Building stairs is a responsible task that you can do yourself. This design should be as comfortable, aesthetic and safe as possible during operation. All these requirements are met by a properly constructed concrete staircase. How to create this design with your own hands will be discussed later.
Advantages of concrete construction
Concrete stairs in private homes (photo below) are durable and durable. They look aesthetically pleasing and neat. Therefore, such structures are equipped both inside and outside the house. Concrete is one of the best materials for creating stairs. It is not subject to the negative effects of wind, rain, snow, temperature changes, etc. At the same time, concrete is not afraid of mechanical stress.
Concrete staircase blends harmoniously with different types of facade finishes. In this case, the structure can be of different heights. It can serve as a porch or provide access to the second floor orattic. You can also use this material to create a descent to the basement.
Monolithic concrete staircase does not loosen. Therefore, it withstands high dynamic loads. The stairs will not creak. This is a sustainable design. Concrete can be used to create different structures. They differ in configuration and design.
Concrete staircase in the house is a fireproof material. It does not change its characteristics and does not emit harmful components even when exposed to high temperatures. It can be lined with various decorative materials. There are different options for creating a staircase design. The choice depends on the features of operation and the taste preferences of the owners of the house.
Varieties
Concrete stairs (pictured below) may differ in construction type. They can be monolithic or combined. In the first case, the entire staircase is made of cement mortar. Combined varieties have a metal frame. It serves as a fastener for steps made of concrete. Each step is made of cement, poured into the prepared formwork.
The shape of the stairs can be straight (with one or more marches), as well as spiral. They are difficult to manufacture. The simplest staircase is a straight single-flight design, which is installed between two walls. Such, for example, may be the descent into the basement. In this case, it is not necessary to manufacture the end elements of the structure separately. Steps are fixed directly towall.
It is more difficult to install such a ladder if it rests on only one wall. In this case, you will need to additionally manufacture the side part. You can create such varieties of construction that do not rely on walls at all. They have two ends. Such a staircase rests only on the upper and lower floors of the room.
Concrete stairs in the house to the second floor may consist of two or even more marches. Here you will need to create special spans. This is a rather complicated system that novice masters rarely equip.
The most complex structure is the spiral staircase. However, it looks more effective than the other options. To build such a staircase, an irregular formwork is created. It is quite difficult to make it. This is a special system of many curvilinear shields. It will take a lot of effort and time to tie such a frame.
Choice of elevation angle
Concrete stairs to the second floor, to the basement or to the porch must be properly calculated. To do this, you need to create a design plan. It must be calculated correctly. First you need to measure the free space that will be allotted for construction.
Next, a drawing is created. The dimensions of the room or platform on the street where the steps will be created are transferred to it. Next, measure how long the ladder should be. You also need to determine the type of construction that you plan to create on your own in a private house. The cost of such a design depends on its complexity, as well asdimensions.
In the process of creating a staircase plan, you must comply with all the requirements of building standards and regulations. It is necessary to correctly calculate the width and angle of inclination of the structure, choose the appropriate number of steps. At the same time, they take into account whether moving along such a ladder will be comfortable. It is also important to think over the fence, decide whether marches are required for such a system. In this case, it is important to consider all the details.
First of all, determine the angle of inclination of the stairs. It should not be too flat so as not to take up much space. It is also unacceptable to create too steep a climb. This is inconvenient and unsafe. If the staircase is inside the house, it should have an angle of 25-45º.
If the angle of inclination of the structure is 35º, the span will have a length of 4.3 m. This is an average. With a steeper descent, you can create a ladder 3 m long (angle of inclination is 45º). The consumption of concrete depends on this indicator. The difference between 25º and 45º design is 2.3 times.
Choosing step dimensions
When creating a concrete staircase plan with your own hands, you need to correctly calculate the dimensions and number of steps. There are certain standards on how to choose their size. It is considered optimal if the step height is from 16 to 20 cm. At the same time, the width of the steps can be from 27 to 30 cm. Experts say that these rules should not be neglected. If you make the step rise higher (more than 22 cm), it will be difficult to go up and down them. If there are elderly people in the house, you need to make steps of the minimum allowable height (16 cm).
If you make steps lower than 15 cm, it will also be inconvenient. Walking too fast is tiring. When lifting, you will have to make more movements. For children, this step size is quite suitable. However, when choosing the rise of steps, the requirements of all the people who live in the house must be taken into account.
The width of the steps is also regulated by the standards. Their width cannot be less than 25 cm. Otherwise, the foot will not fully rest on the surface and will begin to slide off. Moving along such a structure would be unsafe. If you make the step width more than 32 cm, a person will need to take a wider step when moving up the stairs. It also causes some discomfort.
Standard requirements
How to make a concrete staircase, indicate the relevant building standards. They stipulate the correct choice of the size of the steps, the rise and the angle of the stairs. If it is planned to equip the stairs in the house, it should have a width of 80 cm. You can increase this figure to 1 m if a lot of people live in the cottage and, perhaps, they will go down and up the stairs at the same time. Be sure to include railings in the design.
If a mid-flight staircase is being equipped, the number of steps must be at least 3 pieces, and a maximum of 17 pieces. If they need to be done more, a two-march design is created. Between them there should be a platform. Otherwise, the operation of such a building will be unsafe. If a person stumblesand falls, he will be seriously injured. It is better to make a small number of steps, separating them with spans.
It should also be noted that the number of steps must be odd. Studies have shown that people are more comfortable starting with one foot and finishing with the other. In this case, all steps must be the same height. Otherwise, you can stumble. When lifting and descending, the muscles of the legs remember at what height the movement was made. In this case, the weight is transferred taking into account the previous step height. Even with a difference of 2 cm in this level, a person can stumble and get seriously injured.
It is also worth saying that a concrete staircase must have a railing. Balusters are installed under them. These structural elements are additional supports for the railing. When finishing a concrete staircase, you need to create the correct distance between the balusters. If there are children in the house, these structural elements are installed at a distance of 10-15 cm from each other. Otherwise, the operation of the stairs by children becomes unsafe.
Preparation for formwork assembly
Stairs on a concrete base can only be built after all necessary calculations have been made. In accordance with the pan, the required amount of materials is purchased. Formwork is also created according to this drawing. Cement mortar will be poured into it.
Formwork assembly is the most difficult stage of work. The result of the work depends on the correctness of its implementation. This process takes a lot of time and effort. If we allowmistake at this stage, the consequences will be dire.
To make formwork, you need to prepare the boards. They should be 3 cm wide. You can also use waterproof plywood for this purpose. Its thickness should be approximately 1.5 cm. Such material is used for arranging the formwork of the bottom of the stairs, as well as flanging, risers.
If you want to create curved structural elements, you should prepare waterproof plywood with a thickness of 0.6-0.9 cm. Boards with a thickness of 5 cm are useful for supports. They can be replaced with support bars with a section of 10x10 cm. They are also used to create connections plywood sheets. Fixation of materials is carried out with the help of corners, self-tapping screws.
When choosing materials for formwork, you need to pay attention to the appearance of the surface of the boards or plywood. It must be perfectly smooth. The same will be the surface of the concrete after it hardens. Such a staircase does not need finishing. It is created only for decorative purposes (if desired by the owners of the house). To achieve this result, the internal surfaces of the formwork must be sanded with high quality before assembly. For smooth plywood, this step is not required.
Creating formwork
The concrete staircase is assembled from the bottom up. First you need to mount the formwork. Start by installing its lower part. Dimensional boards are fastened with beams outside the formwork. From below, this structure is supported by supporting bars (one for each step). Self-tapping screws are used for fixing.
Side sectionsstructures must be limited to flanging from plywood or boards. From the outside, it is also reinforced with bars. After that, reinforcement is carried out. For this, metal rods with a cross section of 10 mm are used. They are laid along and across the structure, tying the reinforcement with wire. The net should be 2-3 cm from the bottom.
Next, install plywood to create risers. Sheets are attached to the flanging with metal corners. All joints must be coated with concrete mortar. When it dries, the surface is leveled with a grinder.
Cement mortar pouring
Finishing a concrete staircase may not be required if the formwork is properly assembled for it and poured in accordance with existing requirements. For this, cement grades from M200 and above are used. The composition necessarily includes crushed stone. The fraction should be 1-2 cm in size.
Filling starts from the bottom step. 2-3 formwork compartments are filled with cement. Next, the material must be compacted. For this you need to use special equipment. Part of the concrete in this case will be squeezed out of the formwork. It needs to be moved up or down. The top of the steps must be smoothed out with a trowel. The procedure is carried out to the very top of the formwork. Next, the concrete is covered with a film and its surface is periodically moistened.
Formwork removal
In the process of creating a concrete staircase, you must follow all the building rules and recommendations of specialists. They argue that the formwork must be removed correctly. This procedure is carried out in several stages.
7 days after pouringcement remove the flanging and boards from the steps. This is done very carefully so as not to damage the structure. If it is clear that the concrete is still wet, the formwork elements must not be removed. In places where the boards will be removed, the surface is polished with a grinder.
Supports should only be removed 22-27 days after the concrete has been poured. If this is done too soon, the structure may collapse. The bottom of the stairs should also be well sanded.
Finish
Finishing a concrete staircase in a house can be done using different materials. It can be wood, laminate, tile. Porcelain stoneware and artificial stone are also used for these purposes. You can cover the surface of the stairs with carpet. The surface of the structure must be perfectly flat so that the decorative materials look spectacular and are properly mounted.
If the surface is not smooth enough, bumps or pits may appear. Materials will not adhere tightly to the surface. To avoid this, the surface of the steps must be carefully sanded. If necessary, plaster is applied. It is also applied to the ends. These surfaces are subsequently covered with a layer of paint.
Having considered what types of concrete stairs are, as well as delving into the features of their installation, you can create a similar design in your own home.
