Stairs in the house – the main types and their features, which one to choose

What type of stairs to install – this issue needs to be resolved at the stage of interior design. Stairs are becoming an important decoration of the house, but when choosing them, let’s first take care of comfort and safety.

Wooden stairs

They are very popular because they look natural and warm, perfectly decorate the interior. They are not as massive as, for example, a staircase made of monolithic concrete, especially if they are openwork – gaps and gaps add lightness to them, allowing the flow of light to pass, the main thing is to order suitable stair railings.

They are made of hardwood or exotic hardwoods (although sometimes, for economic reasons, they decide on a less durable pine ladder). Every few years on such stairs it is necessary to update the coating. Wood is easy to process and paint or varnish, stairs and balustrades made of it can look very decorative. Wooden stairs are usually chosen for interiors in classic or rustic style.

Wood is not only spectacular, but also a durable material, if you choose hard rocks and properly treat with a suitable coating designed for stairs. The way the ladder is processed depends on whether it will be slippery.

Metal stairs

Metal stairs are often chosen for modern housing in modern and high-tech styles. As a rule, they are constructed of high-strength steel, less often stainless steel. These stairs are less durable than concrete ones, they are noisy. Steel can be the whole structure or only a part – for example, the steps or railings are made of wood, and the sidewalls are made of special glass. For the production of glass parts, multilayer durable glass is used.

Reinforced concrete stairs

More often they are installed on closed stairwells, but sometimes in open interiors. This is done at the construction stage. They can be made by the contractor himself or installed ready-made prefabricated elements. Reinforced concrete stairs are very comfortable and quiet, concrete absorbs the noise of footsteps, and they are also very durable. Their coating depends on the type of finishing materials, which can be – ceramic tiles, wood, stone, carpet.

Reinforced concrete stairs are very effectively laid out with ceramic or stone tiles. Caring for them comes down exclusively to washing. Over time, you can replace the damaged steps or tiles.

It’s important to know!

The correct dimensions of the stairs:

• Minimum step width: 80 cm

• Depth of steps: 26-30 cm

• Step height: 16.5-20 cm

The main types of stairs:

• Single–span – without changing direction

• Two–span – with a change of direction, separated by a platform or a wide step.

• Rotary – change the direction, but do not have a platform

• Twisted – that is, twisted around the axis.

Balustrades

They are necessary when there are children or elderly people in the house. The balustrade has a height of 90 cm, it is built on one side of the stairs. However, if the steps are more than 80 cm wide, a handrail should be installed on the other side of the stairs (on the wall).