build a comfortable and safe staircase with your own hands.

The staircase frame is the main element on which the reliability of the staircase, its load capacity and rigidity depend. The design, type and material of the frame depends, first of all, on the purpose of the staircase and the type of construction. What kind of frames are there, what you should know when choosing a material for making a stringer and how to make a staircase base with your own hands - read the article.

Which base to choose for a staircase depends, first of all, on its design (flight, turning) and the type of construction. So, for example, for multi-storey residential buildings, straight stringers are made of reinforced concrete, the frame for a staircase in a commercial building can be made of metal, and in private construction you can often find a rotating staircase with a wooden support.

Despite the material of manufacture, all frames can be divided into:

• Closed. Closed structures are made from metal corners (as supports for steps) and channels (as racks and fastening jumpers). Due to their simple and sometimes unsightly (where elements are joined by welding) appearance, closed stringers are always completely finished with wood or plasterboard.
• Open. Such frames are made in the shape of a staircase, and are coated with special enamel, which performs both decorative and practical functions. The open base can be either with one stringer or with two. In order to increase the load capacity of the open structure, additional consoles are used. The steps for such stairs can be made of wood, parquet boards, laminate, glass.

In addition, modular frames for stairs have recently become very popular in private construction. Such designs have a lot of advantages, which include: affordable price; simple installation; reliability and high load capacity. A prefabricated stringer usually consists of 12-18 metal nodes, several support columns, and a set of wooden steps. From such a kit you can assemble a staircase of almost any configuration. Handrails and balusters are easily attached to the finished structure.

Metal or wooden frame of a staircase for a home: rules for choosing

Wooden frames for stairs are the easiest to make with your own hands: you don’t need to know how to cook to assemble such a frame, and the stringer elements can be cut to order in almost any hardware store. But, over time, the wood dries out, which can lead not only to the appearance of unpleasant creaks during ascent and descent, but also to a decrease in the strength of the structure and its level of safety.

Therefore, it is better to opt for a metal frame, which has many advantages:

1. A structure of any shape can be made from metal.
2. Metal is strong and durable, and supports made from it can withstand a lot of weight without deforming.
3. The metal base can easily support heavy decorative elements.

In addition, you can weld the metal frame for the stairs yourself.

The ideal option is stairs made of a metal frame covered with wood: this design looks impressive, has increased strength and is comfortable to use.

How to weld a frame for a staircase

Most often, a staircase on a metal frame in a private house is made with two stringers. For stairs with a flight width of more than 1.2 meters, it is recommended to install another stringer - in the middle.

In order to make a metal frame, you must adhere to the following sequence of actions:

1. Cutting metal into elements of the required sizes.
2. Manufacturing of elements for fastening steps - fillies. The fillies are made from corners, which are cut to the desired size and welded together, forming the desired shape with the shelves down and inward.
3. Welding fillies with stringers. Marks are made on the ribs of the profile pipe, along which the units are welded.
4. Installation of stringers. To give the wall structure additional stability, the stringer can be welded to brackets mounted into the wall.
5. Installation of crossbars between each pair of corners and brackets for mounting steps.
6. Grinding of all elements at welding points.
7. Coating the structure with a metal primer and painting it in the desired color.
8. Installation of wooden steps, balusters, fences.

Fences can be fixed to a metal stringer in two ways: by welding on the steps or by bolting to the end of the steps.

Interfloor staircase in a frame house

The design of the staircase to the second floor in a frame dwelling depends on the features of the building and should be erected during the construction stage of the house in order not to damage its walls and foundation. Most often, a wooden staircase is chosen for a frame house (this is due, first of all, to the lightness of the wooden structure).

In order for a staircase in a frame building to be comfortable and reliable, when designing it it is necessary to adhere to certain standards:

1. All steps in the flights must be the same length and width. According to building codes, the height of the steps should be between 10-25 cm and the width - 30-35 cm.
2. The number of steps in one flight should be no less than three and no more than twenty (with a larger number, a run-up platform is made).
3. The angle of rotation of the winder steps on the stairs in a frame house should not create an angle greater than a straight line.
4. Stair stringers must be at least 2.5 cm thick.

Having decided on the dimensions, you can begin installing the stairs. It is better to do this by marking the location of the stringers and steps on the wall.

In a frame house, the support of the interfloor staircase is installed using vertical posts, and at the junction of the flight of stairs with the interfloor ceiling, additional horizontal beams are installed to increase the rigidity and reliability of the frame.

Construction of frame stairs (video)

Frame stairs are the main means of transportation between floors of any building. The material of manufacture and design of the base of the staircase depends, first of all, on the parameters of the building and the purpose of the staircase. The best option for private construction are stairs on a metal frame. You can choose any material for finishing metal frames: from plasterboard to natural wood. Order ready-made stairs on a metal frame or make them yourself, and enjoy comfortable and safe operation!

The staircase was invented a long time ago, perhaps even before the wheel, and therefore any builder knows the optimal width and height of the steps, the recommended span length and the width of the landings. In short, when designing frame houses, standards require wide, not too steep stairs with spacious landings. However, such a staircase takes up a lot of space. Well, really, who would buy a house with an area of ​​60-70 m2, where the staircase takes up almost 15 m2 (7.5 m2 on each floor)? So they are shrinking, building ship (deck) stairs instead of household ones (those who served in the navy will understand). Elderly people find it difficult to climb these stairs—it’s inconvenient. They are closed with gates to keep small children away, and older children are constantly shouted: “don’t run up the stairs - you’ll fall.” Do you need all this? Steep stairs are not cool. In our frame house projects, we make stairs in strict compliance with the rules and regulations. Our stairs are easy to climb and descend, both for the elderly and for small children. The diagram below shows the optimal and permissible angles of inclination for household stairs.

Popular types of stairs

With a reasonable approach to design, a structure of almost any type can be made compact, but comfortable and safe. What kind of staircase will be in a frame house depends on several factors, namely its number of floors, size and general style of the project. In fact, there are three types of stairs, namely:

• Marching structures. The most common in the construction of frame houses. They are equally often equipped with one- and two-story frame houses. They are simple, aesthetic, but take up quite a lot of space, so they are used mainly in larger projects where such a staircase can be placed. To ensure comfortable use, one flight should not have more than 10-11 steps, and they themselves should be located at a not too great distance from each other horizontally and vertically. All this requires space, but single-story frame houses are often equipped with them to provide access to the attic, and in this case the system can be made more compact.
• Spiral staircases. Their key advantages are extreme compactness and beautiful appearance. This design in almost any design turns into an additional decoration for the hall.
• Stairs on rails. Their peculiarity is the absence of a massive supporting vertical frame, which creates the impression that the steps are simply floating in the air. Such stairs are beautiful and take up minimal space, but they are reliable and convenient at the level of conventional marching structures.

The best materials for making stairs

Today, a staircase in a frame house can be made from almost any material. Of course, completely wooden structures will remain a classic solution for many years, which in skillful hands turn out to be practical, comfortable, durable, and thanks to modern methods of wood processing, also very durable. Oak, ash, beech and other species - you can build something really interesting from almost any tree.

Metal stairs are also traditionally popular. Forging, chromed steel, a combination of different materials – there are a lot of options, and it all depends on the interior of the room. Metal stairs are compact, openwork in appearance and extremely durable. It is also necessary to note that unusual design solutions are now increasingly in demand. For example, a combination of chrome-plated steel and impact-resistant glass, which allows you to get an invisible staircase that can become a real highlight of the decor of the room.

Thanks to the modern approach to design and the use of various materials, two-story frame houses can be equipped with almost all types of interfloor stairs. The choice of a specific type for each model is based on aesthetic expediency, available space, ease of use and safety.