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» How to secure a ladder string. How to install strings for stairs yourself, taking into account the features of fastening and marking? Calculation of stair steps

How to secure a ladder string. How to install strings for stairs yourself, taking into account the features of fastening and marking? Calculation of stair steps

Wooden steps should be attached to a concrete staircase in such a way that the created structure ensures safe movement along it. At the same time, the structure itself should not stand out from the existing interior, but fit harmoniously into it. Let's figure out how to achieve this.

Wooden steps - we will improve the concrete staircase>

Concrete staircase structures are rightfully considered to be the most durable and reliable. Such structures last for many decades and can withstand heavy loads without problems. You can build them yourself by building them using publicly available and inexpensive Construction Materials– sand, cement, crushed stone. The disadvantage of any concrete staircase is that it does not look the best from the outside. This problem can be easily solved. You can decorate the building with any decorative material, from natural stone and tiles to fiberboards or natural wood.

Wooden staircase

Owners of private houses most often use solid wood for cladding staircase structures made of concrete. It's not cheap. But also the results finishing works, made using this material, turn out amazing without the slightest exaggeration. The use of wood allows you to create a special atmosphere of luxury and chic in your home. Finishing the stairs with solid wood also has a number of important advantages. Natural material:

  • perfectly protects the structure from operational damage (concrete spalling):
  • makes it possible to mask base defects;
  • accumulates heat;
  • causes pleasant tactile sensations (wood is very pleasant to the touch).

Caring for wooden steps is quite simple. Moreover, their service life is estimated at many years. True, for this you will have to take care of the material in advance - treat it with special impregnations that protect the products from the sun and moisture.

Choosing the type of wood for finishing - what are the options?

You can decorate a concrete staircase with different types of wood. The cheapest option is solid pine. Such products are easy to process with your own hands, they are light in weight, which facilitates the process of installing steps. But you need to understand that pine boards are not ideal in terms of strength properties. With intensive use of stairs, they quickly fail and lose their attractive appearance. The durability of pine structures is also negatively affected by the variable indoor microclimate. Boards dry out and become loose with temperature changes, and also lose their initial properties under the influence of moisture.

Wood for arranging steps

For these reasons, steps are most often made of walnut, oak, maple, larch, beech and birch. If your budget for finishing the stairs is unlimited, you can choose more expensive types of wood - iroko, lapacha, merbau, wenge, teak. Their exotic appearance is complemented by excellent performance characteristics. The most durable products are made from beech. Steps made from this wood are built to last for centuries.. But processing beech wood is very difficult. It is almost impossible to cope with this material on your own. You may have a lot of problems when installing steps from it.

It's easier to work with oak boards. In terms of strength, they are not much inferior to beech wood, but they are much easier to process.

There is a problem here too - high price solid oak. Not everyone can afford to purchase such material for finishing concrete stairs. There is an exit! Instead of oak products, you can use those made from larch. They are cheaper in price, and in most respects they are identical to solid oak. Choose the material for cladding structures taking into account your financial capabilities and personal preferences, and then you can get a staircase in your home that is impeccable in all respects. It will decorate the interior of your home and give you a feeling of comfort.

Installation of steps - start with a concrete base and substrate

The first step is preparing the concrete base. If the staircase was built by professionals, there will, of course, be no significant defects on its surface. In this case, you just need to level the base using easy-to-use. If there are noticeable differences in height on the surface of the structure, you will have to do additional work on the stairs. You will have to install a special underlay under each step. It is made from plywood. Such a substrate and concrete base will be able to properly level and, in addition, will protect the structure from mechanical loads, acting as a shock absorber.

Installation of steps

You need to purchase plywood sheets 1–1.5 cm thick and cut out the backings from them, focusing on the size of the steps. Then prime the surface of the stairs well, apply to pieces of plywood (with reverse side) wood glue and mount them in the intended place. Be sure to check the correct position of the substrates on the staircase structure with a building level. The plywood should be additionally secured. Glue will not be enough to securely fix the substrates to concrete steps. Fastening plywood products is usually done with dowels. They are installed on both sides of the steps. Decide for yourself the number of hardware required, remembering that the plywood must adhere firmly to the base.

Installation and fastening of “clothing” for the stairs - we do it together

Now cut the treads and risers from your chosen wood, focusing on the dimensions of the staircase. Installation wooden products always starts from the bottom of the structure according to the following scheme:

  1. Drill three holes at the bottom of the riser (at the end). Their depth is taken to be about 1.5 cm, their cross-section is no more than 0.5 cm. The holes should be located in the middle of the riser and on both sides.
  2. Screw 6mm diameter bolts into the holes made. They will play the role of anchors. Their ends must protrude above the structure by about 7–8 mm.
  3. Bite off (cut off with a grinder) the bolt heads.
  4. Place the riser to the first step (to its end), mark on the floor the places where the anchors fall, and drill holes in the marked areas. Then you need to fill the resulting “holes” with resin (epoxy).
  5. Mount the riser in the designated place. This element should be secured to the plywood substrate using liquid nails. Coat a piece of plywood with this adhesive, and then carefully place the riser on it (the screwed-in anchor bolts must be inserted into the holes that were made on the floor).

Arrangement of wooden steps

Some craftsmen fasten risers and plywood with universal self-tapping screws or suitable sized nails. This option can also be used. But such work should be carried out as carefully as possible so as not to damage the wood and fairly thin plywood products. The next step is installing the tread. To do this, you need to cut a special groove in it. It will be located at the joining point of the end (upper) of the already mounted riser and the installed tread.

Now everything is easier. Attach the next riser to the second end of the mounted tread (it must be secured with self-tapping screws). Then coat the groove and plywood backing with adhesive and install the first stage. To ensure that it grips well, it is advisable to place something heavy on it. The remaining steps are installed in a similar manner. After installing the wooden steps, be sure to fill any gaps and sand them. After sanding, you can treat the wood with stain. When it dries, apply varnish to the steps. The latter is usually used three times. Varnish the steps once, wait for the composition to dry, then repeat the procedure twice.

As you can see, no serious difficulties There is no problem with the process of finishing a concrete staircase with wood. The main thing is to adhere to the described recommendations and correctly attach the steps using liquid nails and other hardware (nails, screws, dowels). The result of your work will be a chicly designed concrete staircase.

Quite often people install wooden stairs in their homes. This design is characterized by a long service life, reliability and high strength characteristics. Don't forget about aesthetic beauty.

Installing a staircase requires accurate calculation of design parameters and compliance with all installation rules.

At first glance, installing stairs of this type may seem like a simple task. There are no special parts or mechanisms here. Simple railings and the steps themselves are combined into uniform design. However, installing it is actually quite difficult, since during the installation process you have to deal with numerous nuances that must be taken into account. So, let's look at how to install a ladder.

Scheme of a wooden staircase.

But first, about the necessary supplies for work:

  • roulette;
  • hacksaw;
  • square;
  • grinder;
  • perforator;
  • hammer;
  • level and others.

Installation of wooden stairs

Even behind such a simple design there is a very complex technological process. It is best if such work is entrusted to specialists. They will decorate the house with the highest quality and in the shortest possible time. However, in this situation, numerous unforeseen expenses may arise. Installing a wooden staircase for your home with your own hands - best option solving the problem.

A lot depends on how well the wooden staircase is installed near the house. First of all, this concerns the operation and reliability of the design. If the installation is carried out incorrectly, that is, a person does not adhere to the technology, this can lead to a change in the aesthetic appearance, as well as damage.

When installing a wooden staircase for your home, you must adhere to the following rules:

Table showing proper design of stair treads.

  1. It is best to carry out the installation by specialists who work for an organization that designs stairs. In this case, they will be responsible for their construction.
  2. The installation of the structure is carried out in the place that was originally described in the contract, since all structural elements are made for it.
  3. The ladder must be transported to its destination disassembled. In this case, the likelihood of damage to its structural elements is reduced. In this case, the installation of the structure is made from ready-made components.
  4. If a person applies for work to a company that makes ready-made flights of stairs, then he will definitely first need to make grooves in the mounting beams for their installation.
  5. Only after the railings have been finally adjusted to the floor level can you begin to install the flights of stairs. When adjusting the lower string, it is imperative to take into account the fact that flooring can be laid on the floor.
  6. Before you start installation flight of stairs, you definitely need to make a fence. Only after it is perfectly matched to the future design can further work be continued.
  7. To obtain a strong and reliable structure, it is imperative to screw the marches onto self-tapping screws. This makes the structure more durable and rigid. They are fastened in several places around the perimeter, connected through a support post and through a bowstring to the wall.

Methods of fastening structural parts

Options for attaching steps to the string.

Let's look at how the main elements of the staircase are fastened. Any structure that is installed at home or near it has the same structure.

Moreover we're talking about not necessarily about a wooden staircase. There are always inclined parts and steps here. In another way they can be called flights of stairs and landings. Depending on how the spans are organized, the structures can be single-flight, double-flight or three-flight. There are several different methods for attaching steps:

  • they can rest on the bowstrings at both ends;
  • one end is attached to the stringer, and the other to the wall;
  • one end is embedded in the wall, and the other hangs freely; this method cannot always be used; it is only appropriate if the thickness of the wall is very large.

Methods of attaching steps to a stringer.

Before final assembly staircases for the home must take into account the fact that it must withstand all the loads that await it. After all, not only do people walk on such structures, but also loads move. Rigidity is very important. All grooves that are intended for fastening structural elements with bowstrings must be made in such a way that the elements fit into them with tension, that is, as tightly as possible. Their depth must be the same, and the grooves themselves must have a flat plane. This is true for all cases, including when using glue to attach structural elements. It will evenly fill the grooves, giving them the required rigidity and strength. If another fastening method is used, then it is worth using the wedging method.

In this situation, the grooves are made in the form of a trapezoid. Its top will be in front of the bowstring. After installation, the process of wedging begins. After everything is thoroughly coated with glue, we can say that the result is a fairly strong and powerful structure. You can always use nails or screws as additional fasteners.

However, in this case, the appearance of the stairs may deteriorate. To prevent this from happening, the caps must be buried in the wood and then covered with special covers. Now the aesthetics will be at their best. The appearance of the entire structure will not be spoiled. To increase the strength of the ladder, several nails or screws are used for fastening.

Installation of stairs: features

Scheme of fastening the railing posts, lower and upper.

So let's consider self-installation stairs. This is done quite simply. Moreover, all components of the structure are supplied ready-made, but disassembled. Here you need to be extremely careful to comply with all the nuances of the technology.

The first stage is the preparation of the upper and lower marches. The side parts must strictly comply with the parameters of the opening. Markings must first be applied, according to which preparation is carried out. If it is not made by the manufacturer, then you need to do it yourself.

Now we need to move on to preparing the upper support post. Grooves are cut into it, which will serve to fasten the upper span.

For marking, you can use a regular pencil.

With its help, a horizontal line is applied on the lower edge of the groove. Then you need to measure the distance from the ceiling to the floor and draw another line. It should be equal to this distance. Risers are installed in all grooves, and then their lower part is sawn to size.

Assembly modern stairs for the home is done using glue. Only high quality material is used. All structural elements must be glued in the following sequence:

  • the upper support post is connected to the side structural elements;
  • then fencing and railings are added;
  • connect the lower ends of the railing and the lower support post;
  • The side parts of the structure and the lower stand are glued together.

Only in this sequence should it be done correct installation stairs. Wooden spikes are driven into those parts of the rack that are used for connection. After all the elements are prepared, be sure to give them time to dry completely.

Now you can proceed to assembling the structure. One person cannot cope with this. You definitely need to get help. At least three additional people must be involved in assistance. One of them is located at the top, and the rest are at the bottom.

Next, the ladder itself is installed on the floor and then leveled using a level. Special marks are made on the floor that will serve as markings for future pillars. Holes are made in these places using a drill. They should also be in the pillars, and the same size as on the floor. Fastening is carried out using special bolts. The tread is attached to the cross beam with two nails.

The single side part is attached to the wall using self-tapping screws or bolts. Quite a lot of them must be used so that the connection is very strong and durable. If necessary, you can do additional cladding on the stairs. This is done using sheets of drywall or other material. Can be used in similar situation and a tree. For example, lining or tongue and groove board. In this case, the wooden staircase will not lose its original beauty and aesthetics.

Summarizing

Thus, the process of installing stairs for the house is completed. There is nothing complicated about it. The main thing is to strictly follow the instructions given above. This is the only way to achieve the desired result. When performing work, be sure to use only high-quality glue. With its help you can get a truly durable and reliable structure.

When performing work, be sure to call help. Only with their help can you achieve high-quality results. Wooden stairs are quite heavy structural element. It needs to be mounted and installed only through the efforts of several people. To achieve the required result, when installing outdoors, you can use specialized equipment.

Frame stairs are increasingly gaining increased demand and popularity. Undoubtedly, this is due to the fact that in addition to strength and durability, they can be made in countless different shapes and designs. This article will be of interest to those who set out to make not just a typical staircase, but a real highlight of their home.

By choosing wooden stairs on a metal frame, you are making a choice in favor of practicality, reliability and modernity. With great dignity frame technology has its adaptive properties, first you can make the frame of the staircase with your own hands with the expectation that it will fit into the overall design idea premises, or you can build a rough version of the frame, and then cover it with suitable material.

The combination of metal and wood is one of the most successful design solutions regarding the interior. Thanks to successful combination beauty and strength, structures made of wood and/or metal are popular among builders and owners country cottages. This is one of the rare moments when builders and owners, based on their tastes and preferences, clearly agree on one thing, the choice of wooden stairs on a metal frame.

Metal ladder with wood trim will create an original atmosphere and interior in the house in a classic or old style. Possibility of decoration with forged and wooden elements, this is a real work of art that will give any room a truly noble and respectable look.

An elegant metal staircase, decorated with wooden steps, looks fast and light, while remaining a reliable and durable structure that can withstand significant loads over many years of operation. Metal is the strength and wear resistance of the staircase, and steps made of wood are comfort and style. The metal staircase and wooden steps guarantee ease of descent and/or ascent for all members of your family, including the elderly, children and pets.

We calculate the metal frame of the stairs

Wooden stairs on a metal base are made of light or durable types of metal, important indicator which is corrosion resistance. The technology for constructing wooden stairs with a metal frame involves partial or complete covering of visible metal surfaces with wood.

Having set the goal of designing and building a staircase yourself, it is important to first of all carry out an accurate calculation of the metal frame of the staircase, so that unpleasant moments do not arise in the future.

The main indicator from which all calculations of the staircase frame are based on the width of the human step.

On average, this figure is 57-64 centimeters. Based on the above indicator, the ratio of step and riser is determined.

  • S is the width of the step,
  • P is the riser height.

The formula will be as follows:

In addition, it is necessary to calculate the formula for the ease of use of the stairs:

And also the formula for the safety condition:

All quantities cannot be taken into account separately from each other; it is important to perform the growth, taking into account all design parameters, and for this it is necessary to make a clear analysis of the initial data.

Do-it-yourself cladding of a metal staircase frame with wood

The most popular finishing method at minimal cost is the installation of wooden steps to the frame of a metal staircase. And the remaining visible parts of the structure are simply painted in suitable color As a result, the metal staircase looks quite harmonious and natural.

If we talk about completely covering the metal frame of a staircase with wood, then the process includes finishing:

  • substaircase space,
  • steps,
  • risers,
  • imitation of a wooden bowstring.

After such “disguise”, the metal frame becomes invisible, and the staircase is visually indistinguishable from a wooden one.

To design exclusive stairs, valuable wood species are used:

The above tree species have high aesthetic as well as performance properties.

The hardness of oak wood is several times higher than the hardness of pine wood, and is compared with the hardness of metal alloys. The natural material unique and resistant to mechanical damage and wear. When choosing oak, the service life of the steps is equal to the life of the frame itself.

DIY installation of a metal staircase frame

As for installation and operation, wooden stairs on a metal frame are practically unpretentious. There are several options for installing them. If the owner decides to independently install the metal frame of the stairs in the house, he should take a closer look at structures made from ready-made and prefabricated modules.

They have the appearance of a designer, and are presented in separate parts that are easily assembled into flights of stairs, connecting to each other in accordance with the attached instructions. Such modules are produced at industrial equipment according to established GOST standards for wooden and metal staircase structures. It is important to remember that such stairs require frequent care and special maintenance to eliminate possible backlashes and tighten connections.

All staircase structures are subject to periodic inspection and testing to ensure their safe operation.

Fastening wooden steps to a metal frame.

Basic moments:

  • In each step of the metal frame, a mark is made for two mounting holes, every 15-20 cm, we retreat from the edge of the tread by no less than 2 cm.
  • If the steps are attached to the frame using ordinary self-tapping screws, then the holes in the metal frame are drilled into a “undertight” hole.
  • To compensate for stress when tightening parts, fasteners with washers are used.

Even the best quality metal frame can have minor differences heights between parts. To ensure that the wooden overlays adhere well to the surface, a backing is laid on it. For fixation, which is used with ordinary assembly adhesive with filler effect. It fills voids and forms a durable layer that is resistant to crushing.

The use of polyurethane foam in this option is absolutely excluded; dried foam can wrinkle, which leads to corrosion, loosening and creaking of the steps. The most reliable and popular material for the substrate is plywood.

To summarize, it is worth saying that a wooden staircase with a metal frame with your own hands is perfect combination important points: durability metal structure and aesthetics of a wooden staircase. No other material has such warmth and attractiveness as wood. In addition to its aesthetic appeal, a wooden staircase pleasantly surprises with its accessibility financial side. You won't find cheaper or more reliable materials.

This article talks about how to attach steps to the metal frame of your staircase under construction in various combinations of fastening materials and overall design, i.e. for stairs on bowstrings or stringers.

To begin with, you need to decide which steps will have to be attached. In most cases, the material for making steps is wood and for self-assembly of stairs it is the main one, although companies specializing in staircase production and installation make steps from glass, stone, and various polymers.

Technologically, fastening comes down to choosing a method for securing the step slab to a rigid or slightly movable metal frame. If the design uses powerful stringers (under flights of stairs) or bowstrings (on the sides of a flight of stairs), then the step is less susceptible to dynamic loads (except for the bending of the step itself under the weight of a person), and with more lightweight structures, for example, stairs on welded stringers made of profile pipe, dynamic loads are larger. It is precisely because of the mobility of the ladder elements that glue is not used in these connections, except in cases of installation on a solid monolithic surface.

    Steps can be fixed:
  1. furniture bolts;
  2. self-tapping screws;
  3. futorka;
  4. Fisher fasteners.

Fastening steps to a metal frame with furniture bolts


Fastening steps with furniture bolts

The simplest and reliable way installation of treads to the base. In this case, drill through the step with a drill with a diameter slightly larger than the diameter of the bolt body and the base (angle flange or stringer body). The wide head of a furniture bolt (anodized, galvanized or painted) hides minor defects when drilling, and its profiled part under the head prevents it from turning when tightened. During installation, do not tighten the nut more than permissible, because

the metal head of the bolt will simply push through the solid wood.

The disadvantages of this method include the presence of the bolt head on the surface of the step, especially if the fastening is carried out according to an asymmetrical pattern, and the need to access the space underneath to tighten the nut, which is not always possible. P.s. Sometimes in these cases, bolts with a regular head and a wide washer can be used, but at the base (stringer or corner) a thread is cut or a threaded sleeve (nut) is welded in and a countersunk is made in the surface of the step with a diameter sufficient to use the wrench head the right size. For this option, you can pre-select flat plastic furniture plugs of the required diameter and color.

Advantages: convenience, simplicity, reliability and speed of fastening; availability of quick disassembly if necessary (restoration, dismantling, replacement of treads).

Fastening steps to a metal frame with self-tapping screws


Fastening steps with self-tapping screws

The good thing about installing steps with self-tapping screws is that all fastening elements are located in the riser part and the outer decorative finishing it does not suffer.

It is advisable to use powerful self-tapping screws with a deep cross-shaped or hexagonal groove for fastening to prevent the groove from being licked off when tightening.

Nowadays, roofing self-tapping screws, which have a hexagonal head and a drill-shaped tip, are often used to fasten steps. It is worth paying attention to the fact that such self-tapping screws are produced for wood and metal and differ in the diameter of the drill (thinner for wood).

How to attach wooden steps to a metal stringer?

If the installation is carried out through the wall of a profile pipe of a metal frame, then there is a natural desire to use roofing screws for metal and immediately stitch through the metal and wood of the steps, but it is worth understanding that the diameter of the drill for wood is much smaller than the diameter of the turns, which ensures a good engagement area for the screw in a solid board, as opposed to a metal screw.

Self-tapping screws with a countersunk head are convenient to use if the bottom surface of the stairs is visible. At the same time, in metal structures, a secretion is immediately made under the cone-shaped cap. It is worth noting that if the steps are not made of pine (relatively soft wood), but from larch, beech, ash or oak, then to screw in a self-tapping screw with a diameter of 5-6 mm you will need to make preliminary holes in the steps with a diameter of 3-4 mm (according to the diameter of the main body self-tapping screw - where there is no thread), otherwise the self-tapping screw will not screw in completely.

Fastening the steps to the metal frame with a footer


Foot for fastening the step

Let us immediately clarify that a futorka is a metal bushing with internal and external threads. This method of fastening steps can be considered optimal in terms of concealment of mounting elements and ease of installation and dismantling of treads, but it can only be used for dense types of wood, is quite labor-intensive, requires stationary preparation and strict compliance with the drawings, because You can’t fix anything here on the spot. In addition, fastening the step with a foot to the metal frame can be done both from below (on the shelf of a corner or stringer) and from the side at the end (string). It is this method or its analogue that is used in modern staircase construction by large companies, for example, the German company KENNGOT. They have designer staircases with treads made of wood, acrylic, stone and threaded bushings for on-site installation.

Technologically, in this case, a fitting with an external thread diameter of about 20-22 mm and an internal thread of 8-10 mm is taken (on the forums they write about using a regular stud with an M20 thread in which a hole is drilled and the thread is cut), in a step with a cutter (the cutter does not have a large cone-shaped part ) a hole of the required depth is made and a thread is cut. Such a large diameter is justified by the need for a sufficient depth of thread grooves in the wood for reliable connection details. Using glue (for example, Kleiberit Supratac), the futorka is screwed into solid wood. Now the steps can simply be screwed to them (more than once) with a regular bolt or stud with a decorative cap nut.

Fastening steps to a metal frame using Fisher fasteners

Fastening the step to the corrugated pipe (Fisher)

Enough new way fasteners based on the use of Fisher polymer fasteners, on one side of which there is a sleeve large diameter with a hole in the center and conical notches that work like a herringbone (it gets hammered into the hole easily, but resists coming out), and on the other - a sleeve that opens when screwed into the screw.

Before installation, cores from the kit are placed into the holes on the metal frame, the steps are placed in their places and the marks are pressed. The steps are being drilled. Then the Fisher fasteners are installed in their sockets, secured with self-tapping screws, and the step is placed on them. Unfortunately, personal experience There has been no use of such fasteners for stairs, so it is still difficult to say how this fastening behaves, but it is obvious that dismantling the steps in this case will most likely smooth out the polymer splines and will require their replacement. In addition, it is hard to believe that the plastic sleeve will stay in the wooden socket for the entire life of the ladder. Most likely, under the influence of vibrations and bending loads, the steps will loosen these fasteners. Perhaps they can be strengthened using glue.

What should you pay attention to when choosing a step mounting option?

The choice of fastening option should be made at the stage of staircase development.

When designing a metal frame, it is determined whether the lower part of the staircase will be open, whether there will be access from below the steps, whether the mounting elements will be painted and with what, whether the absence of any elements (bolt heads or furniture plugs) on the surface of the steps is important.

When building a staircase with your own hands, you often weld a structure from channels (stringers) and a corner (steps, ties). This option is easier to sew up at the bottom with decorative material. Drill the corners under the steps from above, and then screw them in from below with roofing screws.

For the option of modern stairs on stringers made of a profile pipe, repeating the shape of the staircase, long furniture bolts M8-10 can be used, stitching through the step and stringer, with a decorative galvanized nut at the bottom. You can order steps with footers, but you must be 100% sure of the dimensions. Also, for the option with self-tapping screws, you can drill a profile pipe of the stringer from the top a little larger than the diameter of the self-tapping screw, and from the bottom with a diameter of 12-13, where you can then install furniture plugs. The self-tapping screw (with a body with a diameter of 5-6 mm) is screwed in from below using a magnetized screwdriver or a screwdriver with a flexible attachment. A screwdriver usually pulls screws through better.

In any case, you should try to design the staircase so that the step rests on the shelf of an angle, channel or corrugated pipe and is attracted to them by fastening, and does not hang on point fasteners. Over time, any fastening weakens, especially in wood, and therefore many serious companies, after constructing a staircase, recommend re-stretching the entire structure after a year or two.

Staircase on a metal frame. Soundproofing experience

22/06/2009 22:19:58

Staircase designs vary and, depending on the materials used, are most often divided into wooden, metal and concrete (stone). Each type has its own advantages and disadvantages. When designing a staircase, you must first of all consider such properties as price, aesthetics (beauty), load on the structure, practicality (wear resistance, noise generated when walking, etc.). In this article I will not consider design features staircase design, such as inclination angle, riser height and tread width, etc. There are a lot of books and materials on the Internet on this topic. Let’s assume that conditions allow us to install a comfortable staircase that meets all the requirements of the “convenience and safety formulas.” Which material to choose?

Traditionally, wood is used to construct stairs. Wood is a warm material, has a beautiful appearance, and is pleasant to walk on. A wooden staircase is quite light, which means it does not create excessive load on the supporting structures. However, wood also has disadvantages. First of all, it is creaking and noise when walking. Of course, a staircase made to all standards from valuable wood, as a rule, does not dry out or creak, but it is very expensive. Inexpensive stairs are most often made of pine and spruce (often not dried enough), which means that over time such a staircase will lose its initial geometric parameters and begin to creak. In addition, pine and spruce are soft species and are susceptible to mechanical damage. Birch, oak, beech and more expensive wood species are much more resistant to mechanical stress but two, three or more times more expensive than conifers.

Often used in homes concrete stairs. Sometimes flights of stairs are purchased from factories, but more often they make a metal frame, arrange formwork and pour concrete right on site. Structurally, concrete stairs can be anything you want, if you correctly calculate the loads, reinforcement and grade of concrete. Concrete stairs are the quietest when walking, but very heavy. It is impossible to support massive concrete stairs simply on floor slabs. The support of concrete stairs must be provided by supporting structures. In addition, concrete stairs require additional cladding. Ceramic tiles and porcelain stoneware are most often used as cladding, but also a natural stone and a tree.

Another type of stairs is metal. More precisely, purely metal stairs are rarely used in houses. Most often we are talking about stairs on a metal frame. Stringers or bowstrings are made from channels (12-18), and the bases for the steps are made from a corner (most often 40), which is welded to the channels. The steps for such stairs are made of wood or metal. Advantages metal stairs a lot of. Firstly, it is quite light in weight. Such stairs can be supported on floor slabs. Secondly, metal stairs are quite durable and can withstand heavy loads. Thirdly, they do not lose their properties over time. The disadvantages are rather inherent not in the metal frame itself, but in the cladding. The steps made from pine on a metal frame also begin to creak over time. To minimize this process, the steps are attached to the metal frame not directly, but through plywood. Plywood 10-12mm thick is attached to the metal frame using countersunk bolts, and glued to the plywood using liquid nails wooden steps thickness of at least 40 mm. Thus, plywood performs several functions at once - it acts as reinforcement that takes on the load, distributes the load, and also hides the load-bearing fasteners. The metal frame is also good because the steps can be replaced over time (for example, pine with African mahogany) without any difficulties. However, it is worth mentioning the most important disadvantage of stairs on a metal frame - noise. Steps on such a staircase will be heard by everyone in the household, even if a cat is walking up the stairs.

The higher the weight of the wooden cladding, the less the metal frame knocks. Thus, to soundproof a metal structure, it needs to be loaded with something. Steps, risers, balusters, pillars, railings. All this is understandable. Is there anything else that can be done? I asked myself the same question. Having experience in car soundproofing, I decided to apply my knowledge in the field of construction. When it comes to noise insulation of a metal structure, the technology of metal vibration insulation and dampening of vibrations created in the metal is usually used. After all, any sound is a process of vibration and friction. In order to vibration-proof the stairs, I decided to use the materials I had tested from the StandardPlast company. Before that, I worked with such materials as Vibroplast, Vizomat, Vizomat MP. But the company introduced new material under the Bimast brand. I decided to use the most expensive material, Bimast Bomb, 4 mm thick, which, according to the manufacturer, combats vibro-acoustic noise better than other materials. But I actually chose this material only for the simple reason that it is the heaviest in the StandardPlast line of materials. In addition, Bimast material does not require additional heating and cuts well.

Bimast Bomb consists of two layers - elastic bitumen mastic and heavy bituminous material. This is clearly visible in the photograph. Looking at the material, I got the impression that Bimast Bomb is Vibroplast and Vizomat MP glued together, which is probably not entirely true.

To begin with, I decided to cover the stringer - the channel from the inside. To do this, I thoroughly washed the channel from rust and degreased it with white spirit. The material cuts really well. To keep things in order, I warmed up the mastic a little with a regular household hairdryer and started gluing it. When I covered almost the entire channel, I began to compare (using the tapping method) the sound of the treated channel and the untreated one.

The result, of course, was, but minimal. Bimast Bomb did not significantly reduce the noise level from footsteps, although with light tapping a certain reduction in the vibration level was felt. The thing is that the weight of the material in relation to the eighteenth channel was insignificant. A channel 3.5 meters long took only one sheet of Bimast Bomb weighing a couple of kilograms. This amount was not enough to effectively dampen the thick channel. In addition, the lion's share of the noise was created by the corners, and not by the stringer-channel itself.

Or maybe the material is bad? When I had a roll of Uniflex material left over from waterproofing the foundation, I used it to soundproof metal window trims. The ebb tides knocked during the rain like empty tin cans, and when I covered the ebb tides on the inside with heavy bitumen material Uniflex, and also placed the ebb tides on polyurethane foam, I realized what silence in the house was like. Even during a heavy downpour, I only saw water on the glass, but did not hear the sound of falling drops. The Uniflex material also had a thickness of 4 mm, but its weight was slightly greater.

In principle, it is not necessary to buy expensive branded materials for sound insulation. Any heavy bitumen materials are suitable for vibration insulation, because vibrations are dampened primarily by weight. Thus, Uniflex is in no way inferior to Bimast Bomb in terms of effectiveness, but it is worth noting that waterproofing material no adhesive layer. It won't just stick to metal. It needs to be melted! It is advisable to prime the surface with a bitumen primer. I fused the material with regular gas burner Kovea.

All photographs show the staircase without cladding, with temporary steps.

From experience I will say that on horizontal and vertical surfaces Such vibration isolation lasts more or less, but when the material is glued to the metal from below, it usually falls off within six months to a year. 😉

Bimast Bomb or Vizomat MP?

I did another experiment. The second channel of the flight of stairs was treated with the familiar Vizomat MP material, 2.7 mm thick. Without measurements, Vizomat MP is visually actually thinner than Bimast, lighter and more rigid. Cutting Vizomat MP with scissors is more difficult. Vizomat MP must be thoroughly heated with a hairdryer. Vizomat MP adheres to metal worse. And the result turned out to be worse. The sound from impacts on metal of different intensities is muffled on the channel that is treated with Bimast Bomb material. As a result, Bimast Bomb is really still the best material in the product line from the StandardPlast company, although it is 25% more expensive at retail.

Thus I would like to summarize my research. The costs of soundproofing channels that act as stringers are not comparable to the result.

However, the work is not finished yet. It is necessary to find out whether it makes sense to paste over the corners that act as a frame for steps and risers. After all, they create the lion's share of the noise.

And a little more theory

Just in case, for those who are interested, I will indicate several parameters for competent calculation of the stairs.

  • Riser - step height
  • Tread - step width
  • Optimal slope stairs 30-35 degrees
  • The slope of the stairs should not exceed 45 degrees
  • Double riser height + step width should be within 57-65 cm
  • Sum of width and height in optimal staircase should be 45-46 cm (staircase safety formula)
  • The optimal step width is 28-30 cm (at least 25 cm)
  • Riser height 14-17 cm (no more than 20 cm)
  • The difference between the width and height of the step should be about 12 cm (staircase comfort formula)
  • The height from the plane of the stairs to the ceiling must be at least 2 m.
  • The number of steps in the staircase must be odd (whichever foot we enter the staircase with is the one we leave with)

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2016-03-15 14:23:05 | Tatiana Borzova
Andrey, can I ask a question? House blocks Yutong 375, I already wrote that I confirm all your comments about this material, in the article about the shortcomings of this material and what the sellers are silent about. Metal frame staircase, how did you attach it? I have wooden joist floors. I want to put it on the main foundation, the design of the house allows me to make a hole in the wall and support 4 racks, a turning platform, on the foundation.

2016-03-05 23:00:06 | Alexander
It rings, it means it's playing. Additional boil some kind of scarf on the inside for rigidity. I have a similar design, well welded a little differently, but the idea is the same. If you remove the turning part of the staircase, Straight part Channel 12 wall 1 cm. Length 4.5 m. Step corner 5 wall thickness 5 mm. At the top, the ladder is welded to the I-beam. So despite the fact that there is only metal all around, nothing rattles. Achieve rigidity and there will be happiness.

2016-01-06 07:17:07 | SAU
I have a design of steps made from corners like Andrey’s, but there is no ringing or vibration when walking. The five is screwed on top of the corners with self-tapping screws from below, and the carpet is on top of the five.

Most likely there is no ringing or vibration due to the fact that additional supports made of a square profile are welded in the middle under the channels.

2014-06-01 15:23:23 | Andrey_K
I agree with Paladin! This design really contributes to good acoustics) However, I think, the heavy channel contributes to it even more. I've been racking my brains for a long time about the stairs - I'll install them soon. But I will make stringers from thin metal profile, from the same material from which the frame is made, it will be much lighter. True, there are some nuances - I will also attach them rigidly - to the frame. but I’m thinking of using rubber gaskets at the fastening points. Much will depend on the material of the steps - its acoustic properties, but I really want to make the steps and the landing platform transparent. Regarding bitumen and bituminous materials- so much of this goodness surrounds us in real life, that I tried to avoid using them inside the house. For vibration and hydraulic decoupling (1 to 2), I used (as far as I know, the only ones in Russia) materials from a plant in Nizhny (like) Novgorod (Abris). Their feature and advantage is that synthetic rubber is used as the main material. The materials are not cheap - the toad was not just strangling...) But, in my humble opinion, and as the British testify, “I’m not rich enough to buy cheap things” ( Russian in-t"Miser pays twice"). So I had to be patient :)

2013-09-23 23:05:01 | Andrey_B
Evgeniy, do you always take everything literally or do you sometimes try to understand it?
1. Formula of convenience and 12 cm - we are not talking about the staircase as a whole, but about the steps.
2. You can call whatever you want a riser. I personally don't mind. But take my word for it, not all stairs are made of wood. In simple words, the most common concrete staircase, like in entrances. Where did the thickness of the material go, huh? And where is her riser?
3. Optimal slope is a subjective concept. I have 4 stairs at home. In my life I have no difficulty with either 20 degrees or 45. But from my point of view (supported, by the way, by theory) 30-35 degrees is the most convenient angle. If it seems to you that this is not so and your opinion is the only correct one, I see no point in discussing it.

2013-09-23 18:53:21 | Eugene
“The difference between the width and height of the stairs should be about 12 cm (formula for the convenience of stairs)” - how does this happen, I have a staircase with a height of 295 cm and what width do you think it should have??? It’s even scary to imagine!

To understand what stairs are, just look at the end of the product. The string is a support beam on which the steps of the future staircase are mounted. The strength and quality of the entire march depends on how accurately this part is designed. It is very popular as a staircase base because has a long service life. Let's look at the main characteristics of the product in more detail.

Wooden ladder on bowstrings

The difference between a bowstring and a stringer

Most wooden stairs are attached to, or. – a curved beam that supports the steps only from below. To fix the treads in the stringer, cuts are made under them. This design has a high load-bearing capacity and saves space.

The staircase is not a more massive product. To install the treads, two beams and special bars are used. To increase the strength of the structure, cords are installed under the steps

The advantages of the ladder include:

  • relative ease of installation and restoration (if necessary, the master can dismantle part of the span or the entire flight);
  • long service life;
  • structural strength;
  • hidden steps;
  • protecting the wall from dust;
  • free arrangement of balusters;
  • variety of projects (the bowstring allows you to design spiral, rotary, rounded and straight stairs).

Depending on the operational characteristics of the future flight, the appropriate type for the staircase is selected.

Classification of bowstrings

It can be the main part of a self-supporting wooden staircase, or an element of a metal welded frame. In any case, the blanks are divided into several varieties. Depending on the shape of the bowstring there are:

  • straight;
  • curved;
  • spiral.

When manufacturing the main fastener element, use various materials. In today's market, bent glued blanks for spiral staircases are increasingly found. They are made from high-strength wooden plates glued together to increase bearing capacity. Other most popular materials for making bowstrings are:

  • tree;
  • metal;
  • plastic;
  • composite

Wooden models are made from dense wood: pine, cedar, oak, larch, mahogany, Oregon and Brazilian pine. When making steps conifers wood is not used due to its low wear resistance.

They also differ in the fastening system of the steps:

  • mortise steps (such a string of stairs has grooves for steps);
  • sliding (differ from mortise in the depth of the groove);
  • using a corner (wooden blocks are attached to the sides of the bowstring, or metal corner, on which the stage is subsequently mounted).

Making a ladder on a bowstring with your own hands

Single flight wooden staircase

The best material for making stairs is wood. This is the most environmentally friendly, cheapest and easiest to use material. Even a novice carpenter can build a wooden staircase on bowstrings. Before you start making the structure, you need to choose the most suitable option for your premises. There are several models of ladders on a bowstring:

  • attached with wall mounting(For country house and dachas);
  • folding model (attic), where carriages, hinges and other fasteners are used as connecting elements;
  • spiral, where the string of the ladder is mounted from the outside;
  • marching

A single-flight staircase is considered the simplest design. It is built both on and on a bowstring. To make a single-flight model, it is necessary to carefully select lumber. The length and width of the beams should be such that splicing is not required when making the bowstring. It weakens the strength of the structure and the ladder may collapse under its own weight.

After choosing a staircase model, builders calculate the required number of steps, their size and frequency. This can be done using an online construction calculator. At the preparation stage, the useful width of the march is also determined. It is calculated “in the gap,” that is, between the handrail and the wall.

Having decided on the design parameters, installers proceed to marking. On the prepared beams, the lines of future grooves are marked in a mirror manner. The points on should coincide as much as possible. Otherwise, the steps will not fit into the grooves smoothly. The grooves are cut on the inside of the bowstring using a router. The depth of each should not exceed 2 cm.

Step-by-step assembly of ladders on bowstrings.

A tread is driven into each recess - the horizontal part of the step. Depending on the width of the step 80, 100, 120 cm, boards with a thickness of 4, 5, 6 cm are selected. Depending on the project plan, a riser (step height) can be attached to the tread. The parts of the step can be connected using a groove, screws, fasteners, or a triangular strip and glue.

Examples of joining step parts

After all the steps are installed on one of the strings, the second one is pressed on the other side. The builders hammer it with a wooden hammer to drive all the gaps into the grooves.

They can be connected to each other by additional fastening structures - cords. Depending on the expected load on the stairs, builders choose steel, wood or screw ties. The metal fastening prevents the sidewalls from moving apart, so it is installed at the beginning, middle and end of the flight. Wooden strands are driven in every 5 steps.

Installation of strands in a flight of stairs.

The finished product is lifted to the ceiling and attached to the support and load-bearing beams. On final stage Railings and balusters are attached to the stairs.

Good to know

When installing a ladder for the first time, the builder may make mistakes in the calculations. To avoid problems with the manufacture and installation of spans, it is useful to know a few construction tricks:

  1. When marking the support beams, make sure that the points relative position future grooves coincided exactly. To do this, you can use a pre-prepared plywood template.
  2. The string should be slightly larger than the expected height of the ladder. The remaining piece of the workpiece will be useful for inserting into ceiling beam during final installation.
  3. The grooves for the steps are cut across the direction of the wood grain.
  4. Before installing the structure, the grooves are treated with glue. This will help fix the steps and prevent the wood from drying out.
  5. Additionally, the steps and string can be connected using nails.

Video tutorials on making ladders on bowstrings

Scheme of a finished staircase on bowstrings

Video tutorials will help you build a one-flight staircase on a bowstring with your own hands. They describe in detail phased construction wooden structure.

1 step. Marking

Step 2. Sorting of workpieces

Step 3. Marking grooves on steps

Step 4 Milling grooves

Step 5 Selection of materials

Step 6 Rough assembly of the stairs

Today, ready-made ladders on bowstrings can be purchased at most hardware stores. However, making a structure with your own hands will not only help you save money, but will also not be difficult. One person can handle the project of a wooden single-flight staircase.

Stairs with bowstrings are often installed in multi-level apartments and private houses. This traditional staircase design is different from other options high level reliability, and, in some cases, attractive appearance. For experienced craftsmen installing a ladder on bowstrings does not pose any problem.

But, if you do the work yourself, you will need photo or video installation instructions to minimize the number of questions that arise during installation. In addition, you should study in advance all the features of fastening and marking, as well as the basic rules for their arrangement. Consider not only the essence of the concept, but also existing species structures, as well as possible technologies their own production.


Types of stairs

Bowstrings are the side elements of a staircase structure that hold the steps and act as limiters. It is worth noting that in in different forms bowstrings are present in almost all designs.


What is a bowstring and how is it different from a stringer?

Variety of models:

  1. Attached. The simplest option of all. Most often used in summer cottages. It includes only a few elements: crossbars (steps) and side strings. Anyone can make such a staircase with their own hands. Video instructions recorded by experienced craftsmen can help with this.
  2. Folding attic. This model consists of two sections. In this case, the bowstring is folded. Hinges, carriages and other fasteners are used as connecting elements.
  3. Screw. One of the most complex designs. The bowstring is located on the outside. Such models made of wood look very impressive.
  4. Marching. The most common design. The string in this case forms the march and holds the steps.

Step mounting options

From the outside it may seem that ladders on bowstrings look monotonous and uncomplicated. But this is far from true. There are a huge number of options for their design.


In order to select the optimal installation option, you should study possible ways installation of steps:

  1. Sliding steps are not simply inserted into pre-made grooves, but are carefully pushed into them. The cut-out recess should not only have an entrance for the steps, but also an exit to the outside. In these structures, the treads can be dismantled without dismantling the entire staircase structure.
  2. Mortise steps are a standard method of connecting treads and risers. A hole is pre-cut in the bowstring, into which a step is then hammered. To make the grooves, you should use a hand router. If you don’t have a router, you can take a chisel and a hammer. But this method takes a lot of time. After the steps are secured to one string, you should fill the second element from the other edge.
  3. Application of corners. This method involves the use of additional elements. In order not to waste time cutting out corners, you can attach metal corners to the sides. Exactly for these additional elements In the future, treads will be attached.

Bowstring for stairs: features of fastening and marking

If you plan to build a staircase with mortise steps, then the grooves are made from the inside. Their depth should be between 1.5 and 2 centimeters. After this, risers and treads are carefully inserted into the grooves. When working on your own, remember that the bowstring must have cutouts with smooth edges and the same depth.


Be careful about marking the relative position of the grooves on the two support beams. If it is uneven, then unexpected distortion of the staircase structure may occur in the future.


In such cases, experts recommend making special templates cut from a thin sheet of plywood. To prevent the string from turning into a stringer, the guides should be attached at a distance of 50 millimeters from a pre-marked line.


The markings for the grooves are as follows. On inside longitudinal lines are drawn on the beams. They should retreat 50 millimeters from the edges of the beam. If such a need arises, this distance can be reduced to 30 millimeters. Next, the finished template is carefully moved along the edge using guides. The location of the steps is marked with a pencil.


Remember that when applying markings to the string of one ladder structure, the location of the grooves must be completely mirror-like.


The lower and upper parts of the support beams must completely coincide with the floor levels. But whether this coincidence will be vertical or horizontal depends directly on the type of structure.


Experts who know all the features of fastening and marking do not advise quickly sawing off the excess ends. It is quite possible that they will be needed for insertion into a special support beam during final installation.


In order to get a reliable and very durable ladder on bowstrings, fastening the side elements is best done using rods. This can be a wooden tie on bolts or wedges, or a metal tie on nuts. Strands are installed at both edges of the staircase and in its central part. These elements help to avoid unwanted spreading of the sidewalls, which occurs when walking on steps and when high load on them.


DIY installation instructions

Determine the height of the structure, its dimensions and the number of steps. To make a bowstring, take a wooden stick of the required thickness. As noted above, cutting grooves should be done using templates.


When cutting grooves yourself, you should copy the marks from the template onto the workpiece. The wood is processed with a special milling cutter with a nozzle of the required diameter.


After this, fix the internal string at the construction site and connect all the elements of the steps. When the work is finished, press the elements of the steps on the other side with another string and carefully tamp them down. With the help of glue and nails you can make the structure more durable and reliable in use.


By installing tie rods, you can prevent unwanted loosening of the staircase structure. The rods are installed at the rate of one per 5 steps.


In conclusion, it is worth noting that constructing a string for a ladder with your own hands is not as difficult as it might seem at first glance. Before you use staircase structure intended for use, you should ensure that the fastenings are secure.


If necessary, additional vertical support elements can be installed. Metal tubes or wooden beams are suitable for this purpose. The models of stairs that are mounted to the ceilings with the help of hangers look interesting.

As for the fences, they can be installed both on the string and on the steps themselves. It all depends on your aesthetic preferences. If you are not sure that you can handle the work yourself, even with the help of video instructions, then it is better to contact a specialist. The Ladder Master company employs craftsmen who will complete all tasks assigned to them not only quickly, but also efficiently. Such a string for stairs is guaranteed to be reliable, durable and aesthetically attractive.