The second floor in the house involves the presence of stairs. It is not enough to decide where it will be located, what type of steps will be, you also need to choose what type and type of railing for stairs will be. This enclosing structure sets the appearance and style, which is very important for creating a harmonious interior.
Design, distances, dimensions
Railings for stairs are necessary for safer use, as they are a protective structure that prevents injuries. There are models of stairs that do not provide for the presence of any fences. They look, perhaps interesting, but using such a ladder is scary. Typically, stair railings consist of several elements:
- Support pillars. They are an obligatory part of the structure, they are installed at the beginning and at the end of each span and between them in increments of 50-60 cm. Also, support poles are placed at the corners of the turntable. They must be strong, securely fastened as they carry the main load.
Structural elements of stair railings - Handrail. The structure that connects the tops of the supporting pillars serves to support during lifting and to create the building envelope itself. Handrails can also be attached from the second side – to the wall. Such double handrails are made with a step width of more than 120 cm. The minimum height of the handrail is 90 cm, the maximum is about 100-110 cm. The second option is for tall inhabitants. For ease of use, if there are small children in the family, people of short stature, a second handrail can be installed below, for which it will be convenient for them to hold on.
- Filling. This is an optional element, but, most often, in one form or another, it is present. The distance between the support posts (pillars) is 50-60 cm. If there are no children in the house, this space can still be left empty. But usually balusters (vertical posts), longitudinal elements connecting the pillars, patterned or forged filling, pieces of glass, plastic, etc. are installed in between.
Such a simple design, and it has a great variety of options. And it is the railings for the stairs that give them a special charm and originality, they set the style.
Materials
The main structural elements of the railing for stairs – racks – are made of wood of different species and metal. Handrails can be made of metal, wood and plastic. In the case of filling, other materials such as glass, plastic, ropes, textiles and many others are added. But even more often, railings for stairs are combined – combining two or three materials in one product.
Wooden stair railings
Wood for the manufacture of railings on stairs has been used for a very long time. It is good because you can make elements in any style. It is possible with a variety of carvings, patterns – for interiors in a classic style. You can use simple geometric shapes – for interiors of a more strict style. There is still the possibility of decorating / painting / varnishing in different ways.
What is even better is that you can make wooden railings for stairs with your own hands. If there is little experience in carpentry, you can find a simple decor. Wood itself – due to color, texture – is quite aesthetic, so that even simple products look great.
If we talk about what types of wood it is better to make railings for stairs, then harder varieties are preferable, with a pronounced structure: beech, oak, cherry. From conifers – cedar, larch. They make stair railings from pine and spruce, but pine products are too soft, you have to be careful, and spruce is hard to process. The rest of the breeds listed above, in principle, are also not a dream in processing, but they are very beautiful, so they usually turn a blind eye to complexity.
Metal railings for stairs
Metal railings are perhaps even more diverse. There are three ways to make metal railings for stairs: welding, forging, assembling from pipes and fittings.
Moreover, “forging” is not necessarily a hot process. There are machines for cold forging, which make it possible to make a wide variety of twisted and bent elements. Plus, there are possible “hot” processes. This in itself gives a lot of room for imagination. You can also use different metals and rolled products:
- Round or square bar.
- Round or profile (square or rectangular) pipe.
In this case, the metal can be: ordinary black or structural steel, followed by painting with a variety of paints, stainless, nickel-plated, chrome-plated pipes of various sections. There are even options with bronze or copper elements.
Since the metal is more ductile, they don’t make anything from it. Floral ornaments, geometric, fantasy, those that are even difficult to define.
Glass
In the usual sense, glass is a fragile thing, but a special one is used for stair railings – tempered or laminated. Laminated glass – duplex or triplex. This is a sheet of glass glued with a transparent polymer film. The technology is such that the transparency of the glass does not suffer at all, and the strength increases significantly. Similar material is used for cars. Even if it breaks with a strong blow, it will not scatter, and the fragments will hang on the film.
Tempered glass is made using a different technology. It is heated to a high temperature, then, blowing air from both sides, quickly brought to normal temperature. After such processing, it becomes many times stronger, withstands shock loads well, breaking, crumbling into fragments with smooth, not sharp edges.
In general, both types of glass are safe. In addition, they look good, since such structures do not look massive and heavy. Glass can be transparent, tinted, colored. If desired, you can make a drawing according to the type of stained-glass window. Since the filling is solid, this type of fencing can be considered absolutely safe. The remaining technological gaps of a few centimeters are not dangerous even for small pets.
There are glass railings that have wooden or metal support posts, and there are also handrails. These models can rather be called combined. For the most part, glass is placed between the pillars, and a handrail is made from the same material on top. Such railings turn out to be almost weightless, they do not block the view. They can be used both indoors and outdoors. They are especially good for balconies, loggias or terraces, as they do not interfere with the view.
There are also “pure glass” railings for stairs, in which there is nothing but glass. An interesting option for non-standard interiors. For these structures, duplex or triplex with a thickness of 10 mm or more is used, which increases their cost compared to “frame” options, where cheaper tempered glass can be installed.
Plastic in stair railings
In stair railings, plastic can be used as handrails. Round, oval, rectangular plastic handrails are a budget and practical option. Budget – because such railings are inexpensive, practical – because smooth plastic is easy to wipe, and it does not wipe, does not require replacement of the paintwork. The only thing that can damage it is a significant shock load. But it is critical for all kinds of pearls.
Balusters can also be made of plastic. In this case, a metal core is inserted into the plastic (usually PVC). It will carry the load, and plastic is just a decorative element. Ladders with plastic elements are cheaper, but no less durable. After all, PVC, of which stair railings are usually made, does not rot, does not lose its properties over the years. The material is unnatural, but practical.
Combined railings for stairs: beautiful options
A lot of unusual and decorative stair railings are obtained by combining two or even three materials. The combination of wood and metal, wood and glass, metal and glass, all three of these materials give an unimaginable number of options and variations.
Scope of use
According to the location of the stairs are internal and external. Both those and others are equipped with railings. Typically, railings for indoor stairs have a more refined infill than outdoor ones, but this is not always the case. There are very beautiful forged or wooden railings for the porch, stairs to the second floor.
Selecting the type of design
If the house has a balcony, a terrace, it is logical if their fencing will exactly repeat the pattern of the railing for the outer staircase. The exception is usually the stairs to the attic. They try to make them less noticeable in this case, most often they use a simple ladder, which can be removed or laid along the plinth.
If there is a need to make a stationary lift, you can beat it, make it spiral or with turntables, arrange beautiful railings. The second option is to make a simple vertical staircase by welding small handrails on the sides. How this option fits into the design of the house is a question of architecture, but it is definitely cheaper.
Plastic and glass for street railings
If we talk about materials for the railings of outdoor stairs, then you can use any: wood, metal, glass, and plastic. When choosing a plastic handrail or filling, it is necessary to clarify whether it can withstand operation at sub-zero temperatures and exposure to ultraviolet radiation. If yes, you can put it without hesitation.
With glass it is even easier – it does not react to temperature or ultraviolet light. The only thing that can stop is its fragility. But, if you use tempered or laminated glass, this fragility is apparent. But the glass railings on the porch, balcony, terrace absolutely do not interfere with the view.
Features of metal on the street
With metal, not everything is clear, but everything is clear. If you choose railings for stairs made of stainless, galvanized or nickel-plated pipes, you must first ask if they are intended for outdoor use. Yes, there is such a “stainless steel”, which is only for internal use.
If the railing for the stairs is made of ferrous metal, they will have to be painted. And you need to use paint for outdoor work. Each element must be carefully, to bare metal, cleaned of rust or scale, primed and only then painted. So there will be a guarantee that for several years the street railing for the stairs will look normal. The bad news is that the paint will sooner or later give up its positions, you will have to clean it up, prime it again and paint it. But this is inevitable and not news to anyone.
Treatment of wooden railings for outdoor use
With wood, everything is both simpler and more complicated. As you know, she feels good on the street, but also like ferrous metal, requires careful processing. Before installation / installation, the elements of wooden railings for stairs are impregnated with protective compounds for outdoor use. Please note that some of them stain the wood in an uncharacteristic color (red, greenish, grayish). If you plan to paint the railing with a covering paint, this is not so important. But if you are only going to change the tone, make it darker or lighter, such “highlighting” greatly interferes, especially for light tones.
After the protective coating dries, paint/varnish/wood oil can be applied. There are few questions with paints and varnishes: it is necessary that they be suitable for outdoor work. Tone, degree of gloss choose according to your own taste.
About oil for wood (it can be written “for terraces” and something like that) it is worth saying a few words separately. It does not create a protective film on the surface, but penetrates between the fibers, creating a protective barrier several millimeters thick. This type of protective coating is good in that when updating, there is no need to remove the old one. A new layer is simply applied on top of clean, dried wood. Everything, no removal of old varnish or paint. Grinding – only if necessary, if some places are wiped or damaged during operation. The disadvantage of wood oil is that it is expensive. But it’s worth it.