Duplex apartments and multi-storey private houses are no longer an exceptional phenomenon. Stairs are an indispensable attribute of such premises. They are made from a variety of, sometimes unexpected, materials: wood, artificial stone, steel and even glass. Despite such a variety of choices, classic staircases made of oak, ash and other precious woods are consistently popular.
The manufacturing process of the structure as a whole and of its individual parts in particular is rather complicated. It is implemented only in an enterprise environment. However, to install a typical staircase from ready-made elements is within the power of every owner of the house, who knows how to hold a tool in his hands.
Currently, there are several of the most affordable options for solving this problem:
- Ready-made solid oak stairs can be purchased in specialized companies or large stores of construction and household goods;
- There are many offers on the Internet, from a variety of manufacturers;
- In addition, the author's design and the implementation of their own ideas in small workshops is a fairly common phenomenon.
The acquired structure must be installed in a place prepared for it in advance. In small companies with their own production, this service is mainly included in the order price.
A typical product purchased in a supermarket is installed either on its own or by outsourced specialists. For both options, there will be no superfluous instructions that should be included in the package.
Classification of stairs
The task of creating a functional and beautiful structure that would allow a person to move from one tier of a structure to another is quite difficult. In fact, it boils down to connecting the sites of the lower and upper floors of the house.
Classic oak wooden staircases with straight spans and intermediate platforms are one of the special cases of solving this problem.
In architecture and construction, several types of original structures have been created that provide a person with freedom of movement between floors..
They can be classified according to the following criteria:
- In geometric shape: stairs with straight and curved flights. Examples include the already mentioned classic and spiral staircases;
- By design features:
- with supporting intermediate platforms or with rigidly fixed steps, on one side;
- suspended from a string on the other side;
- By material: metal, wood, reinforced concrete, glass and combined. (see also Glass stair rails: nuances, types and variety)
The classification can be continued on other grounds, however, for the interior, traditional wood remains one of the most promising materials. This material is quite flexible and lends itself well to processing.
However, it is almost impossible to completely make a beautiful and functional staircase with your own hands, with all the necessary elements and details at home.
Features of the design of building structures
The task of creating a staircase project that would ideally fit into the style of interior decoration is quite complicated. It requires special knowledge and skills, but on the other hand, solving it on your own is not such an impossible thing.
First you need to choose the material with which you have to work. The oak staircase fits perfectly into the design of premises of a wide variety of styles, from classic to avant-garde.
The step-by-step process of designing such building structures is as follows:
- Determine the total height between the lower and upper tiers, in the place where you want to install the device;
- The resulting value must be divided by the height of one step, which will make it possible to determine their total number;
- We set the total length of all flights of stairs, which will be equal to the width of one step multiplied by their total number; (see also Single-flight ladder: a simple solution)
- We fix the relative position of the sites in relation to each other;
- We connect them together with straight or curved marches with or without support sites.
Practice shows that a staircase transition from the first to the second floor with a ceiling height of 2700-2900 mm should have at least two spans. Their relative position can be different, but mainly the direction of the marches after the site changes to the diametrically opposite.
Making a wooden staircase from oak with straight flights and a base of metal structures is quite possible on our own. At least the supporting structure can be made of rolled steel. The cladding and steps made of natural wood will allow you to hide it.
All visible and decorative details of the structure can be ordered in workshops where woodworking is carried out. The supporting frame is made of a channel, steel angle and pipe, rectangular or square. The weight of such a structure will be quite significant, which means that you need to think over reliable support points for it in advance.
Another option is the so-called suspended structure: when the main load is transferred to the ceiling. The so-called strings, or rather circular pipes, are attached to the power section of this building structure.
They are used to suspend individual steps and whole marches. The strings also function as a guardrail and rail, which helps to protect stair users from falling.
Features of the process of making stairs on your own
Having prepared the drawings, or, in extreme cases, sketches with dimensions and calculations, you can proceed directly to the work. You should start with the preparation of the base, where, even at the stage of laying the foundation, provide support platforms for this structure.
An oak staircase with a steel frame is a rather heavy structure. It is advisable to place it in a separate office space so as not to clutter up the living space.
Helpful advice! If, nevertheless, the staircase is located in one of the rooms, mainly the living room, then the optimal design would be a suspended one with a central support pillar. It can be a spiral staircase and a structure with steps in the form of trapezoids or other geometric shapes.
Installation of the staircase frame
The load-bearing structure is made of rolled steel using electric welding. For these purposes, inverter devices are optimally suited, which are affordable and easy to use. The production of oak stairs is carried out in several stages.
It should be borne in mind that a board with a thickness of 50 mm is strong enough and can withstand the weight of an adult without deflection. This makes it possible to dispense with its additional reinforcement, which lightens the overall weight of the ladder.
When using a structural scheme with strings and suspended steps, it is necessary to exclude the possibility of horizontal movement of the steps. Spiral oak staircases in this sense can serve as a good example to follow.
The frame of such a device must be securely fixed to the ceiling. The staircase must first be reinforced with rolled metal.
Cladding of stairs and installation of steps and railings
The production of oak wooden stairs after the frame has been made will consist in the installation of support surfaces and fences. Attaching the step to the base is done in different ways.
Advice!
It is possible to use screws with a large decorative head or large self-tapping screws on the back.
The first option is more reliable and is less susceptible to loosening and the appearance of backlash at the joints of parts.
Stairs made of oak can be completed with railings of the same material or metal. The color and texture of this type of wood goes well with nickel-plated or bronze enclosing structures.
The price of such products is quite high, but they are worth it. The delivery set of handrails from well-known manufacturers has everything you need to install them on your own.
Conclusion
Ladder and oak are a fairly stable combination of concepts, which indicates the popularity of this material among consumers. This wood species, after treatment with varnishes or special oils, has not only excellent decorative properties, but also high mechanical strength.
It is safe to say that oak staircases will harmoniously fit into the interior of any home and will last a long time without causing trouble for their owners. In the video presented in this article, you will find additional information on this topic.
