There is no better option than a staircase on a concrete base for a house or a multi-level apartment. It is characterized by strength, durability and ease of use. Of the shortcomings, it is worth noting only one thing - the unattractive appearance of concrete, from which it blows with officialdom. But such a flaw can be easily overcome by lining the stairs with wood. In addition, it is not very convenient to walk along concrete steps that do not always correspond to a uniform size standard. Even if outwardly such a feature is invisible, then with a difference in height, albeit small (2-3 mm), the rhythm of walking goes astray. And it’s easy to get injured.
Therefore, the solution is only the only correct one - facing the stairs with wood, which helps not only to ennoble the appearance, but also to bring the design to the desired state, using only this material for this. It can be any breed, as the wood is durable and durable, and, among other advantages, gives the interior an atmosphere of home comfort.
What will be needed during the work?
To perform the lining of the steps of the stairs with a tree, you will have to prepare:
- wooden boards;
- plywood sheets;
- 8 mm bolts (diameter);
- epoxy resin;
- glue;
- grinder;
- cement;
- putty;
- putty knife;
- primer;
- grinding machine;
- building level.
What to look for when getting started?
Before starting to clad a metal staircase with a tree or a concrete monolithic structure, it is necessary to align the width of the steps and the height of all risers. Do this by following a simple instruction:
- They measure the details and make the necessary calculations.
- Steps clear of dust and dirt.
- In places of irregularities, formwork is constructed and the previously cleaned surface is poured with concrete mortar.
- To avoid crumbling of the edges of the steps, it is recommended that they be ironed before the concrete has hardened. To do this, dry cement is gently rubbed into the surface of the mortar that has not yet solidified. After complete drying, this surface is extremely durable.
- Next, the design is left to dry. It is good if the staircase remains uncovered for the entire heating season. During this time, all the processes of shrinkage and adhesion of the material will have time to occur. Although, if necessary, urgent work can be limited to 2-3 months.
What to consider when working with concrete?
If it is necessary to fill a fairly large volume of concrete, it is worthwhile to use additional strengthening of the structure due to the use of special reinforcing elements. For this, you can use ordinary wire. And you can go the easy way and, having drilled several holes up to 2 centimeters deep in the surface of the steps of the stairs, fix metal spikes in them. Experts recommend producing fasteners on epoxy resin or ordinary cement mortar.
How to approach the selection of material for facing the stairs with wood?
While the concrete is solidifying, start selecting lumber. Cut the board to the required size, adjusting the width and length, rounding on both sides and making sure that each of the products was equal to the previous one. Having received the same boards, you will not worry about their further development. Already trimmed workpieces should be additionally dried by placing the product in a dry place, closed from direct sunlight, with good ventilation.
The sequence of work
After the concrete base has been prepared and the board has been dried, you can proceed to surface treatment of the concrete base of the stairs, starting from the lowest step. Instructions for finishing the steps are as follows:
- Make several holes in the riser, trying to place them symmetrically. The number of holes depends on the width of the staircase itself.
- Insert the bolts into the holes and press the risers as tight as possible to the base of the structure. This will help you easily and quickly get markings on the surface of the concrete riser, so that you can immediately understand where to drill holes.
- After making the grooves, insert the fasteners into them. Please note that fasteners are often planted on epoxy, but the variety of such products on the market allows the use of more modern, self-expanding models of anchors or dowels.
- Before finally fixing the wooden cladding, it is worth taking care of the organization of a special waterproofing substrate between concrete and wood slab. As such material, plywood sheets or other material suitable for such purposes can be used. It is recommended to put the substrate and fasten it together with a wooden coating with metal spikes, this will provide greater strength and reliability of the structure. This kind of mount will help make the stairs stationary and as safe as possible.
What to remember and note for yourself?
Remember that when lining the stairs with a tree, you must constantly monitor the thickness of the products and double-check the horizontal position. Having obtained steps that differ in height, you can always adjust the workpieces before direct installation.
Experts recommend using special templates for work to help reduce tree overruns. Such patterns of plywood will help to quickly and accurately cut a wooden overlay on a step along the outlined contours.
What remains to be done at the final stage and how to deal with the finish?
Perform the work process described above with each step of the monolithic staircase, until you reach the end. Each of the steps must be sheathed according to the described scheme, and then connect the cladding to each other, making the design unified.
In this work, the use of nails is not recommended, it is better to take wooden studs for connection. So you will be able to maximally maintain the ideal dimensions of the stairs, close to ideal. Having coped with the casing for one hundred percent, thoroughly clean the resulting surfaces.
To carry out such work, the use of such a technical unit as a grinding machine will be required, and the processing of a monolithic staircase covered with wood is recommended to be carried out in several stages.
Having dealt with this task, clean the surface of dust and dirt, seal up all cracks, possible chips and holes of the fastenings with putty. For such purposes, it is recommended to buy a special composition for wood processing. As soon as the surface is completely dry, soak it with a special anti-parasitic composition that will protect the tree from destruction by possible insect pests.
Painting or ...
At the last stage, the question arises: paint or varnish the surface of wooden steps. Usually they do this with wood - they paint or coat coatings, but in the modern world other methods of finishing work are gaining popularity, which make the cladding more beautiful. For example, the rock treated with stain fully conveys the texture and spectacular pattern. Such an impregnation is quickly absorbed, dries out soon, and the surface itself looks rich.
By showing creativity, you can achieve a stunning effect that conveys the beautiful internal structure of the wood chosen for facing the steps. Just armed with the usual comb, on the surface of the step covered with stain, you can create an interesting pattern that any designer will envy.
Features of the process and issue price
It is not so difficult to complete the facing of the stairs with a tree, as it might seem at first glance. As you managed to notice in the course of studying the article, the time and expense of the material does not differ in volume. If, according to the two previous factors, arranging an aesthetic appearance is not very costly, then the cost of facing the stairs with a tree is pretty decent. Based on an analysis of the prices for carrying out this kind of work, we can conclude that the amount for finishing a concrete base with wooden cladding will cost no less than 75,000 rubles, and the final amount depends on the technology of execution, species and class of selected wood.
In addition: carved railing can be used as a finishing element for the concrete staircase facing with wood , which will effectively complement the picture.
As you can see, facing a staircase with wood is an interesting topic. The more responsible you approach this issue, the better the result will be. I would like to say right away that a wooden covering for a staircase, especially from valuable and durable strong wood species, is an expensive pleasure, but the result is worth it. Moreover, the design will be able to operate not only your children and grandchildren, but also their descendants.