There is no better option than a staircase on a concrete base for a house or a multi-level apartment. It is strong, durable and easy to use. Of the shortcomings, only one should be noted - the unattractive appearance of concrete, from which officialdom emanates. But such a flaw is easy to deal with by lining the stairs with wood. In addition, walking on concrete steps that do not always correspond to a single size standard is not very convenient. Even if outwardly such a feature is invisible, then with a difference in height, albeit a small one (2-3 mm), the rhythm of walking goes astray. And it's easy to get injured.
Because the decision is only the only correct one - facing the stairs with wood, which helps not only to improve the appearance, but also to bring the structure to the desired state, using only this material for this. It can be any species, as wood is durable and strong, and, among other advantages, gives the interior an atmosphere of home comfort.
What will be needed during the work?
To complete the cladding of stairs with wood, you will have to prepare:
- wooden boards;
- plywood sheets;
- 8mm bolts (diameter);
- epoxy;
- glue;
- grinder;
- cement;
- putty;
- spatula;
- primer;
- grinder;
- building level.
What to look for when getting started?
Before cladding a metal staircase with wood or a concrete monolithic structure, the width of the steps and the height of all risers must be equalized. They do this by following a simple instruction:
- Measure the details and make the necessary calculations.
- The steps are cleaned of dust and dirt.
- In places of irregularities, formwork is built and the previously cleaned surface is poured with concrete mortar.
- In order to avoid crumbling of the edges of the steps, it is recommended to carry out their ironing while the concrete has not yet hardened. To do this, dry cement is gently rubbed into the surface of the mortar that has not yet hardened. After complete drying, this surface is exceptionally durable.
- Next, the design is left to dry. It is good if the staircase remains unsheathed for the entire heating season. During this time, all the processes of shrinkage and adhesion of the material will have time to occur. Although, if you need urgent work, you can limit yourself to 2-3 months.
What to consider when working with concrete?
If it is necessary to pour a fairly large volume of concrete, it is worth using additional strengthening of the structure due to the use of special reinforcing elements. You can also use regular wire for this. And you can go the easy way and, having drilled several holes up to 2 centimeters deep in the surface of the steps of the stairs, fix metal spikes in them. Experts recommend fastening with epoxy or conventional cement mortar.
How to approach the selection of material for cladding stairs with wood?
While the concrete is curing, take care of the selection of lumber. Cut the board to the required size, adjusting it in width and length, cutting off on both sides and making sure that each of the products is equal to the previous one. Having received the same boards, you will not worry about their further refinement. Already trimmed blanks should be dried additionally by placing the products in a dry place, protected from direct sunlight, with good ventilation.
Sequence of works
After the concrete base is prepared and the board is dry, you can start processing the surface of the concrete base of the stairs, starting from the lowest step. Step finishing instructions are as follows:
- Punch a few holes in the riser, trying to place them symmetrically. The number of holes depends on the width of the staircase itself.
- Insert the bolts into the holes and press the riser as hard as possible againstthe base of the structure. This will help you easily and quickly mark the surface of the concrete riser so that you can immediately understand where the holes are to be drilled.
- After making the grooves, insert the fasteners into them. Please note that fasteners are often set on epoxy, but the variety of these types of products on the market allows the use of more modern self-expanding models of anchors or dowels.
- Before you finally fix the wood cladding, you should take care of organizing a special waterproofing substrate between the concrete and the wood slab. As such a material, plywood sheets or other material suitable for such purposes can be used. It is recommended to put the substrate and fasten it together with the wooden coating with metal spikes, this will provide greater strength and reliability of the structure. This kind of fastening will help to make the steps stationary and as safe as possible.
What to remember and note for yourself?
Remember that when lining stairs with wood, you must constantly monitor the thickness of the products and double-check the horizontalness of their location. Having received steps that differ in height, you can always adjust the workpieces before direct installation.
Experts recommend using special templates for work to help reduce wood waste. Such patterns from plywood will help to cut out a wooden overlay on a step along the outlined contours faster and more accurately.
What is to be done at the finalstage and what about the finishing?
The work process described above is carried out with each step of the monolithic staircase until you reach the end. Each of the steps must be sheathed according to the described scheme, and then connect the cladding to each other, making the structure unified.
In this work, the use of nails is not recommended, it is better to take wooden studs for connection. So you will be able to keep the ideal dimensions of the stairs as close to ideal as possible. Having de alt with the skin one hundred percent, thoroughly clean the resulting surfaces.
To perform such work, you will need to use such a technical unit as a grinder, and the processing of a monolithic staircase covered with wood is recommended to be carried out in several stages.
Having coped with this task, clean the surface of dust and dirt, seal all cracks, possible chips and holes in the fasteners with putty. For such purposes, it is recommended to buy a special composition for wood processing. As soon as the surface is completely dry, impregnate it with a special anti-parasitic compound, which will protect the tree from destruction by possible pests.
Painting or…
At the last stage, the question arises: to paint or varnish the surface of wooden steps. Usually they do this with wood - they paint or coat it with paintwork materials, but in the modern world, other methods of finishing work are gaining popularity, which make the cladding more beautiful. For example,the wood treated with stain fully conveys the texture and spectacular pattern. Such an impregnation is quickly absorbed, dries quickly, and the surface itself looks rich.
With some creativity, you can achieve a stunning effect that conveys the beautiful internal structure of the wood chosen for facing the steps. Just armed with an ordinary comb, on the surface of a stained step, you can create an interesting pattern that any designer will envy.
Features of the process and the price of the issue
It is not as difficult as it might seem at first glance to complete the cladding of stairs with wood. As you have noticed in the process of studying the article, the time costs and material consumption are not voluminous. If, according to the two previous factors, the arrangement of an aesthetic appearance is low-cost, then the cost of facing the stairs with wood is quite decent. Based on the analysis of prices for this kind of work, we can conclude that the amount for finishing a concrete base with wood paneling will cost no less than 75,000 rubles, and the final amount depends on the execution technology, species and class of the selected wood.
In addition: carved railings can be used as the finishing element of the concrete staircase cladding with wood, which will effectively complement the picture.
As you can see, cladding stairs with wood is an interesting topic. The more responsibly you approach this issue, the better will beresult. I would like to say right away that the wooden coating for the stairs, especially from valuable and durable durable wood species, is an expensive pleasure, but the result is worth it. Moreover, not only your children and grandchildren, but also their descendants will be able to use the structure.
