An obligatory element of two-, three-story country houses and cottages is, of course, a staircase. Of course, it is necessary to assemble the lifting structures of this variety in such a way that they are as safe as possible for the movement of people living in the house. First of all, any interfloor staircase must have a solid foundation.
Wood Finishing Benefits
Kosoura, bowstrings and steps of stairs are most often made of timber and boards. But it can, of course, be used for this purpose and metal. Steel stairs have many advantages. Designs of this type are characterized by increased strength and the longest possible service life. But with many advantages, metal stairs have one rather serious drawback. They look, unfortunately, not too attractive.
In this case, the situation can be corrected simply by finishing the metal stairs with wood. The iron marches and railings thus trimmed with the right approach to business are very stylish and presentable. Lining the stairs with wood has another important advantage. The metal parts of the march and railings covered by the boards will not subsequently rust.
Most often, lifting home structures welded from corners and channels are finished with lumber. But if you wish, today you can buy ready-made factory metal frames for stairs under wood trim. In any case, such products are inexpensive and are mounted using a very simple technology.
Material selection
A staircase on a metal frame with wooden steps, thus, will look spectacular and will turn out to be durable. But of course, such a construction will not require repair for a long time only if the right choice of materials for cladding is made.
Wood for finishing marches and railings can be purchased from almost any species. But nevertheless, it is believed that solid hardwood material of this type is better suited for such work. The load on the stairs when operating the house is usually serious. Therefore, sheeting made of soft wood, most likely, in the future will quickly become unusable. Such boards over time will simply begin to wear out.
The most suitable lumber for stairs are oak, beech, ash, larch. Such wood is, of course, quite expensive. Therefore, as an alternative to a metal staircase, you can use a combination of wood paneling. In this case, treads and interfloor areas are finished with solid lumber. The ends and risers are sheathed with soft wood - pine or, for example, spruce.
Of course, it is allowed to use exotic wood for finishing metal stairs. It can be, for example, wenge, teak, etc. Finishing will cost very expensive in this case. But the staircase sheathed with such boards will look as solid and presentable as possible.
What should be the quality of the boards
Sheathed metal stairs, of course, need extremely well-dried lumber. The humidity of the boards selected for this purpose should not exceed 12-18%. Of course, it is worth buying a tree without cracks, a large number of knots and rotted sections to finish the metal frame of the stairs. In addition, before proceeding to sheathing, acquired boards must be treated with an antiseptic.
Before cutting purchased lumber, even if their moisture content does not exceed 18%, you need to dry it for a couple of months in a dark place. Otherwise, after sheathing the staircase structures, the boards may twist. This will lead to their cracking, creaks, deterioration of the appearance of the march and railing.
Design
Wood trim on a metal staircase will look attractive anyway. Sheathed this way:
steps;
risers;
platforms;
handrail;
supporting pillars.
But of course, lumber will first need to be properly cut. To do this work as accurately as possible, you should first make templates with exact observance of the dimensions of the sheathed elements of the stairs.
Cutting should be done in such a way that all the wooden parts of the sheathing subsequently fit together as tightly as possible. Only in this case will the wooden staircase look attractive and neat.
What tools will be required
Sawing wood during cutting is done, of course, usually using a hacksaw. Also, this work can be done with an electric saw. You will need such tools for plating the metal stairs with boards, such as:
It is preferable to pre-treat the metal frame of the staircase under the wood stitching with a corrosion preventing agent. The easiest way, of course, is to paint the steel with enamel using a conventional brush.
Phased sheathing of the metal frame of the stairs with wood
Finish such lifting home structures in a few steps. First sheathe treads and risers. Then the supports are finished - bowstrings and braids. At the final stage, the railing and handrail are faced.
Important
The staircase on the metal frame with wooden steps is very durable and easy to use. However, in case of planking, one very important rule must be observed in this case. On critical sections of the stairs - steps, rails and platforms - it is best to use bolts as fasteners for lumber. Such elements form strong durable joints. When using them, the boards in the future are guaranteed not to get loose.
Self-tapping screws when decorating a metal staircase with wood should only be used to fix elements to the ends. That is, where the boards will not be subjected to stress.
Methods for covering steps
When finishing the flight of stairs, the boards are first attached to the treads. At the same time, they try to make as strong joints as possible. Next, they begin to trim the risers. They are also trying to press against the frame as tightly as possible. In some cases, risers in metal stairs are not sewn. Marches in this case look less solid and safe. However, in the absence of risers, the sheathing of the stairs, of course, is cheaper.
In the absence of risers, trim elements for treads need to be cut in such a way that from the outside of the march subsequently its metal parts were not noticeable.
Casing options
If the march of the metal staircase is assembled on bowstrings, it will not be difficult to perform its end trim. Such supporting structures are usually simply sheathed from the outside with a board of appropriate width. The cutting of lumber in this case will need to be done only in order to close the pieces of the bowstring between the steps from the side of the march.
Facing the kosour, of course, will become more difficult. In this case, the cutting will need to be performed for the outer skin. To fix the details of the wooden cladding from the end of the stairs, as already mentioned, you can simply screw it using a screwdriver.
Railing
Such structural elements of a metal staircase can be performed on steel vertical balusters or horizontal crossbars. The same applies to the parapet of the interfloor areas. In stairs of this design, only a handrail will have to be sheathed with wood. Typically, for this purpose, a bar with a section of 40 x 40 cm is chosen. Material of such sizes in most cases very conveniently fits in the palm of a person. To fix the handrail to the parapet metal, as already mentioned, it is best to bolts.
Balusters and crossbars
In some cases, the metal railing of the stairs may not have steel balusters or crossbars. These elements for this design, of course, if desired, can be made of wood. The railing for the stairs of this variety will also turn out to be quite reliable. Balusters and crossbars are usually made from a beam of not too large section. When choosing a material in this case, it is worthwhile to be guided primarily by the design features of the stairs and its dimensions.
Balusters when decorating a metal staircase with a tree are fixed on the steps strictly vertically using a level. The crossbars are most often attached to the supporting posts of the railing and parapets of the interfloor platforms themselves, as well as to the supports of the handrail.
Balusters and crossbars are fixed in the railing of metal stairs, usually on special studs. Sometimes such elements can also be attached with bolts, followed by masking of the latter. Wooden balusters for the stairs should be installed along the march at a not too great distance from each other. They are mounted in such a way that subsequently between them, when moving up or down, adults and children cannot fall.
The most beautiful version of the railings
If desired, ready-made carved balusters can be purchased for the metal stairs . Such elements are produced today by many workshops. They are quite expensive. But when using a carved wooden railing for a staircase, it will subsequently, of course, be as spectacular as possible.
Of course, curly balusters with a certain skill in working with wood can be done independently. But unfortunately, such work will usually take quite a lot of time (if, of course, the house does not have a lathe). In any case, it will be easiest to cut curly balusters for the stairs from pine or other soft wood. Carved if desired, of course, you can make the end trim of the kosour and the bowstring of the metal staircase.
Masking fasteners
Of course, it is necessary to connect the elements of the sheathing of the metal stairs so that the bolts and self-tapping screws are as invisible as possible. Finishing parts should be adjusted as tightly as possible. If possible, fasteners should be installed in those places that are the least striking.
The heads of bolts and self-tapping screws, unless they are decorative, should be recessed into the wood by several millimeters. The nests remaining above the fasteners will subsequently need to be repaired with putty on wood and sanded. Means for putty can be bought ready-made, matched by color to wood, or made independently. In the latter case, for the manufacture of putty it is necessary to use fine sawdust and carpentry glue in equal parts.
How to process lumber at the final stage
Balusters made of pine, steps made of beech or oak and any other elements of the staircase lined with lumber at the final stage, you can:
to paint;
varnish;
wax or oil.
Paint for decorating staircase elements is rarely used these days. After all, the tree itself has a pleasant aesthetic texture. Marches and railings are usually painted only when interior design requires it. For example, in rooms decorated in the Provence or Scandinavian style, white stairs look very nice.
Lacquered wooden elements of such structures are also not finished very often. Of course, such a tool can significantly extend the life of the skin. But, according to many homeowners, metal stairs with wooden handrails and steps finished with varnish look too budgetary and cheap.
Most often, therefore, marches and railings of lifting structures in country houses are covered with wax or oil. This design is not too expensive. At the same time, the stairs decorated in this way look very stylish and quite presentable.