Options for stair railings in a private house. Use of metal railings for stairs in home decoration

Railings for stairs made of metal are often made by home craftsmen on their own. You can make such designs with your own hands with a minimum level of skills, using a standard set of tools.

The fences for stair structures that interest us are very common at the present time. There are many reasons for this. And the main advantages of metal railings include the following facts:

High wear resistance and strength. These characteristics provide the required level of safety when moving up the stairs. Due to the increased strength properties, metal products can be manufactured with compact dimensions, which distinguishes them favorably from more bulky stone and wooden fences.
Ease of processing on various machines. Metal blanks are subjected to even very complex plastic deformations without destroying their structure. Thanks to this, it becomes possible to create sophisticated decorative elements for stair structures.
Excellent technology. Metal enclosing structures are made by hand in living conditions. It is allowed to connect their individual parts into a single structure by means of an electric arc manual welding, clamps, threaded connections.

Metal railings for stair structures

Railings for stairs made of metal, in addition, do not need expensive constant maintenance, and their surfaces can be given a very original look using their own version finishing. Most often, for such purposes, the following methods are used: polishing with abrasive materials; painting with powder and conventional oil compositions; galvanic anodizing to obtain nickel or chrome surfaces; matting (otherwise called satin) on special sandblasting units.

Optionally, all finishing options metal products actually do it by hand. The disadvantage of metal fences is only their susceptibility to rust. But this problem is easy to deal with. Now there are several effective technologies that can reliably protect the described railing for stairs from corrosion.

For production metal structures stainless and carbon steels, brass and bronze alloys, aluminum, cast iron are used. With your own hands, you can make a railing for or in front of the entrance to a residential building from all of the indicated materials, with the exception of cast iron. There are several reasons. Cast iron is difficult to weld, it has a lot of weight, which necessitates the construction of stairs with massive spans. And in private houses, such designs look rather ridiculous, unless, of course, you are the happy owner of a huge mansion.

With aluminum structures, these problems do not arise. Alloys of this light metal without problems processed by hand. They are characterized by low weight and quite attractive appearance. True, not everyone likes the dull glow of aluminum products. Correcting such a situation is almost impossible. The method of anodizing aluminum structures is expensive and impossible to do at home, and such railings cannot be painted.

aluminum structure for stairs

Stainless steel stair railings are recommended for installation outside the home. They are not subject to rust. On the street they will look great. But inside residential buildings, stainless steel structures do not look very nice, as they give the house some formality. This does not contribute to creating a comfortable environment. Do-it-yourself stainless steel processing is possible. But you will have to put a lot of effort into welding such products and drilling holes in them for installing fasteners. These operations are time-consuming, require the home craftsman to have special equipment and tools, as well as quite serious practical skills.

The easiest way is to make your own metal railings from ordinary carbon steel. This material can be forged and bent with a simple manual pipe bender. Steel fences for interior or can be easily decorated for any exterior or interior using suitable technology their surface treatment (nickel plating techniques, application of modern polymer coatings or chrome plating).

Handrails made of copper-based alloys are rarely used in everyday life. There is only one reason for this - the high cost of brass and bronze products. In most cases, these designs are made to order.

Metal railings are made using different technologies. We briefly describe them below:

Stamped railings. Their production is carried out in molds and on stamps. The advantage of finished products is the possibility of selection for any style of architecture.
Forged railings. Outwardly beautiful and elegant designs that can really be done independently, provided that home master has a machine for performing the cold forging operation.
Prefabricated products for stairs. They are made of stainless and ordinary steel, as well as aluminum alloys, using flanges, angles, tubes and other parts prepared in advance for this purpose. Such work is done by hand. Finished structures easy to install and dismantle if necessary, as their weight is minimal.
Cast fences. Usually they are ordered in special workshops. They are made of bronze and cast iron. Cast structures are ideal for decorating large front stairs.
Welded railings. The most popular among home craftsmen. They are made from alloyed and carbon steels, they are connected into a single structure by welding in an atmosphere of carbon dioxide or argon, as well as electric welding.

Manufacture of metal railings

Also, for the manufacture of homemade railings for stairs, it is allowed to use several at once. different materials. The originals can make railings with wood handrails, a metal frame and glass infill. Such designs are distinguished by aesthetics.

Structurally, railings consist of handrails, balusters and filling parts. Each of these elements has its own purpose. Balusters are inclined or strictly vertical racks. They are supports for other elements of the railing. Between themselves, the balusters are connected by handrails, which also serve as a support for the hands of a person moving up the stairs.

Infill elements are solid, vertical, and horizontal. They are placed between the balusters. The task of filling parts is to make the staircase more attractive in terms of unusual decor and ensure the safety of using the stairs. If you plan to make metal fences with your own hands, be sure to study the requirements for their key geometric parameters. They are:

the optimal cross section of the handrails is 50 mm;
recommended railing height - 90-100 cm;
the gap between the wall and the wall handrail - 10-20 cm;
the distance between individual balusters is 10–15 cm.

Staircase balusters

Important point! Railings are required to withstand a load of at least 100 kg per meter of railing without any problems. Only if this rule is observed, the complete safety of their operation is guaranteed. There are other requirements for railings. Their handrails must be solid, without potentially dangerous burrs and sharp corners. It is desirable to make these railing elements for stairs with rounded shapes. Experts say that such handrails are the most convenient for a person.

At the design stage of the railing, the recommendations given should be taken into account, as well as the materials used and their quantity should be determined. It is imperative to prepare a drawing of the fence and perform competent detailing of all its parts. Construction work metal railings with your own hands, you can start after you stock up on all the necessary tools and accessories. These include screwdrivers building level, a welding unit and electrodes, a screwdriver, a pipe bender, a grinder saw, a tape measure, a drilling desktop machine or an electric drill.

First you need to make balusters. Take pipes of the required dimensions and in the right amount, focusing on the drawing, which indicates the total number of balusters, and weld metal flanges to their ends. The latter are made from 4-5 mm sheet steel. Several holes must be made in each flange (3-4). They are designed to attach balusters to stairs. Drill holes on desktop machine or an electric drill.

Attaching balusters to stairs

In the first case, it is allowed to process flanges as a set - put all the parts in one pile, mark the top workpiece and start the desktop drilling unit. The supporting elements of the structure are easy to manufacture from a 6-cm pipe in the outer section. It should be carefully cut off and marked (strictly according to the drawing) of the lower parts of the resulting products. A lot depends on the quality of the markup. If you do it incorrectly, during installation you will not be able to give the support a vertical position. It is optimal to trim the pipe on a turning unit, and then remove the chamfers on the supporting elements to ensure high-quality penetration of the racks.

Then weld flanges to the racks (at two points). Analyze the product for a gap (it should not be) and weld the rack in a circle. Now you can do the steps of the stairs. Mark them with a tape measure. In doing so, adhere to the following mandatory requirements: support element must be in the middle of the step; the distance between the racks is kept the same, its specific value depends on the total number of steps. Then you can proceed with the installation work.

First you need to place the extreme balusters. From the end of the flight of stairs they should be an equal distance apart. At this stage, be sure to check the vertical installation of the balusters with a level. Then pull two cords between the mounted supports. They should be placed 2-3 cm from the top and bottom ends of the balusters. Important! Cords should be located on one side of the supporting products. Now feel free to install the rest of the supports. The cords will be your reliable guide. And control the distance between the individual elements with a tape measure.

Installation of balusters of the enclosing structure

From the pipe used to make the racks, make handrails. In cases where there are several spans on the stairs, the edges of the tubular products must be connected to each other. Then the whole structure will get good level rigidity. If the structure consists of one span, the handrails from the edges can simply be bent down. The next step is of great importance for the safe use of the railing. You will need to qualitatively fit the supports (their upper parts) to the handrails. The easiest way to perform this operation is with a grinder saw. After fitting, there should be no gaps between the handrails and balusters.

Horizontal filling of the structure is carried out with half-inch pipe products. They are usually welded between the supports or placed on the side of the balusters. It is preferable to use the second method. It guarantees obtaining the required parallelism between the horizontal filling parts. You made the railing with your own hands. It remains only to sand them with sandpaper, and then carefully polish them.

In the production of stairs, it is impossible to ignore such important element structures like railings. This mandatory component of the stair railing performs several useful functions at once - it increases the safety and comfort of the system, and also gives the stair structure a finished aesthetic shape.

About what types of railings for stairs are the most popular today, as well as how to install them yourself, guided by the installation instructions, this article will tell further. Also presented to your attention great photos railings and a useful video on their own installation.

Handrails play an important role in the entire stair railing - they provide not only comfortable movement, but are also decorative element ladder construction

Railings for stairs in the house - classification by type

The railing is an element of the stair railing, which is responsible for the convenience and safety of a person's movement along the flights of stairs. In addition, the handrails are also a stylish, spectacular decoration of the stepped structure itself.

Today on construction market there is an incredible variety of ready-made railings for stairs in a private house

When designing a stair railing, you need to know what are the main types of railings that exist in the construction of these systems. Today, the most popular among consumers are the following types of handrails:

The most popular and more commonly used by developers are wooden, metal and forged railings. Let's talk about these types in more detail.

Forged railings are very spectacular, but only a professional craftsman can make them.

metal

Very often in country houses you can find stairs with metal railings. They are placed on stepped structures made of various materials- concrete, metal, wood, plastic and so on.

Fences made of stainless light metal have a lot of advantages - they are convenient, comfortable and cheap in price.

For the manufacture of metal fencing, the following types of metal are used:

steel;
aluminum;
cast iron;
brass and others.

Aluminum, for example, is good because it is not afraid of corrosion, and is also easy to install.

Aluminum handrails can be easily made by hand if available aluminum profile and all necessary tools

forged

Forged railings are openwork, weightless and very beautiful. However, only those craftsmen who are familiar with blacksmithing can make them. Therefore, if you are dreaming of exactly this type of stair railing in your home, then you will have to contact a professional craftsman in order to order these magnificent products.

Openwork and fabulously beautiful forged railings will make the staircase in the house the center of everyone's attention.

Wooden

The most common material for stair railing at all times was wood. Such popularity is due to the mass of unconditional advantages of this material, including:

environmental Safety;
beautiful natural view;
ease of handling and installation;
economic price;
long service life.

Wooden railings are most popular among developers, as they are more comfortable and beautiful. natural material difficult to find

In addition, wooden railings are unusually comfortable and pleasant to the touch. It is this material that is most preferable for making a fence with your own hands. Therefore, later in the article we will consider step by step instructions for installing wooden railings on your home stairs.

The main components of the fence

Before you start installing the railing with your own hands, you need to have an idea of what these parts are and what constituent elements they include.

Only those who have certain carpentry skills can make wooden railings with their own hands, it is much more convenient to purchase ready-made products in the store

So handrails wooden stairs consist of:

two main support posts;
baluster;
handrails;
decorative elements.

The photo below shows a diagram of the fence with the image of its main components.

Before proceeding with the installation of the railing with your own hands, study this diagram showing all the components of the stair railing

Do-it-yourself railing installation instructions

The whole process of installing natural wood handrails consists of the following basic steps:

Railing calculation.
Preparation of material and equipment.
Installation.
Decoration.

Let's consider each of these points in more detail.

Even such magnificent railings can be made with your own hands, if you apply maximum patience and effort to this.

Design

At the very beginning of the work, you should clearly imagine what the railing of your stairs should be like. Then sketch your vision on paper. In this case, you can also use ready-made design drawings, which are very numerous on the Internet.

Sketch the fence before installing it or use a ready-made drawing

It is important to remember that the height of the fence for its comfortable operation should not be lower than 90 centimeters.

After that, you can safely go to the nearest construction supermarket for the necessary accessories for the railing.

For all the necessary fencing components, go to the nearest building market

It should be noted that it is not at all necessary to buy wooden blanks, and then cut out handrails from them. Today in the construction market you can find a huge variety of various finished products. You can simply choose the ones you like the most.

Another railing idea for your staircase that you can use when installing

Preparation of components and tools

For more efficient work, make sure that all necessary accessories and the tools were at your fingertips.

So, to install the railing you will need:

electric drill with drills;
jigsaw;
screwdriver;
hacksaw;
Screwdriver Set;
hammer;
chisel;
building level.

In addition to tools, you definitely need to stock up on wooden railing blanks.

Installation

This stage is the most time-consuming and responsible. Follow this step-by-step guide to do it:

1. On the ladder structure, take measurements and make marks on the places where you will have racks. At the same time, remember the basic requirements for the railing:

2. We proceed to the installation of two supporting racks, for which we use a drill in the treads to make recesses (pits) up to 1 cm.

When installing balusters, follow certain standard requirements, including that the distance between the products should be at least 15 cm

3. Between the installed racks we stretch a fishing line or a rope, focusing on the markings made for the balusters.

4. We proceed to the installation of the balusters themselves, setting them evenly using a level.

Balusters can be the most diverse in shape and style, you can choose the one you like in the hardware store

5. At this step, we mark the railing and make holes in them for attaching to the balusters.

6. We screw the railing to the balusters.

This figure shows the principle of attaching the railing to the ladder system

decoration

At this final stage, we eliminate all the burrs and roughness that have arisen during installation with sandpaper or grinder. Then we cover the installed railings with varnish or paint with wood paint.

Be sure to complete the installation of the fence with decorative measures for the processing of handrails with varnish or paint

Video: do-it-yourself installation of a wooden handrail on a staircase

You can purchase beautiful and reliable stair structures with magnificent railings already installed in the Stairs Master online store at the lowest and most affordable prices in Moscow and the Moscow region.

In modern projects country houses often use intricate stairs and decorative parapets. The manufacture of a building envelope is not an easy task, requiring certain skills and construction tools from the performer.

The article describes the technologies for creating wooden and metal handrails, as well as recommendations for choosing a material for the manufacture of handrails.

Requirements for stair railings

The main function of the parapet is the safety of movement on the stairs. Moreover, the structural elements are an excellent decorative element that decorates the interior or exterior of the house. Railings and handrails must be made in compliance with the norms of SNiP:

Structural elements of the parapet

Any parapet that is equipped in a house or on a porch consists of the following structural elements.

Racks (balusters)- the main railing assembly, which receives most of the load when supported. Racks are fixed to the bowstring or steps. Balusters are placed on the stairs after a certain distance.

handrails- the top bar located above the balusters. It is on the handrail that the hand rests when moving on the stairs. This element must be resistant to abrasion. Therefore, when making a handrail for stairs with your own hands, you must carefully consider the choice of material. It is not advisable to use spruce, fir and larch - gaps and sharp delaminations may appear during operation. It is also advisable to refuse pine, poplar, aspen and linden, as these rocks are very soft and wear out quickly. Birch is not suitable for arranging stairs in a damp room - wood can bend under the influence of moisture.

Cabinet- a powerful rack installed at the base of the stairs. The ends of the handrails are attached to the pedestal.

To make the design attractive, they often use artistic content - these are elements located between the racks.

Important! There are also wall options railings attached directly to the wall. This design does not include the use of balusters and pedestals.

Types of handrails for stairs

Before you start creating a handrail and railing, you need to choose the most suitable option. All types of parapet can be classified according to the following criteria:

material of manufacture;
fastening method;
form.

Most often, the following materials are used for the manufacture of railings:

tree;
metal (wrought iron, aluminum, nickel-plated or chrome-plated pipes);
plastic and glass;
concrete.

The traditional material is wood. Great for arranging stairs inside the house. Wood has a unique texture and fills the room with comfort and warmth. The material is easy to process, so even a non-professional can make wooden handrails for handrails with their own hands. Additional benefits include:

high structural strength with proper calculation and installation;
environmental friendliness of the material - natural wood does not have a harmful effect on the human body;
comfort and safety.

Important! Unlike metal, wood does not heat up in the sun, and in frosty weather you cannot stick to it. This point is especially relevant for families with children.

No less popular are metal handrails and railings, which are characterized by increased reliability and durability. Such products look good both individually and in combination with other materials (wood, concrete). Ideal for street fencing.

Important! For the manufacture of a street handrail, only stainless metal should be used - this will eliminate the possibility of corrosive damage and preserve the original appearance of the structure.

Among the metal handrails, forged railings for stairs are considered the most valuable and beautiful. They give the interior and exterior of the building solidity and status. The staircase with forging elements will decorate any facade of the house. The only disadvantage of forging is the complexity of manufacturing. It is unlikely that you will be able to create a masterpiece on your own, but ready product will cost a lot.

Today, PVC parapets are being used more and more often. Such material is represented by a wide selection of textures and has an affordable cost. The benefits of plastic fencing include:

increased wear resistance - the service life is calculated in tens of years, subject to the use of high-quality material;
easy installation - suitable for self-manufacturing and installation of handrails; polyvinyl chloride is easily bent and processed;
a wide range of colors and textures allows you to realize bold design ideas in the design of the exterior of the building.

Important! Considering the chemical content of the material, PVC is not recommended for indoor handrails.

When making country cottage often used concrete barriers. Durability, strength and solidity, combined with a respectable appearance, emphasize the status of the owner of the house. The plasticity of concrete allows you to experiment and create different forms. However, working with such material, compared with wood and plastic, is more difficult. The technology of creating a concrete parapet requires certain knowledge and skills.

Do-it-yourself railings and handrails for the porch: video

Making a do-it-yourself handrail from wood

Let us consider in detail an example of creating a wooden handrail from boards. To work, you will need the following tools:

flat grinder;
grinder and milling machine with a nozzle for cutting a plane in the shape of a semicircle;
jigsaw;
screwdriver;
end saw;
stringers;
narrow brush;
construction knife;
calipers;
square / ruler and a simple pencil.

Necessary materials for creating a handrail with your own hands:

wooden boards with a thickness of 2.5-4 mm, optimally - 3.5 mm; it is better to give preference to oak or ash;
wooden bars with a section of 20 * 20 mm;
sandpaper;
self-tapping screws for woodworking 110 mm long;
PVA glue with a high content of adhesives;
masking tape;
paper.

The technology consists in sequential gluing wooden planks. The number of layers will be 12. Taking into account the fact that boards with a width of 4.2 cm and a thickness of 3.5 mm are used, the finished product will have dimensions of about 42 * 42 mm. If it is necessary to make the handrail larger, then the width of the board and the number of layers should be proportionally increased.

Work order:

Important! Each layer of wooden boards must be processed with a milling machine. As a template, the starting layer of plywood and the cut boards below.

The final stage is the processing of the handrail on both sides with a cutter with a rounding nozzle. After that, the product will acquire a round cross section. Upon completion, the plywood must be removed and the finished handrail fixed.

Cosmetic work includes:

putty on wood - the color is matched to the tone of the wood;
grinding with sandpaper;
painting and varnishing.

How to make a railing for a metal staircase

You can make a simple railing for a country staircase from a metal profile. You will need the following tools and materials:

welding machine;
electrodes;
protective mask and suit;
angle grinder, wheels for polishing and cutting metal;
level;
rolled metal and metal profiles.

Action algorithm:

Determine the height of the railing and the location of the balusters.
Calculate the height of the fence. The recommended value is 95 cm. However, it must be taken into account that the frame of the railing is located at a distance of 10 cm above the steps, and the thickness of the handrail will be 5 cm. Therefore, the size of the balusters will be: 95 - 10 - 5 = 80 cm.
Cut the metal profile into balusters and cabinets.
Prepare the top and bottom profile on which the balusters will be installed.
Lay out the frame from the profile sections and grab them by welding. Weld balusters to profiles.
Check the evenness of the parapet and compliance with the required dimensions. If there are no distortions, then finish welding.
Weld metal racks with plates to the lower profile, the length of the pillars is 10 cm.
Make holes in the plates and fix the railing on the steps.

How to make handrails for stairs with your own hands from metal. Expert advice: video.

Self-installation of the handrail in the bathroom

It is not advisable to make your own bathroom handrail with your hands. There are a lot of them in any plumbing store and at a reasonable price. The main thing is to do right choice and perform a proper installation. When buying this device, you must consider the following selection criteria.

Handrail type. It is important to pay attention to the size of the device and the degree of transformation. Using a small pen may not be very comfortable. It is better to give preference to curved or angled handrails that are operated during entry or exit from the bathroom.

Place and method of installation. If with back side there are several screw-in screws on the handle, which means that such a handrail is mounted on the side of the bathtub. If there is a rectangular or round flange, then the fixture is installed on the wall.

Important! Fasteners must be supplied with the handle, otherwise it will be difficult to pick them up separately in the store.

Handrail material. As a rule, bathroom handles are made of metal or polyurethane. Polished stainless steel products last the longest.

It is necessary to embed the handle into the side of the bathtub even before installing plumbing. Work sequence:

Mark the holes on the enameled side of the tub.
Drill holes. In order not to damage the enamel, drilling should be performed at low speeds.
Treat the holes with enamel or primer - this will protect the bathtub from premature corrosion.
Install screws from the outer side of the bath, put silicone or rubber seals on them.
Attach and screw the bath rail.

To install the wall rail, you will have to drill through the tile. This can be done with a puncher or drill by turning off the "hit" option. Insert into the resulting hole plastic stopper and fix the handle with the help of self-tapping screws.

Wood is the main building material of mankind from ancient times to the present day. Of course, today there are many good synthetic analogues, but natural wood preferred both for the foundation of structures and as finishing material with great texture. Wood railing manufacturing the best solution, not only for aesthetic reasons, but also due to the pliability of the material to all types of processing.

Railings - an important structural element of the stairs

In private housing construction, wood is suitable both for the manufacture of the staircase itself, and for independently designing aesthetic and comfortable railings. At the same time, it is not so important what type of construction and general configuration the staircase has, the railing is needed in any case:

marching;
straight;
curved;
rotary;
screw;
curvilinear;
combined.

Any handrail is not only an important functional element for climbing / descending stairs, wooden railings are also endowed with an aesthetic component of the interior. They limit the space of the stairs during the ascent (descent), providing overall safety.

Railings are made from different materials, but when choosing the overall look of the stairs, it is very important how it will look against the background. general style in the House. Today, stairs are often mounted directly into the wall or made of transparent plastic and glass. However, a sense of overall safety and reliability must come to the fore, and the designer's idea must yield to established standards that are responsible for safety.

Attention: The absence of limiters on the stairs is permissible only for small flights of stairs (marches), consisting of no more than 5 steps. Using ladders without handrails (limiters) can lead to accidental falls and irreparable harm to health!

Basic requirements for wooden railings

Wooden handrails provide a complete look and remain the main support when using degrees. Given the characteristics of wood, it is important to ensure that the railing is sufficiently smooth, eliminating the possibility of injuring the palms. To do this, the wood is well sanded or sanded, varnished in 2-3 layers or painted with enamel, such as railings for stairs made of wood: photo.

Besides appearance stairs, general convenience is also important - the height of the handrails should be comfortable when moving up the stairs to hold people of average height by the handrails. A single standard is to make handrails no higher than 95-100 cm, measuring from the level of the step. Sometimes at the stairs they make an additional parallel bottom row - railings for children. Along the wall (another supporting vertical), also on the brackets, a railing for a wooden staircase is additionally fixed.

The railing of the stairs is very simple in design:

handrails (decorative or simple);
support posts (turned or simple balusters).

Decorative balusters are placed at a sufficient interval so that through the holes, by negligence, it was impossible for a child or an adult to fall out in case of an awkward fall. Usually one support post per step is sufficient. But with a too gentle descent and wide steps, as well as taking into account some design features of designer stairs, the railing posts are placed at a distance of 10-15 cm.

In addition, there are supporting and intermediate balusters, and the bases of the stairs are made on thicker supports than the secondary support on the railing. However, making railings for stairs too light is also not recommended - in any area, the handrails must withstand a sufficient horizontal load, of the order of 100-120 kg / m. The simplest railings are polished bars mounted on metal brackets along the wall. The number of balusters on a standard staircase usually corresponds to the number of steps.

Before you make a railing for a wooden staircase with your own hands, you should start:

with the study of basic building codes;
calculations of timber costs;
training necessary tool and woodworking machines;
creating a project, drawings or sketches;
calculations of the width of the step of the stairs and the location of the balusters on them (at the beginning of the step or in the middle).

The main elements of the support are best made from oak, maple or beech, which crack and dry out the least. Such a staircase will not creak even after many years if it is properly designed. Finishing details can be carved from ash, yew, rosewood, cherry or walnut. To emphasize the natural texture of the wood pattern, it is better not to paint the handrails, but to cover them with stain after polishing and varnish them.

Tip: Be sure to check the horizontal and vertical bars for timely adjustment, and if the level slides off the board, you can temporarily fix it with tape.

The main types of stairs

The appearance of the stairs cannot be designed in isolation from the general style decision of the house, since the staircase is always an important aesthetic component and even its business card. Stairs are classified:

external and internal;
house, service, landscape, architectural;
entrance, interfloor, checkpoints;
stationary, portable and transformable;
single-march and multi-march;
straight and rotary (for 2 or more spans).

Guests may not notice some paintings on the walls, but they will definitely remember the beautiful spiral or suspended glass staircase they climbed. Therefore, if the construction of a staircase is only in the plans, contact a competent architect for the development of a project who will offer the option that will organically fit into the design of the house. In addition, a specialist will help you choose the type of staircase design:

on bowstrings;
on stringers;
on the bolts, etc.

1. Stairs on the bolts or cantilever. This design looks spectacular because it does not have visible supports, and guests initially experience some anxiety when using the steps. In real life, the steps are very securely fixed to the vertical plane, withstanding an impressive load. It occupies a minimum of space, but older people are reluctant to use it. It is important to ensure confidence when climbing and to confine the stairs with good railings.

2. The ladder on the stringers rests on the support beams, fixed in a special way. The design has been used for several centuries and has proven its reliability, it is made over a large area.

3. The bow staircase looks elegant and light, it is often used as an interior decoration, connecting the living room and the hall. Something like stretched rope ladder but made from stronger materials.

4. Spiral stairs are used where there is no provision for climbing stairs along the walls, but connects the first floor with a hole in the center of the ceiling on the floor above. It occupies a minimum of space, but is not very convenient, since two people walking towards it will not miss each other. But its aesthetics are usually beyond doubt, and handrails are a must. The movement in a spiral determines the type of this construction.

Standard stairs in entrances or in private high-rise buildings- single-march, two-march or multi-march rotary type. A march is an inclined fragment of stairs with steps, connected by an interlevel platform. Staircases between marches make it possible to enter, turn around and go to the steps of other marches. Turning stairs are:

bilateral;
rights;
left.

Also closed stairwells, semi-open fully open, not limited by handrails. Understanding the design features is not for the sake of remembering the names, but for choosing a suitable staircase configuration for your home, based on:

functionality (where it leads);
location in the house;
constructive design;
material of bearing supports (wood, metal, plastic, concrete goods).

Each type of stairs involves its own type of handrails or restrictive elements, as well as types of fastening. Therefore, professionals know where it is better to use:

hidden;
adhesive;
groove connection of structural elements.

On a narrow staircase up to 130 cm, the railing is usually done on one side. On wide stairs, where it is supposed to move towards at the same time, the handrails are made symmetrically with the same angle of inclination. This angle must correspond to the degree of inclination of the flight of stairs, that is, duplicate its geometry. The width of the handrails should not be large, that is, as comfortable as possible for palm coverage. At the beginning and at the end of the handrail, it is necessary to make roundings. All these subtleties should be reflected in preliminary calculations.

How to make a wooden stair railing

Installation of stairs with railings is a painstaking and time-consuming, but at the same time very exciting process. The simplest do-it-yourself wooden railing made of wood, with any type of staircase, is easiest to make on the basis of balusters. Modern building supermarkets sell various blanks or ready-made components for stair railings which will make installation easier. Turned balusters resembling skittles are considered the most beautiful.

The design of wooden railings is chosen based on the general tasks, the material used and the possibilities for woodworking.

1. To make simple wooden railings yourself, you need to cut 2 racks from the finished timber, preferably 100 x 75mm. These blanks are fixed on the outside of the bowstring, below and above the march. Immediately, the accuracy of the vertical racks is checked by a level.

The vertical mount is easiest to adjust with screws. Further along the line of attachment of the supports in the center of the flight of stairs, the 3rd rack is mounted from the timber - the rest of the handrails are displayed along them.

3 workpieces 150 x 40 mm are cut with a power tool. With a planer, you will need to process (round off) the edge, which will later become the basis of the handrail. These processed boards are fixed with an equal interval from each other, fixed on the back surface of the racks.

It is important to ensure that the supports are slightly higher than the handrail - by about 50 mm. After that, the central support is cut at the required handrail height, now their surface can be thoroughly sanded.

2. The most beautiful wooden railings - with decorative balusters, previously carved by a woodworking machine. In practice, many do not know how to make a railing from a tree of complex configuration. To make them, you need to have professional carpenter skills and good equipment.

However, you can use ready-made balusters, machined or purchased in advance. For such railings, the support consists of 3 parts. The trapezoidal base of the baluster, which acts as their support, is tightly mounted to the bowstrings with the help of spikes. They must have a groove in the upper base - for mounting the support post.

We fix the decorative part on the central support - formed with the help of a lathe and a well-polished head, with the help of spikes we seat it tightly in the grooves. We check all the elements with a careful fit before assembling the entire structure, after which we apply carpentry glue to the spiked joints. The parts to be glued must undergo an exposure, they must not be loaded earlier than after 1-2 days.

Medium decorative balusters, turned by a lathe, are assembled sequentially. The supports of the balusters are fastened with dowels to the bowstring, based on wood glue. The base of the supporting baluster is securely attached to the floor with anchors so that the edge of the stairs does not move under load.

We mount a rail with a groove corresponding to the size of the base of the intermediate baluster to the bowstring, fasten it with screws with sweat. Next, we fix the middle post of the support baluster in the same way. We put the intermediate supports with the lower end into the grooves of the rail, having previously lubricated with carpentry glue. The tops of each passing baluster are mounted in the corresponding groove on the prepared handrail.

Attention: All balusters are cut before installation at the same angle, corresponding to the slope of the stairs. Measuring their length, they take into account the correspondence of the dowels to the depth of the grooves - both at the base and at times of the handrails. On the first baluster, even before the final fastening with grooves, be sure to check the verticality of the balusters with a level. Having made all the marks, we make the final bevel at the required angle, then we use the fully finished staircase part as a stencil for the rest of the balusters.

Fastening intermediate balusters in order:

insert a bar of the desired shape and length into the groove of the lower bar greased with glue, check the interval between all intermediate balusters one by one;
we insert the required support into the groove of the handrail based on glue, if there are doubts about the reliability of fastening, you can additionally fix it with nails;
We insert the 1st baluster into the grooves prepared in the lower bar and handrail, and grease the edges with glue (you can also duplicate it with nails);
we install intermediate strips between the balusters and the handrail in the grooves of the rail, smearing it with glue, and the step between them should have an equal interval between the balusters;
in the same way we install each subsequent part;
fastening the handrail to the support post is done on a metal corner, screwing it with nuts;
it is important to beautifully process the rounding at the ends of the handrails;
once the adhesive has set, the handrails will be strong enough for everyday use.

Attention: In the lower support under the handrail, make a window for fastening the nut with a washer, and after installation, close it with a wooden washer. Polish the junction of the handrail parts well. The handrail can also be ordered in the carpentry of any configuration that the cutter will provide.

Using the stairs, each of us, at the subconscious level, tries to find a handrail on which you can lean and feel more secure. For this reason, it is important that the height of the stair railing correspond to the optimal parameters, and that the handrail itself has correct design. Many masters, designing stairs, leave this nuance without attention, and at the same time make a big mistake.

In this article, we will look at all the intricacies of planning a stair railing and how to make handrails of various types.

Height of stairs

Requirements for the design of stairs

Railing design

When thinking about a staircase project, it is imperative to take into account not only the issue of design and comfort, but also the existing regulatory documents.
When we are talking about the railing of stairs, you should refer to the following sets of rules:

SNiP IV-14-84. The necessary information can be found in the sections "Stairs of residential buildings", as well as "Stair structures".
GOST 23120-78 called "Stairs, marching platforms and steel railings".

Often in their professional activities, builders are guided by other regulations, but it will suffice for us to confine ourselves to these two basic documents. Of course, this applies only to those cases when we are engaged in the construction of structures for our own personal use. In situations where work is carried out on order, it is necessary to coordinate not all structural elements not only with the client, but also with regulatory authorities.

So, consider the information from regulatory documents regarding stair railings.

According to existing standards, any ladder, the number of steps of which exceeds the number three, must be equipped with side rails.
You should be aware that this requirement does not apply to external capital structures, which are a rise in the form of steps, within the same household. However, even in such cases, it is necessary to provide the structure with at least parapets to prevent falls.

The need to install fences also depends on the size of the flight of stairs. If its width does not exceed 125 centimeters, and on the other hand the flight of stairs is limited by a wall or other capital enclosing structure, then it will be enough to install one handrail.

Marches with a width of 125 to 250 centimeters must be enclosed with railings on both sides, and if the staircase is planned to be even wider, it is recommended to provide it with an additional handrail in the center.

In the same way, railings are installed on curved stairs. In any case, spiral staircases are equipped with a fence on one side only, since the opposite edge of the steps is attached to the base.

The design of railings and fences can be of various designs:

Railing dimensions

The height of the railing plays a very important role. This parameter must comply with GOST, not only because a violation can be fraught with fines, but also because it is simply inconvenient to use a ladder with too high or low railings, and the likelihood of falling increases significantly.

What are the regulations regarding the dimensions of stair railings?

The height of the wooden staircase railing should not be less than 90 centimeters.
The size of the railing of the flight of stairs, as well as the entrance to the stairs leading to the attic or attic, must be at least 90 centimeters.
Railing height outdoor stairs cannot be less than 120 centimeters.
Stair railings in establishments where there are a large number of children should start from 11.8 centimeters and above.

There are also rules regarding the design of wall handrails, which are designed to facilitate the descent and ascent of stairs:

The height of the handrail against the wall must match the height of the railing on the opposite side of the stairs. That is, the railing on both sides of the stairs must be fixed at the same height.

The distance between the handrail and the wall should be at least 4 centimeters. As a rule, the standard offset from the center of the bar under the handrail is 7.5 centimeters.

Other elements of stair railings

In addition to the requirements for railings and handrails, there are a number of standards for the characteristics of other elements in the design of stairs:

The most suitable slope is 1:1.25. Various options for internal ladder structures allow their installation under different angles from 20 to 45 degrees.

The size of the steps within the same span must be the same size. The maximum deviation from the specified value can be no more than 5 mm in the vertical and horizontal plane.

You should be aware that this norm does not apply to the first step, which may be slightly recessed into the floor covering.

The maximum number of steps in one flight of stairs should not exceed 18 pieces.
Standards related to the dimensions of the steps:
The step height can vary from 12.5 to 21 centimeters.
The width of the step should be from 21 to 35.5 centimeters.
If it is assumed that the staircase will be curved, then the narrowest part of the degrees can be at least 15 centimeters wide, and at least 20 centimeters in the central part.

Landings must be designed in such a way that the doors located on them can open and close without hindrance.

Methods for making various types of railings. Wooden stair railings

To install stair railings, it is not enough just to know the dimensions of each structural element. In order to make a ladder with your own hands, you should first study the methods of its manufacture from different materials.

Let's start with the simplest material to work with - wood:

Wooden railings are assembled from three constituent parts. This type of structure involves supporting pillars, balusters and handrails.

As a material for their manufacture, both coniferous and deciduous species of wood are used. Of course, materials such as cedar, larch or oak are most suitable for this, but in terms of price, pine, alder or birch look much more attractive.

Without a special woodworking machine, it will not work to make blanks for wooden railings on your own. And the process itself can take a lot of time and effort.

For this reason, it will not be superfluous to consider the option of purchasing ready-made components.
By the way, the well-known phraseological unit “to sharpen the laces” implies just the process of turning balusters and means a waste of time.

Before installation, finished workpieces should be processed special composition, preventing the growth of microorganisms and varnish. Situations are acceptable when varnishing is carried out after the installation of the structure.

The direct installation of the railing occurs after the installation of all other parts of the stairs:

Supports in the form of pedestals are installed in the lower and upper parts of the flight of stairs. As fasteners, it is best to use anchor bolts.
- Between the supports at the required height, which should not be lower than 90 centimeters, pull the cord.
- Next comes the installation of balusters. They are mounted on the steps so that the distance between them does not exceed 20 centimeters. Exceeding this value can be fraught with subsequent troubles with releasing the stuck head of the child.
- To fix the balusters, self-tapping screws are suitable, which are screwed into the base from the wrong side of the step. The type of fastening, which has the name "on a spike", will be more labor-intensive, but also more durable and reliable.
- Focusing on the stretched cord, marks are placed on the balusters at the level of the cut. The excess parts of the columns are cut off, and then a handrail is attached to them.

The ends of the handrail should either be built into the support posts or left free. With the second mounting option, the protruding part of the railing should not be more than 30 centimeters.

metal railings

Stair railings made of metal are highly durable and reliable. At the same time, the cost of their manufacture, as well as the complexity of the work, is often an obstacle to their installation. Despite this, it is quite possible to install a metal fence on your own.

As building material profile pipes can be used:

This method of installing metal railings is most often used in the construction of outdoor stairs.
The staircase itself in this case can be metal, concrete, brick or stone. If we are talking about brick or stone structures, then it is important to foresee the installation of embedded metal plates at the places where the handrails are mounted.
Installation of the structure begins with the installation of racks. It is necessary to cut profile pipes with a section of 5x5 centimeters into segments required size and weld them to mortgages. In the case when mortgages are mounted in the upper parts of the step, a special bracket must be used for installation.
With the help of a railing bar (a pipe or a strip of metal of the required thickness), it is required to connect the upper parts of the racks.
Further, to fill between the supports, pipes 2x2 cm are welded. They can be located in any position, depending on your preference.
Profile pipes can be replaced with forged round or square bars, but this will greatly increase the cost of the stair railing.

After finishing welding work, the structure must be thoroughly cleaned and coated with paint. A wooden or plastic handrail should be installed on top of the handrail.

Prefabricated stair railings with glass infill

Currently, glass is used quite often in interior design. For this reason, glass railings no longer surprise anyone.

To install such a staircase railing, it is necessary to order special panels made of triplex or heat-strengthened glass. If ordinary thick glass is used for these purposes, the design runs the risk of being too fragile, even when using protective elements.

How to assemble glass railings?

First of all, on the steps and landings, you need to install support pillars, the height of which, as well as the step between them, must comply with accepted standards.
- Supports fix anchor bolts, it is desirable to use at least three pieces.
- Attachments in the form of clips with polymer inserts are attached to the supports.
- Sheets of glass pre-cut to size are inserted into the mounts.
- A handrail is installed over the glass spans using special fasteners. The function of the handrail most often in such cases is performed by a nickel-plated steel pipe. The end part of the handrail is closed with plugs.

Despite the external fragility, a special glass barrier is more durable than a wooden railing.

Summarize

When designing and installing indoor stair railings, you should be very careful about the nuances and build all the work on the basis of regulatory documents. This applies to such parameters as the height of the stair railing, the size of the steps and the design features of the railing - after all, in addition to convenience, the safety of using the entire structure depends on the requirements of GOST and SNiP.

The article was prepared in cooperation with the company "Style Veka" - the manufacture of stair railings. Website http://www.stil-veka.ru.