Those people who own a house with several floors were faced with the question of which staircase to choose to harmoniously fit it into the interior. An optimal design is a spiral staircase, the dimensions of which will be mentioned below. You must be prepared for the fact that such a design is quite difficult to install, in the manufacture of individual elements you may encounter some difficulties. Among other things, the master must have certain skills and knowledge. The main feature of such products is vibration, it will be impossible to completely get rid of it. During operation, under the influence of vibration, some fasteners can become loose, as well as cause damage to the walls. But for the problems described there are solutions that can minimize the shortcomings of the screw structure.
Design Features
If you are interested in spiral staircases for the home, then at the initial stage you should choose a place. Sometimes these structures are installed outside or inside unheated rooms. These options can cause injuries, as the metal freezes at low temperatures and becomes slippery. In the summer, this design heats up, and it becomes almost impossible to move around it. At the next stage, you need to create a drawing, taking into account the depth of the steps, as well as their width and pitch. It is also important to choose the right materials.
In addition to steel, decorative elements will be needed. The most economical option will be a steel sheet, the thickness of which is 4 millimeters. With an angle grinder, you can cut individual parts. The design is recommended to be hollow, then the plane of the steps can be filled with wood. This will reduce the total weight of the product. In addition, as practice shows, wood is quite comfortable to walk barefoot.
Tool preparation
Spiral staircases for the house are made with a certain set of tools, among them are a grinder, a puncher or a drill, a set of wrenches, as well as a building level. If you decide to use steel in your work, you will need a welding machine. Depending on the type of floor and wall, you need to purchase anchors or a set of dowels. Do not dispense with roulette during the installation of this product.
Staircase dimensions
Spiral staircases should only be made after careful dimensioning. When determining the height of the structure, it must be taken into account that there are two values, namely the distance from the floor to the floor, as well as the distance from the floor surface to the opening. The support post must be fixed above and below, otherwise the design will have only 50 percent strength.
The described type of stairs has a circle shape, it is important to consider the diameter of the opening. For a minimum of 50 centimeters of passage width, the diameter should be 105 centimeters. It is important to take into account the diameter of the support column. If you plan to bring furniture to the second floor, then the diameter of the opening should be equal to 305 centimeters or more. When spiral staircases are made of wood, the same dimensions can be used.
For example, the width of the step at the point of contact will be 10 centimeters, otherwise the rising one can easily stumble and fall. The greater the step height, the more comfortable it is to use the ladder. This parameter can be calculated by dividing the distance from the floor to the opening by one of the numbers, which starts at 5. The step between these values is 0.5. The main thing is to come to a whole value.
Example of calculating step height
A spiral staircase, the drawing of which you can make yourself, must be made taking into account a certain step height. It is important for this to determine the distance from the floor to the opening. If the figure is 312 centimeters, then it can be divided by 5, which will allow to obtain 62.4; by 5.5 (56.7) or by 6, which will allow you to get 52. Recent calculations determine the optimal number of steps, the height of each of which should be equal to 6 centimeters.
Staircase preparation
A spiral staircase, the dimensions of which were mentioned above, can be made by you yourself, while you must follow a certain technology. And making a diagram, you can calculate the total area of the structure. For this, the following formula is used: the width of a step in the middle part is multiplied by its height, as well as by the number of steps. Based on this, the master can purchase 4 mm sheets of metal. If the staircase leads to the basement or to the attic, then 2 millimeters of thickness will be enough. For the reason that the steps are wedge-shaped, you must be prepared for a large number of trimmings. That is why it is necessary to purchase an additional sheet.
When a spiral staircase is made, the dimensions of which will be individual in each case, the posts are made of scraps of metal that are interconnected. A longer way to perform is the creation of hollow steps. To do this, prepare strips with a width of 2 centimeters. Four of them will be lateral, the same amount will be needed on the end parts. The strips are welded into a corner, and after the step they are filled with wood or forging elements.
Alternative material options
Spiral staircases in a private house are sometimes made of galvanized steel. The craftsmen resort to this decision for the reason that the sheet metal is corroded during operation. However, it is possible to work with galvanizing if you have special welding equipment available.
Another solution is aluminum, which is easy to process. However, its cost is higher, but the design will be almost three times lighter. Aluminum dampens vibration and will not cause walls to collapse. During the assembly process, you should use the same technology that was described above, but argon units will be used for welding.
Installation process
Spiral staircases made of metal are installed in four stages, the first of which will be the installation of the support column, then you should proceed to the steps and handrails. The final step will be decorative work. If the staircase is assembled during the construction of the house, then the lower edge of the support pillar can be concreted, and the upper one fixed to the ceiling with dowels. The depth of concreting should not be less than 40 centimeters.
If there is no opportunity to carry out concrete work, then it is best to use dowels. In some cases, sleeves are put on the support post to which steps are welded. They are made of a pipe of larger diameter. In practice, this allows you to adjust the angle of elevation, but adds extra weight to the structure and makes the wizard encounter difficulties in fixing the elements.
Work on steps
A spiral staircase, the dimensions of which must be individually calculated by you, provides for the presence of steps. Work on them should be carried out at the next stage. If it is possible to fix these elements not only on the basis, then the manipulation must begin with the installation of clamps. To do this, use square bars with a side of 5 centimeters. They are cut into separate pieces equal to the largest width of the step. They expose the elements according to the level and fix them with dowels to the wall. The step is welded to the support column, and its second edge rests on the latch. More solidity can be achieved by welding steps together. For this, strips of metal are used.
Concrete staircase manufacturing
After you learn by what technology spiral staircases are made of metal, you can familiarize yourself with the methodology for erecting a concrete structure. For work, you will need a 20-mm waterproof plywood, which is still sometimes replaced by a 3-centimeter edged board. Prepare a square beam with a side of 10 centimeters, which is necessary for props and racks. When curved surfaces are required, 9 mm plywood or edged boards are used. There should be no gaps or crevices in the formwork being created, therefore the joints should be made using phosphated screws. At the end, steel corners are installed. After the solution solidifies, all elements are removed. Steel rods should be laid in the finished formwork. Concrete is poured, the brand of which should not be lower than B15 in strength. Start work from the upper stage, gradually moving down.
It is worth considering that concrete spiral staircases are quite heavy, so it is best to analyze before starting work whether the floors and floors can withstand such a load. Such products are often finished with wood or plywood, which will depend on financial capabilities. Concrete spiral staircases are able to serve the owners for a long time.