The porch is definitely one of the most important parts of any building design. Such street stairs can be made from a variety of materials. In any case, the design of the porch, of course, must be convenient and safe for movement. Almost always, such stairs are complemented by reliable railings.
What fences can be
Railings, like the porches themselves, can be made from different materials. Most often, street stairs in our country are fenced, of course, with metal railings. Such designs are reliable, have a long service life and are relatively inexpensive.
Also, the porch railings in many cases are wooden. Such structures do not last as long as metal ones. However, they cost homeowners even cheaper. In addition, wooden railings are also easy to assemble.
Another fairly common type of porch fencing is concrete. Some of the disadvantages of this type of railing include difficulty in erection. Concrete fences cost home ownersquite expensive. However, they can last much longer than metal or wood.
Also, in some cases, the railings of the porches of houses can be built from bricks. This type of fencing is the most expensive. At the same time, the advantages of brick railings include a long service life and a solid, attractive appearance.
Varieties of metal railings
These fences, in turn, can be classified according to the type of material used for the manufacture and design. Porch railings can be welded:
- of ordinary steel;
- stainless steel.
The first type of fencing can have both the simplest design and the very complex one. For example, forged railings of street stairs look simply luxurious in suburban areas. Owners of large beautiful cottages often choose just such a fence for the porch. In the photo below you can see forged railings, the appearance of which, of course, cannot but impress.
Stainless steel railings usually have the simplest design. At the same time, their main advantage is a long service life and ease of maintenance. Periodically touch up the stainless steel porch railing, for example, is not necessary.
Varieties of wooden railings
Such designs are made of timber and boards. Wooden railings differ mainly only in design. In ordinary houses, porch railings of this type of the simplest design are most often mounted.
In cottages and largehouses with a beautiful exterior can be installed railings of street stairs with carved details and curly balusters. Fences of this type usually look very impressive and can be quite expensive.
Fencing the porch of a private house made of concrete
Such structures are poured into the formwork using cement mortar, which the owners of suburban areas often knead on their own. Concrete railings usually have a significant thickness and are massive. When pouring them, among other things, a reinforcing cage is used. Such railings are mounted simultaneously with the porch itself.
Concrete itself, of course, is not a very beautiful material. Therefore, concrete railings at the final stage, in most cases, are additionally lined with some kind of decorative material. Most often it is a tile designed for outdoor use. Also, concrete fences in some cases can be painted or sheathed with boards.
Despite the need for additional finishing, concrete railings in comparison with other varieties of similar structures in terms of design have one indisputable advantage. In the process of pouring, they can be given almost any desired configuration.
In addition to monolithic, concrete railings and a slightly different design can be installed in suburban areas. In this case, the fences have a handrail and figured massive balusters. Most often, concrete railings of this variety are painted white. They are usually mounted only in the mostlarge cottages of complex architecture. It is such a fence for the porch in the photo below that is presented to your attention. As you can see, these railings look very rich.
Brick railings
Such fences, in turn, can be built from both silicate and ceramic or even decorative bricks. Railings of this type are mounted, like concrete ones, at the same time as the porch itself. By bandaging the seams in the masonry, the stability and reliability of the street staircase is ensured.
In some cases, such railings can be additionally finished with tiles or wood. But most often they look quite impressive even without a separate design. In particular, of course, this applies to fences built of ceramic and decorative bricks.
Rules for choosing railings
Porch railings can be made of brick, concrete, wood or metal. The owners of country houses usually choose the material for the railing in accordance with the design of the street staircase itself.
Brick fences, of course, are built for brick porches. The same applies to concrete structures. Wooden railings can be mounted along the edges of both concrete and brick street stairs. For porches, knocked down from boards, fences made of such material, of course, are an almost indispensable element. Sometimes wooden railings are also installed on steel street stairs.
Metal porch railings, wrought or plain, can also be mounted on concrete,and on brick marches. On wooden railings, such railings are almost never installed. Most often, metal railings are mounted, of course, on steel stairs.
Handrails
Brick and concrete railings, since they are usually of considerable thickness, such a structural element is often not provided. Only sometimes on such structures, short supports are installed on top and connected by a handrail. When assembling wooden porches, the handrail is usually made of 40 mm timber or poles of the same diameter. Such designs are considered the most convenient to use for grabbing a human hand.
Metal porch railings, respectively, most often have a steel handrail. However, in this case, this element is usually additionally sheathed on top with a narrow board. Metal, as you know, is a material with a high degree of thermal conductivity. Touching an iron railing in hot or cold weather may not be very pleasant. Wood paneling does not heat up in the sun and does not cool too much in cold weather.
SNiP standards
The design of the railings of the street stairs, of course, should be quite attractive. In any case, the street staircase should be assembled in such a way that it blends as harmoniously as possible with the exterior of the building itself.
But any porch should, of course, not only be beautiful, but also comply with all safety rules. In private houses, the height of the railing can be very different. In most cases, when this option is selected, ownerslow-rise private buildings are simply guided by the growth of the people living in the house.
However, regarding the railings of street stairs, there are, among other things, certain SNiP standards. According to existing rules, fences, for example, must be mounted on porches without fail if they have a height of more than three steps.
Owners of low-rise residential buildings may not comply with this rule if they wish. The SNiP also indicates that this requirement does not apply to private households. However, it is, of course, worth it to provide a fence for a porch made of wood, metal, brick or concrete with a height of more than 3 steps, including in low-rise buildings. This will make the outdoor stairs much safer for both adults and children. Moreover, winters in Russia are known to be very frosty. And in cold weather, the street stairs can simply become covered with a crust of ice. Without a railing, moving along it in this case will certainly be very inconvenient.
Fence height according to SNiP
Of course, the porch railing of a private residential building must first of all correspond to the height of the owners of the house. The handrail of a street staircase should be located approximately at the level of the chest of a person ascending or descending it.
If the difference in height among the owners of a country house is significant, when choosing the height of the porch fence, you can be guided, among other things, simply by the norms of SNiP. According to this document, the railing of a street staircase should not be lower than 90 cm. It is this height forthe porch of a private house is likely to be the best option.
In public institutions, the railings of street stairs are often made very high. For example, in kindergartens on street stairs, according to SNiP standards, the height of the porch fence should not be less than 120 cm.
Distance between balusters
Sometimes the railings of the porches of country houses and various public institutions are supplemented with crossbars. This is the name of the longitudinal elements connecting the supports of the fence. It is the crossbars that are usually complemented by the porch railings made of stainless steel. Such a simple design saves on expensive material.
Forged porch railings between the handrail and the march are often filled with all sorts of decorative details - metal curls, flowers, etc. Such elements make the street staircase, among other things, very beautiful.
Crossbars and forged parts are very good at ensuring the safety of people moving along the porch. But most often, the railings of street stairs are complemented by vertical balusters. Such structural elements are almost always used, for example, on wooden porches. The distance between the balusters, according to the SNiP standards, should not be more than 15 cm.
In private homes, this rule, of course, is also optional. However, in the event that there are small children in the house, installing balusters, of course, is more often. Only such a porch fence can ensure the safety of the child. Balusters on the stairsin this case, they are placed closer so that, firstly, the child does not fall, and secondly, he cannot stick his head between these elements and get stuck.
At what distance from the edge of the stairs are installed
If the porch was assembled on stringers, the distance to the edge of the steps from the porch supports does not really matter. However, if the street staircase was mounted on bowstrings, it is still worth installing the railing away from the edges of the march. This will provide additional security for people moving up the stairs.
When moving along the porch, a person usually tries to stay close to the railing. If the fence is located at the very edge of the march, the leg of a person moving up the stairs can simply slide down (and especially with a large distance between the balusters), which will lead to injury. Both the metal porch railing and the wooden one should be located away from the edge.
Handrail Safety Requirements
As already mentioned, this element of the porch design is most often made of wood. Of course, for the handrails of the street stairs, you should use only pre-finished timber or board, sanded with fine sandpaper.
The handrail should be attached to the supports by means of the lower tie-in of the latter. Bolts are usually screwed into this structural element from below. Sometimes, when assembling, for example, the simplest porches of outbuildings, a handrail can be attached to bolts or nails from above. In this case, the caps of the fasteners, of course, needsink into wood. Otherwise, a person climbing the porch may injure his hand on them.
