Stairs and railings are an important element of interiors for various purposes: private and public, as well as a visually and functionally significant detail of entrance areas, facades or even entire landscapes. In addition to the fact that such structures are often decisive in the architectural image of a room or an entire building, they are subject to special requirements for reliability and durability.
Stainless steel handrail or all railings made using similar rolled metal of various sections and sizes are of the highest aesthetic and constructive qualities.
Handrail as a structural detail
The railings of flights of stairs, railings of balconies or open interfloor openings at the top usually end with a smooth, easy-to-grip bar or pipe - a handrail. Where the march is limited to the wall, handrails are arranged, which are mounted at a distance from the surface of the wall to facilitate the ascent and descent of the stairs.
In any case: whether the handrail is part of the fence or mounted as a separate element - special requirements are imposed on it. It takes the main load from a person walking up the steps or leaning on the top of the fence. Therefore, it must have high strength, reliable fastening to vertical supports or to the wall. In addition, the size and shape of the handrail should be comfortable to grip, and its surface should not create obstacles for the hand to slide. A stainless steel handrail meets these requirements like no other.
Use of metal in stair case
The use of metal for the manufacture of stairs and railings has a long history. Steel is used in the form of load-bearing structural elements - inclined stringers to which steps are attached, or in the form of separate segments that allow you to assemble a march of any configuration. Without metal, it is impossible to assemble a ladder on the bolts - one of the most popular types of structures today. Classic-style stairs are often decorated with forged or cast railing elements.
In order for the metal in the stairs to work for a long time, without losing strength and decent appearance, it is necessary to consider ways to protect it from the effects of the external environment, especially if metal structures are intended to be used outdoors. Today there are many different weather-resistant paints and coatings that do not lose high quality for a long time. But most oftenthe need to periodically renew the coating remains, which leads to an increase in the cost of operating such building elements. Handrails and railings made of stainless steel do not have these disadvantages.
The advantages of stainless steel
If a special alloying element is added to iron when smelting steel, the resulting alloy acquires special qualities. If chromium is used as such an additive and its amount is 13 percent or more, the steel becomes resistant to corrosion and is called stainless steel. This alloy retains the best structural qualities of steel - high strength and ductility, while acquiring new advantages - weather resistance and durability.
The ability to take almost any shape and excellent surface quality, which lasts a very long time, made stainless steel moldings the most popular material for the manufacture of stairs and railings. Stainless steel handrails, stairs, which use a combination of this material with glass, are especially in demand where there is a heavy load and high traffic - in shopping centers, stadiums, swimming pools, cinemas, etc.
The use of various unified elements for the assembly of such elements, the development of technologies for the processing and installation of enclosing and load-bearing structures made of stainless steel have made another significant advantage - affordable cost. Stainless steel handrails, which at first look overpriced compared to ferrous metal, later becomethe most economical option due to ease and manufacturability of installation, convenience and durability.
Aesthetic virtues
When talking about architectural and design products made of stainless steel, most often they mean metal structures with a polished surface. The high-quality stainless steel handrail has an almost mirror-like light reflectance, which eliminates even microscopic scratches and damage. This is achieved by various polishing methods, ranging from manual and mechanical to electrochemical and plasma. Their meaning is in the surface melting of the metal, as a result of which all, even the most microscopic defects are eliminated. In addition to expressive modern appearance, this surface is very easy to clean and maintain.
The stainless steel railing with a mirror surface, due to its reflectivity, does not look bulky even with a high saturation of metal structural elements.
Where, for aesthetic or functional reasons, it is necessary to avoid excess shine, matting or satin is used. As a result of processing the metal surface with an air jet containing sand, glass beads or other abrasive, a lot of tiny dots and scratches are obtained. At the same time, it is important to choose such a depth of processing so that there are no recesses that can trap dirt. The brushed stainless steel handrail provides a more pleasant tactile experience - it does notso cold to the touch, which is especially important for railings and handrails.
Types of handrails by location
The most popular type of handrail is located at the top of stair railings. Such a design can be attached to the side, to the longitudinal end of the march or on vertical balusters mounted on the edge of the tread. Such a handrail is especially often combined into a single element passing through several floors, which especially increases the overall structural rigidity. Stainless steel railing with a 50 mm diameter pipe handrail is the most commonly used design for installation on balconies and along the edge of openings in large atriums. The protection of window and other openings often looks like this.
Stainless steel wall railing is often used when the pipe is mounted on special curved brackets extending from the wall. This method of fastening allows you to provide a comfortable grip by hand, reliable support when climbing and, no less important, when descending stairs. The usual height of such a handrail from the floor or the surface of the steps is 900, the thickness is 50 mm. In public buildings, a children's handrail is also in demand, installed at a height of 0.5 m, no more than 40 mm thick.
Prefabricated fences
Modern stainless steel railings are mounted in two main ways. The most economical option is assembly from prefabricated kits. The handrail in this case is assembled from straight pipe sections of the desired diameter withfinished - ground or polished - surface. For mounting the handrail into a single structure, connectors are used - double-sided tubular elements having a thickness equal to the inner diameter of the pipes. The connectors have a bulge that fills the seam at the junction of two handrail segments. Depending on the situation, plugs or curved bends are placed along the cut of the pipe, connecting the handrails on different floors.
Connectors of another type are sleeves with oval edges, into the holes of which the handrail pipes of the desired length are inserted. This type of connection is less comfortable, since the hand, when moving along the handrail, encounters a small obstacle at the joints. To install the handrail, special holders and pins are used, often with hinges, which allows you to set the handrail at the right angle to the line of motion.
Stainless steel railing kits include special mounting hardware to fill the space between uprights. These can be railing holders - thin pipes of small diameter (usually 10-16 mm) or metal cables. If the fence is planned to be transparent, various types of glass holders have been developed.
Connection of components for handrails or railings is done with special glue or screws. A more reliable, but more time-consuming and expensive method is welded.
Weld joint
For handrails and railings made of high-grade stainless steel or complex design, welding with special electrodes or argon is used. The handrail, mounted in this way, is a rigid, durablea structure that looks, compared to the national team, more solid, without unnecessary fragmentation.
For the structural strength and high aesthetics of a welded handrail, you have to pay a higher price. It consists of the need to attract skilled labor and special equipment. More precise cutting of moldings and careful processing of joints, followed by grinding and polishing of welds, are needed.
Handrails for the disabled
Pipes of various sections and sizes made of stainless steel are an indispensable material for providing comfort for people with limited mobility - the disabled, children and the elderly. Handrails for the disabled in stainless steel can be of various types and designs:
- Flip-down handrails for sanitary facilities (bathroom and toilet rooms), allowing you to sit down and get up comfortably and safely.
- Stationary support rails for toilets and bathtubs, supports for washbasins to prevent leaning on the sink.
- Single and double-level handrails on stairs and ramps for safe ascent and descent.
- Support wall rails in corridors and walk-throughs.
Special requirements for the strength of connections are imposed on such equipment. Fastening of such interior elements should be provided only to load-bearing walls and ceilings.
Value for money, reviews
Handrails and railings assembled from separate components - the most economical way to installstainless steel railings. The right choice of a manufacturer of such fittings is important here, since today the market is saturated with products that only imitate high-quality metal.
According to experts and users, the optimal steel grade for fencing is AISI 201 Prima: at a lower cost, its anti-corrosion properties allow the product to maintain its high functional and aesthetic qualities for a very long time. For swimming pools and bath complexes, it is better to choose AISI 304 Super, which can successfully counteract the high temperature and humidity of the environment and come into contact with water.
The cost of finished handrails and fences depends on the manufacturer, volume, design, installation methods. A wall-mounted stainless steel handrail, the price of which starts at 1,500 rubles per linear meter, assembled from Chinese-made components, is the most inexpensive option. A double wall handrail made of a pipe with a diameter of 38 mm, with a distance of 45 mm from the wall, mounted on bent holders costs about 4000 rubles per meter.
Reviews that such elements of interior and exterior design are only suitable for shopping centers or large office spaces are inherent only to ordinary people. Among professional architects and designers, there is a belief that the potential of such a material allows it to be successfully used in residential premises, and with a great variety of styles.
