The porch is certainly one of the most important parts of the construction of any building. Such street stairs can be made from a variety of materials. In any case, the design of the porch, of course, should be convenient and safe for movement. Almost always, such stairs are complemented by reliable railings.
What can be fences
The railing, like the porches themselves, can be made of different materials. Most often, street stairs in our country are fenced, of course, with metal railings. Such designs are reliable, have a long service life and are relatively inexpensive.
Also, the porch railings in many cases are wooden. Such structures do not last as long as metal ones. However, they cost homeowners even cheaper. In addition, wooden railings are also easy to assemble.
Another fairly common form of porch fencing is concrete. Some of the disadvantages of this type of handrail include difficulty in construction. Concrete fences cost homeowners quite expensive. However, they can last much longer than metal or wood.
Also, in some cases, the railing of the wings of houses can be built of brick. This type of fencing is the most expensive. The advantages of brick railings include a long service life and a solid, attractive appearance.
Varieties of metal railings
Such fences, in turn, can be classified according to the type of material used for the manufacture and design. The porch railing can be welded:
- from ordinary steel;
- stainless steel.
The first type of fencing can have both the simplest design and very complex. For example, forged railings of street stairs look simply luxurious in the suburban areas. Owners of large beautiful cottages often choose just such a fence for the porch. In the photo below you can see the forged railing, the appearance of which, of course, cannot but impress.
Stainless steel guards usually have the simplest design. However, their main advantage is a long service life and ease of maintenance. Periodically tinting the stainless steel porch railing, for example, is not necessary.
Varieties of wooden railings
Such designs are made of timber and boards. Wooden railings differ mainly in design only. In ordinary houses, most often mounted porch fencing of this variety of the simplest design.
In cottages and large houses with a beautiful exterior, railing of street stairs with carved details and curly balusters can be installed. Fencing of this type usually looks very impressive and can be quite expensive.
Concrete porch of a private house made of concrete
Such structures are poured into the formwork using cement mortar, which the owners of suburban areas often knead on their own. Concrete railing usually have a significant thickness and are massive. When pouring them, among other things, a reinforcing cage is used. Such railings are mounted simultaneously with the porch itself.
Concrete in itself, of course, the material is not too beautiful. Therefore, the concrete railing at the final stage in most cases is additionally lined with some decorative material. Most often this is a tile designed for outdoor use. Also, concrete fences in some cases can be painted or lined with boards.
Despite the need for additional decoration, concrete railings in comparison with other varieties of similar designs in terms of design have one indisputable advantage. In the process of pouring, they can be given almost any desired configuration.
In addition to monolithic in suburban areas, concrete railing and a slightly different design can be installed. In this case, the fences have a handrail and curly massive balusters. Most often, the concrete railing of this variety is painted white. They are usually mounted only in the largest cottages of complex architecture. It is such a fence for the porch in the photo below that is presented to your attention. As you can see, such railings look very rich.
Brick railing
Such fences, in turn, can be built from both silicate and ceramic or even decorative bricks. Railings of this type are mounted, like concrete, simultaneously with the porch itself. By dressing the joints in the masonry, the stability and reliability of the street staircase is ensured.
In some cases, such railings can additionally be finished with tiles or wood. But more often than not, they also look quite impressive without a separate design. In particular, of course, this applies to fences erected from ceramic and decorative bricks.
Railing Rules
Thus, porch fences can be made of brick, concrete, wood or metal. Owners of country houses choose the material for the railing, usually in accordance with the design of the street staircase itself.
Brick fences, of course, are being erected for brick porches. The same goes for concrete structures. Wooden railings can be mounted at the edges of both concrete and brick street stairs. For porch, knocked down from the boards, fences made of such material, of course, are almost an essential element. Sometimes wooden fences are installed on steel street stairs.
Metal porch fences, forged or plain, can also be mounted on both concrete and brick marches. On wooden such railings are almost never installed. Most often, metal fences are mounted, of course, on steel stairs.
Handrails
For brick and concrete railings, since they usually have a significant thickness, such a structural element is often not provided. Only sometimes on such structures short supports are installed on top and connected by a handrail. When assembling wooden porches, the handrail is usually made of 40 mm timber or poles of the same diameter. Such designs are considered the most convenient in operation for grasping with a human hand.
Protections of porch made of metal, respectively, most often have a steel handrail. However, in this case, this element is usually additionally sheathed on top with a narrow board. Metal, as you know, is a material having a high degree of thermal conductivity. Touching the iron railing in the heat or cold may not be too nice. The wood sheathing does not heat up in the sun and does not cool too much in cold weather.
SNiP standards
The design of the railings of the street stairs, of course, should be quite attractive. In any case, the street staircase should be assembled in such a way that it harmoniously blends with the exterior of the building itself.
But any porch should, of course, be not only beautiful, but also comply with all safety rules. In private homes, the height of the railing can be very different. In most cases, when choosing this option, owners of low-rise private buildings are simply guided by the growth of people living in the house.
However, in relation to the railing of street stairs, there are also certain standards of SNiP. According to existing rules, fences, for example, must be mounted on the porches without fail if they have a height of more than three steps.
Owners of low-rise residential buildings can optionally not follow this rule. The SNiP also indicates that this requirement does not apply to private households. However, of course, it is still worthwhile to provide a fence for a porch of wood, metal, brick or concrete with a height of more than 3 steps, including in low-rise buildings. This will make the street staircase much safer for both adults and children. Moreover, the winters in Russia are known to be very frosty. And in cold weather, a street staircase can simply be covered with a crust of ice. Without a railing, moving around in this case will certainly be very inconvenient.
Fence height in accordance with SNiP
Of course, the porch railing of a private residential building should first of all correspond to the growth of the owners of the house. The handrail of the street staircase should be located approximately at the level of the chest of a person ascending or descending along it.
If the difference in growth among the owners of a country house is significant, when choosing the height of the fencing of the porch, you can be guided even by the norms of SNiP. According to this document, the railing of the street stairs should not be lower than 90 cm. It is this height for the porch of a private house that is likely to be the best option.
In public buildings, the railing of street stairs is often made very high. For example, in kindergartens on street stairs, according to the norms of SNiP, the height of the porch fence should not be less than 120 cm.
Distance between balusters
Sometimes the railing of the wings of country houses and various public institutions are supplemented with crossbars. So called longitudinal elements connecting the fence supports. It is with crossbars that the porch railings made of stainless steel are usually supplemented. Such a simple design allows you to save on expensive material.
Forged porch fences between the handrail and the march are often filled with all kinds of decorative details - metal curls, flowers, etc. Such elements make the street staircase, among other things, very beautiful.
Crossbars and forged parts very well ensure the safety of people moving on the porch. But most often, the railing of the street stairs is supplemented by vertical balusters. Such structural elements are almost always used, for example, on wooden porches. The distance between balusters, according to the norms of SNiP, should not be more than 15 cm.
In private homes, this rule, of course, is also optional. However, in the event that there are small children in the house, installing balusters, of course, is more often. To ensure the safety of the child can only such a porch fence. In this case, balusters are arranged closer to the stairs so that the child, firstly, does not fall, and secondly, cannot put his head in between these elements and get stuck.
At what distance from the edge of the stairs are installed
If the porch was assembled on the kosoura, the distance to the edge of the steps from the porch supports does not matter much. However, if the street staircase was mounted on a bowstring, the railing should still be installed away from the edges of the march. This will provide additional safety for people traveling on stairs.
Moving along the porch, a person usually tries to stay close to the railing. If the fence is located at the very edge of the march, the leg of a person moving up the stairs can simply slide down (and especially with a large distance between balusters), which will lead to injury. Positioning away from the edge is both a metal porch fence and a wooden one.
Handrail Safety Requirements
As already mentioned, this porch structure element is most often made of wood. Of course, for the handrails of a street staircase, you should use only previously well-processed timber or a board sanded with fine sandpaper.
The handrail should be attached to the supports by lower tapping the latter. Bolts in this structural element are usually screwed in from below. Sometimes, when assembling, for example, the simplest porch of economic buildings, the handrail can be mounted on bolts or nails and from above. In this case, the caps of the fasteners, of course, need to be recessed into the wood. Otherwise, a person climbing the porch may injure his hand about them.