Back in the long-forgotten Middle Ages, great architects knew about the virtues of spiral staircases. They were built in all castles exclusively from a practical point of view, since they served as a kind of protective element in the attack of the enemy. However, having traveled a long historical path, these designs have not lost popularity in our time. Wooden spiral staircases transform the interior, and also allow you to solve functional problems during the home improvement.
Benefits of Spiral Stairs
The choice of such an interior detail suggests that you are not only the owner of good taste, but also a pragmatist. Screw designs are characterized by a number of advantages:
- Space saving. This is especially true for small premises. Even 1.5 m² is enough to put a staircase. It is located around a special support and seems to freeze in midair. It is this property of the design that saves usable area.
- Visually increases the height of low rooms.
The construction of spiral staircases will be significantly lower in price than marching. This is due to the relatively small amount of consumables in the manufacture of the product and low labor costs during its installation. - A simple manufacturing process and simple installation allow you to make a staircase without the help of specialists.
Screw constructions are perfect for a private house or apartment, as there is no excessively busy traffic.
When constructing a spiral staircase at home, you should not forget about safety measures. If the structure is steeply stepped up and the steps are not wide enough, carelessness and brisk walking can lead to injury. But this drawback is easily eliminated by strong handrails. In addition, it is important to correctly calculate the size of the structure, including the downstream steps and the tread width.
What materials can be used
In the production of spiral staircases, various raw materials are used, on which their quality and durability directly depend.
In the role of the supporting structural element most often serves as a pipe made of metal or a wooden pole. Often the support is made of stone, brick, concrete and even asbestos cement. The steps are already attached to the finished load-bearing element in several ways: by welding, bolts or couplings.
Railings are made of metal, hardwood, or a combination of these materials. As for the steps, the traditional versions of beech, oak and ash were replaced by glass and plastic products.
For the manufacture of spiral staircases, plywood is also used. From this material, you can make both individual elements and the entire structure as a whole. Spiral staircase made of plywood is notable for its environmental friendliness and low cost.
Design Varieties
Spiral staircases have several modifications, differing from each other by design features and ways of attaching steps. However, regardless of their variety, the steps are always installed radially with a slight rotation of each of them. In this position, they resemble a screw thread, so this model of stairs got the corresponding name.
Thus, the following types of spiral staircase designs are distinguished:
- With the support of the steps on the inner pillar and one or two walls located around the perimeter. Similar structures are built in a narrow niche or in a corner of the room.
- With cantilevered jamming of steps on the supporting element.
- With fastening steps to curved bowstrings.
These are the most common types of screw devices that can be built by a self-taught master. Other varieties are considered more complex, so their manufacture and installation is best entrusted to true professionals.
Screw construction elements
Before embarking on the manufacture of a wooden spiral staircase with our own hands, we will understand the following issues:
- what elements should it consist of;
- location of components;
- ways of fastening elements.
The staircase structure has the following components:
- stairs
- the final platform located on top;
- a pillar designed to support the railing and balustrade;
- the main bearing element, which is the basis of the design;
- cylinders of which the support pillar consists;
- balusters supporting the railing;
- jumpers;
- screw railings;
- barrage on the top floor.
The above components form a single device by connecting them in the nodes:
- Node "A". This connects the support pillar or pipe to the fence on the top floor. To do this, a bolt or screw is fixed in the rear of the column or pipe, onto which a handrail is put on through the through hole. A decorative cover is screwed on top for fixing it.
- Node “B” is the place where the support column and the sleeve, which is installed in the hole of the stage, are connected.
- Node "B". In this section, washers and a sleeve are fastened to the support, performing decorative and pressing functions.
- Node “G” - the place of fastening of the support and the base installed in the floor.
Calculation of spiral staircase parameters
The manufacturing process of constituent parts of a structure begins, first of all, with calculations. Moreover, the accuracy of their conduct is directly proportional to the level of safety of the stairs as a whole.
To understand how the calculations are carried out, it is proposed to take a concrete example with average statistics for clarity. Suppose that the width of the staircase is 90 cm (as a rule, its dimensions vary from 70 to 100 cm), the height is 270 cm, and the diameter of the support is 30 cm.
Further calculations are made according to the following scheme:
We determine the diameter of the spiral staircase, that is, the top view in the projection. To do this, double the staircase width and add the diameter of the central pillar to the resulting figure:
(90 × 2) + 30 = 210 cm
We make a drawing of the future design. Properly executed drawings of a spiral staircase made of wood are a guarantee of a good result.
On a piece of paper, draw a circle whose diameter we obtained in the previous paragraph (210 cm). For convenience, a 1:10 scale is recommended. Thus, the diameter of the circle in the drawing is 21 cm.
To display the trajectory of a person moving along the stairs, another circle is drawn inside. Its radius is equal to the sum of the radius of the support and the staircase width divided by 2.
(90 + 15) /2=52.5cm
We calculate the number of steps in each turn. To obtain this parameter, an average step width is required. Considering that the usual width of this part of the structure at the external fence is 40–45, then approximately the middle (the trajectory of the person) is 25 cm.
To get the exact number of steps, divide the circumference, which reflects the trajectory of movement, by the average width of the step.
(2×3,14×52,5)/25=13,18
Rounding, we get the result of 13 steps.
Find the height of the steps. Divide the first circle into 15 pieces of the same size. It should be borne in mind that the distance between the first and last step is approximately equal to the height of a tall person. For example, 1m 90 cm. To this indicator is added on top 10 cm of the reserve and the thickness of the step is 3 cm.
190 + 10 + 3 = 203 cm
We determine the height of each individual step. To do this, the height of the turn is divided by the number of steps:
203/13=15,61
To calculate how many steps will be in the staircase, it is necessary to divide the height of the entire structure by the height of the step.
270/15=18
Based on the available calculations, it is possible to calculate how many turns the staircase makes for the entire climb:
18/13=1,38
Important nuances in the calculation and installation
Even small errors made in the calculations, manufacturing or installation of the structure can lead to the fact that the ladder will be unsafe during the ascent and descent. Therefore, in the process, it is not recommended to neglect the rules and recommendations of professionals:
- the middle of the step is the place where the person’s foot most often steps during the ascent and descent; for a confident step, its width should be at least 20 cm.
- the minimum diameter of the support is 5 cm.
- a spiral staircase and risers are not the best combination; they prevent you from fully putting your foot in, which is dangerous if your feet slip and get injured as a result.
- in one staircase there must be at least 11 steps.
- the height of the turn is determined based on the growth of the highest member of the family plus a margin of up to 20 cm; if you ignore this recommendation, then when raising and lowering it is necessary to bend in some places, so as not to get a head injury.
Production of structural elements
Support post
For the manufacture of supports using pipes made of metal with a diameter of at least 5 cm, as well as poles of materials such as concrete, brick and wood. Their diameter can vary from 15 to 50 cm, and in some cases more.
The most difficult to work with a metal, concrete or brick support. To fix the steps on it, use welding, bolts, couplings. Elements can be attached to a wooden post without any difficulty using any method. It can be metal corners or bars of wood, which are installed in an upright position in the interstage gaps.
Since the central rack is the main load-bearing element, it must be distinguished by high strength and withstand not only the total load of the entire structure, but also the weight of the person with luggage.
Steps
The most common materials for their manufacture are tree species such as oak and beech. Unlike pine or spruce, they have a dense structure and are able to withstand the burden placed on them.
The thickness of the steps depends on the height of the structure. If the staircase is not higher than two meters, then it is at least 5 cm. For higher structures, it should exceed 6 cm.
When choosing material for steps, pay attention to the degree of its drying and processing. According to experts, it is better to buy planed boards. An unevenly dried tree will begin to lose moisture over time and change its original shape. As a result of this, further replacement of the step will be required, otherwise the strength of the entire staircase structure may be impaired.
Masters with experience recommend using glued wood for steps, which is easy to do yourself. The length of the panel of bars is equal to the length of the step, and the width should be such that two placed in different directions of the step fit.
For the manufacture of glued wood, you must perform the following steps:
- Assemble the bars into the panel so that in the closely spaced parts the structural pattern is directed in different directions.
- Lubricate the components of the panel with glue, tighten with clamps and wait for the product to completely dry.
To save time and effort, you need to prepare in advance a stage template, according to which they will be drawn. It is prepared on the basis of previous calculations and taking into account an allowance of 0.5 cm.
Transferring the contours of the template to the bar panel, you need to be extremely careful. It is important to accurately display the size of the wide edge of the part and the hole provided for the rack.
Special attention deserves the upper stage of the design. It is a platform connecting the stairs to the floor on the top floor. It is larger than the other steps in size. In addition, the length of this element is sometimes deliberately made even greater in order to strengthen the staircase structure.
At the end of the work done, the steps made are stacked and firmly fixed to each other on both sides. This "batch" method is used to make holes for the support rack.
Railings and railings
The next step is to make balusters. For this purpose, glued beam with a minimum cross section of 5 × 5 cm and a lathe will be needed. In the absence of the ability to make these elements yourself, you can buy them.
To ensure structural rigidity, the extreme racks are shaped so that they can simultaneously connect two steps. This will prevent them from turning on the central support.
Methods of fastening baluster racks are different:
- by gluing them into the holes made;
- fixing to steps with the help of special fasteners;
- gluing with the help of the cut racks made below.
The final stage is marking and sawing up the tops of the balusters at an angle depending on the inclinations and turns of the staircase. Spiral staircases made of wood give a beautiful view to spiral staircases.
They are made by several methods:
- cutting out of the whole piece of wood the constituent elements of the railing and their further assembly;
- glued wood railing;
- connection of an element of not very dense wooden veneer.
Any of these fabrication methods is quite complex. For these purposes, you will need the appropriate material and special tools. Specialists recommend buying ready-made handrails made to order in a specialized company. Your task will only be to establish them, although this work can be entrusted to the master of his craft.
As for the assortment, the market offers a wide selection of handrails that differ from each other in appearance, material and price. Those who prefer palace luxury can buy carved railings for spiral wooden stairs to the second floor. And for more economical customers there is a plastic railing with imitation of textured wood pattern.
Spiral staircase assembly
Before proceeding with the installation of the structure, it is necessary to determine its location and whether it will be in contact with the wall. Having coped with this task, you can proceed with the step-by-step instructions:
- Mark the ceiling with the center of the circle.
- With a plumb, project the center of the circle drawn on the ceiling onto the floor. This will be the installation site of the pillar.
- Cut the circle of the desired shape in the overlap and make a decorative frame of the edges.
Further actions depend on the features of the support post:
- If you get a ready-made set of spiral staircases, then the support consisting of separate parts is assembled simultaneously with the steps.
- If a monolithic concrete or brick support is used, then marks are applied on it, where the brackets will be fixed in the future. They serve for laying and fixing the steps.
- On a wooden support pillar of large diameter, the steps are fastened with the help of bars, the height of which is equal to the distance between the steps. The bars with a cross section of 3 × 5 cm or 5 × 5 cm are attached to the places marked on the column with screws.
- When laying the first step, a large-sized wooden block can be placed on its wide side.
- The upper step is attached to the floor of the second floor.
- After setting all the steps, it is necessary to install balusters. You can fix them only after their tops are cut off at an angle depending on the slope and turns of the stairs.
- The railing is installed and fixed with screws. In order not to damage the racks, it is recommended to make pre-channels for self-tapping screws.
- Then the baseboard is attached, if it is provided by the project.
Having clearly followed the installation instructions for the spiral staircase, proceed to the final finishing. Choose a suitable paint, stain or plain colorless varnish for the design.
Screw designs - this is a great design solution for your home or cottage. And regardless of whether you have chosen an expensive option or an economy class, the result will please you in any case.