In suburban areas in our time, houses of 2-3 floors are quite often built. In such buildings, interfloor stairs are also mandatory installed. In most cases, such structures are made of wood. They are mounted using not too complicated technology. The structural elements of wooden stairs are assembled from timber and thick boards using reliable fasteners.
Main varieties
Wooden stairs installed in country cottages, among other things, may differ in design. The most common varieties are:
- marching;
- screw.
The first type of stairs is the most popular among owners of private cottages. Structures of this type may consist of one or more marches separated by interfloor platforms. The advantages of stairs of this variety include, first of all, ease of use. At the same time, such structures look very solid andpresentable. Best of all, such stairs are suitable for classic interiors, as well as designed in country style, Provence, etc.
Screw structures are assembled around one vertical support. Such stairs are mounted in country houses that do not have a very large area. In operation, spiral staircases are less convenient than marching ones. But at the same time, they take up very little space in the house, and also look original in the interior. Such designs are considered suitable for houses decorated in modern style, high-tech, minimalism, etc.
The main structural elements of a wooden staircase
The owners of country houses can also install interfloor stairs with their own hands. The main elements of their design are:
- steps;
- supports;
- railing with handrails.
Also, when assembling stairs, interfloor platforms can be installed in some cases.
What are supports
For spiral staircases, including wooden ones, this element is mounted, as already mentioned, vertically. It can be made from a bar, a thick pole or a log of not too large a section. Mid-flight stairs, in turn, are assembled using two types of supports. Beams of such structures can serve as stringers or bowstrings. The last type of supports is the most popular among the owners of country cottages.
Kosoura of wooden stairs - structural elements made from boards according tospecial template. In this case, markings are applied to the lumber at the location of the steps.
The string of interfloor stairs is also made from boards. In this case, the cutting of the supports themselves is not performed. Short bars are attached to the boards according to the previously made markings (on the corners or in the grooves). It is they who in the future will serve as supports for the steps. This type of do-it-yourself support ladder beams will, of course, be easier to make than stringers.
What steps are made of
This structural element of stairs, in turn, consists of:
- tread;
- risers.
Both of these parts are made from boards. Treads are an indispensable element of any interfloor staircase. It is on them that the human leg rests when lifting up or going down. For the manufacture of this part of the march, it is supposed to use a board with a thickness of at least 3 cm.
Risers - elements in the design of wooden stairs are optional. Assembling a march without using them can significantly reduce the cost of work. However, stairs with risers still look more solid and psychologically reliable. For the manufacture of such elements, a board 2-2.5 cm thick is usually used.
Attach steps to stringers or bowstrings using bolts only. Self-tapping screws are not used for this purpose. When using such fasteners during operation, the steps of the stairs will definitely loosen. Sometimes when assembling this part of the march, additionallyapplied and glue.
Interfloor platforms
In wooden stairs, the frame of this element is usually assembled from a bar with a cross section of 100x100 mm. Interfloor platforms are sheathed in most cases with a board of the same thickness as the tread.
Railing
This structural element of stairs, in turn, consists of:
- balusters or crossbars;
- handrail.
Such elements of a wooden staircase to the second or third floor, like railings, ensure, first of all, the safety of people moving along the march. It is mandatory to mount them when assembling a lifting structure installed in residential buildings. The only exception in this regard are attic stairs. Railings can be mounted on marches both on one side and on both sides. The first assembly option is used for ladders installed next to a wall and is the most popular.
Balusters or crossbars?
In most cases, wooden lifting structures in country houses are complemented by railings with balusters. This is the name given to vertical elements mounted along the entire length of the march at a small distance from each other. Balusters are attached to the steps of the march using studs. With self-production, you can also purchase ready-made elements for a wooden staircase of this type. For example, if you wish, you can buy a railing with curly carved balusters. But the simplest designs of this variety will not be difficult, of course, to make, includingDIY.
Crossbars in country houses in most cases are supplemented only by metal stairs. But sometimes such elements are also used in the assembly of wooden ones. Unlike balusters, crossbars are mounted in the railing parallel to the march and the handrail. Fences of this design are often additionally sheathed with transparent plastic or glass.
When assembling stairs, handrails are always made of board or timber. Such elements are complemented by both metal railings and wooden ones. After all, touching a tree when moving along a march is much more pleasant than touching metal. Of course, only finely sanded lumber is used for handrails.
Wooden stairs with forging elements
Such designs look very attractive and rich in the interior of the house. The beams and steps of this type of stairs are made of wood. Forged they usually have only railings.
To make such a ladder on your own will, of course, be quite difficult. In most cases, forged railings are still bought ready-made. But if you wish, you can, of course, try to make such a fence for a wooden staircase yourself. However, the owner of the house will have to spend extra money in this case. In hardware stores today you can find, among other things, a special tool designed for the manufacture of forged elements. Such equipment is quite expensive.
Below on the page is a photo of a wooden staircase with forged elements. Such designs look, as you can see, in fact, very impressive.
Installation steps: frame assembly
Next, let's see how to assemble a staircase from wooden elements with your own hands. The manufacture of such structures usually begins with markup. At the same time, a line for the location of the support beam is drawn on the wall. On the floor, mark the lower edge of the march. Stringers before assembling the stairs are cut according to the template, grooves are made in the bowstrings for the support bars.
Next, proceed to the assembly and installation of the frame of the inter-march platform. To do this, against the wall, under the door of the second floor, support posts from the bursa are installed. Next, they knock down the platform frame itself. At the next stage, the resulting frame is attached to the racks and to the wall under the door. Then sheathe the platform with a board. If necessary, two additional racks can be installed near the wall.
Final stage
The subsequent process of assembling an interfloor staircase is as follows:
- support bowstrings or stringers are attached with the upper end to the platform frame, and the lower end to the floor;
- installation of steps;
- railings being installed;
- the handrail is stuffed.
At the final stage, the wooden staircase is painted or covered with a transparent varnish. The latter design method is used when expensive lumber with a beautiful texture was chosen to assemble the lifting structure. Elements of wooden stairs made of pine or,for example, cheap spruce can also be varnished. But more often, such lifting structures are still painted.
Requirements of SNiP
Thus, how to assemble a ladder from wooden elements is understandable. In principle, the manufacture of such a design is not particularly difficult. However, the interfloor staircase, including those assembled by oneself, of course, must first of all be safe for movement and comfortable. When installing such structures, it is mandatory, among other things, to comply with certain SNiP standards.
When assembling an interfloor staircase, first of all, you need to maintain the correct angle of inclination. When choosing this indicator, it should be taken into account that, according to the SNiP standards, it should not be less than 30 and more than 45 degrees.
Also, when assembling the stairs, the following requirements must be taken into account:
- height from the march to the ceiling vertically at all points should not be less than 2 m;
- the march must have a minimum of 3 and a maximum of 18 steps;
- maximum step width - 25 cm, height - 22 cm;
- all steps on the stairs must be the same size;
- railings should not be less than 90 cm high.
If there is a small child in the house, the balusters in the railing should be placed in increments of no more than 15 cm. This will eliminate the possibility that the baby can stick his head between them and get stuck. In all other casesbalusters should be placed in increments of no more than 30 cm from each other. This will minimize the risk of falling from the march of people moving along it.
To finish the steps of a wooden staircase, of course, you should not, among other things, use slippery materials, for example, the same linoleum. It is better to leave the steps simply painted or cover the march with a carpet. Also, the staircase in a country house should be well lit. On the wall along the entire march, be sure to hang sconces or lamps. Interfloor platforms, including in private houses, are usually equipped next to the window.
Pro Tips: The Safety Formula
The names of the elements of the wooden stairs to the owners of a country house who decide to assemble a similar structure with their own hands, of course, you should definitely know. This will make it easy to understand any scheme and create your own exact project.
When installing stairs, including wooden ones, of course, you should take into account all kinds of advice from professionals. In this case, the assembly work can be done as quickly and efficiently as possible.
For the construction of a wooden staircase, lumber elements, for example, are supposed to be used only well-dried. Experienced craftsmen advise choosing timber and a board without knots, thick enough and with a moisture content of no more than 12-15%. When designing stairs, professionals also recommend that you take into account the safety formula:
2h + s=600–630 mm, where h is the step height and s is its width
Marches in home stairsIt is worth, among other things, to make it wide enough. In any case, they should not be already 90-100 cm. Otherwise, it will be difficult for two people living in the house to disperse on the stairs - going down and going up.
If there are small children in the house, experienced craftsmen also advise equipping the railing with additional handrails located at a lower height than the main ones.
A few more recommendations
Glass elements of stairs are recommended to be fixed using elastic gaskets. This can significantly extend their service life. At the same time, all glass elements of the stairs should be mounted so that they can be easily replaced if necessary.
In specialized stores today you can buy almost any component parts for wooden stairs. In a house with their use, it will be possible to assemble a lifting structure as quickly as possible. However, for those owners of suburban residential buildings who want to reduce the cost of installing stairs, it is, of course, better to make them with their own hands. At the same time, it is better to assemble the main elements of the stairs not directly in the room where it will be installed, but in the workshop or, for example, in the utility block. This will protect floors and interior items from damage.
