Stairs are structures that require special requirements for strength, reliability and convenience. Also, such elements should be succinctly fitted into the interior or exterior of the house. In the manufacture of staircases, special attention should be paid to the materials used to create them. Often metal or wood is used for these purposes, but concrete is considered a particularly suitable material. It not only has excellent performance, but also due to the possibility of finishing with different kinds of elements, it fits to absolutely any style of design.
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- Advantages of a self-made concrete staircase
- How to make a concrete formwork for
- How to fill a concrete ladder
- A concrete ladder( video)
- Examples of concrete staircases with their own hands( photo)
Advantages of the
concrete staircase. The concrete stairs are very popular. It is these structures have high strength and excellent appearance, so they are chosen to arrange external and internal buildings.
Advantages of concrete ladders:
- Concrete structures, unlike metal and wooden ones, do notAre subject to negative influence of external environmental factors. They do not rot and are not covered with rust, they are not eaten by insects, mold and fungi. The reinforcement of the concrete base is due to the addition of metal reinforcement to its device.
- The manufacture of concrete ladders is possible in any climatic conditions. Such material is not afraid of not frosts not heat. It has resistance to temperature changes and high humidity, so a concrete ladder can be attached to both the porch and the entrance to the second floor.
- The service life of reinforced concrete stairs, if properly assembled, is several decades. However, such stairs do not need repair and frequent care.
- Concrete structure is monolithic, so it can not disperse at the seams or dry out. Also, unlike the prefabricated wooden lifts, even after many years of active operation, the staircase made of concrete will not creak.
- Such products are manufactured by pouring liquid concrete into self-assembled formwork. Thanks to this method of creation, this design can take a variety of forms.
- Concrete base can be finished with absolutely any material. Therefore, these ladders are suitable for different styles of interior.
- These designs are of low price and can be manufactured both on time and after the construction of the house.
Concrete stairs are one of the best options, suitable for most private houses. However, such designs have their drawbacks. Concrete products are massive enough and occupy a large amount of free space, so when installing a floor-staircase of this type, you need to take into account the size of the room in which it will be located.
How to make a formwork for a concrete ladder
Manufacturing of a concrete ladder includes three stages: installation of formwork, erection of a skeleton and pouring of concrete. However, before proceeding to all these actions, it is necessary to calculate the future design.
In order to erect a ladder on your site,, Which will be approved by the construction services. You can draw it yourself or sign a contract with a construction company. In the second case, you will be provided with estimates that have passed technical control and obtained permission at all levels.
Dimensions of the ladder include a lot of indicators, some of which you will have to determine yourself, others are governed by GOST:
- The angle of the stairs is determined by the height of the porch or the second floor. The length of the structure depends on it. So a ladder with a 40-degree angle will always be longer than a ladder with an angle of 45 degrees.
- The step sizes are selected individually, but you need to take into account in which side-by-side the most convenient indicators vary. So the optimal width of the steps is 27-30 cm, and their height should not be more than 20 cm.
- The width of the ladder should be such that it is convenient to move around by holding large bags. Thus, the minimum width of the ladder is 80 cm.
After all the calculations are done, and the plan is drawn up, you can start making the formwork. This stage is most important, since any oversight can lead to the need to redo the entire structure.
How to make the formwork:
- The lower part of the formwork is exposed from the boards or plywood. It is fastened by means of bars and screws. The bars are placed at the same distance as the steps.
- The side parts of the stairs are separated with plywood or boards. The construction is strengthened with brusks. Only this way the structure can withstand the pressure of the concrete. At this stage, a crate is installed.
- The following boards are installed for risers. They are fixed using metal corners.
- All crevices between the boards are covered with cement mortar. This is necessary to ensure that after hardening the concrete structure was as smooth as possible.
Installation of the formwork is the most important stage. It requires great care. To level all the elements, you must use the level.
We mount the frame for pouring concrete
The second stage of manufacturing a concrete ladder is the installation of reinforcing mesh. These elements are necessary to strengthen the ladder structure. It is thanks to the metal component that concrete does not crack during operation.
Construction of a reinforcing element for reinforced concrete staircases:
- For small march stairs use a grid connected from reinforcing bars with a cross section of 10-12Mm. Iron rods are placed in 15 cm increments horizontally and 20 vertically, after which they are connected by a thick wire.
- If we want to make a stair with a turn, we make several layers of a similar grid. The layers are located at a height of 2-3 cm from each other.
- To reinforce the mesh better hold the concrete base, one side of the horizontal rods that drive into the wall.
- Reinforcing mesh should be at a distance of 2 cm from the bottom of the formwork. Therefore, to raise it you need a brick or some other device.
Reinforcing mesh will not allow the concrete structure to crack and deform even after a long operation. Therefore, it is so important to do this step correctly.
How to fill a ladder of concrete
Next, you need to pour concrete. To do this, you can make a mixture of the necessary material yourself or choose an option for using ready-made mixtures.
To make the base of the stairs, you need to use concrete that is not lower than the M200 class.
Rubble for concrete stairways should also be chosen with care. You will be satisfied with only large elements, the size of which will be not less than 10 mm. Smaller pebbles will make the concrete liquid, which will lead to its transfusion through the formwork.
Pouring of ladder:
- Fill the concrete with the bottom three steps;
- Tighten concrete with a fittings or a construction vibrator;
- Level the steps with a trowel;
- Fill, tamper and level the remaining stages;
- Cover the structure with a film until the concrete hardens;
- A week after filling the structure, remove the flange and formwork from the steps;
- After a month, remove the remaining formwork elements.
After the ladder has completely dried and the last elements of the formwork are removed, you can proceed to grinding the structure. Then it is necessary to arrange the decorative layer and handrail.
You can make the lining of a concrete staircase with a wide variety of materials. Here you only need to consider your own desire and the overall design of the room. However, do not give preference to the mirror surface and the glass steps.
Staircase from concrete with your own hands( video)
It is quite possible to make a concrete staircase with your own hands. It is only necessary to exert maximum diligence and attention and gradually perform all necessary actions. Follow our advice, and you will definitely succeed!