Stairs and railings are an important element of interiors for various purposes: private and public, as well as visually and functionally significant detail of entrance areas, facades or even entire landscapes. In addition to the fact that such structures are often decisive in the architectural image of a room or the entire building, they are subject to special requirements for reliability and durability.
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stainless steel handrail or the whole fence made using similar metal products of various sections and sizes are distinguished by the highest aesthetic and structural qualities.
Handrail as a construction detail
Railings of staircases, fencing of balconies or open interfloor openings at the top usually end with a smooth, convenient for grabbing with your hands bar or pipe - handrail. Where the march is limited by the wall, handrails are arranged that are mounted on the relative to the surface of the wall to facilitate the ascent and descent of the stairs.
In any case: whether the handrail is part of the railing or mounted as a separate element - special requirements are imposed on it. He perceives the main load from a person walking on the stairs or leaning on the top of the fence. Therefore, it must have high strength, reliable fastening to vertical supports or to the wall. In addition, the size and shape of the handrail should be comfortable for grasping, and its surface should not create obstacles for the sliding of the hand. A stainless steel handrail , like no other, meets these requirements.
The use of metal in the staircase
The use of metal for the manufacture of stairs and railings has a long history. Steel is used in the form of load-bearing structural elements - inclined kosour, to which the steps are attached, or in the form of separate segments, allowing to assemble a march of any configuration. Without metal, it is impossible to assemble a staircase on the roof - one of the most popular types of structures today. A classic-style staircase is often decorated with forged or cast fencing elements.
In order for the metal in the staircase to work for a long time, without losing strength and a decent appearance, it is necessary to think of ways to protect it from the effects of the external environment, especially if it is intended to use metal structures in the open air. Today, there are many different weather-resistant paints and coatings that do not lose high quality for a long time. But most often, the need to periodically update the coating remains, which leads to a higher cost of operation of such building elements. Stainless steel handrails and railings are free from such drawbacks.
Stainless Steel Benefits
If a special alloying element is added to iron during steelmaking, the resulting alloy acquires special qualities. If chromium is used as such an additive and its amount is 13 percent or more, the steel becomes resistant to corrosion and is called stainless. Such an alloy retains the best structural qualities of steel - high strength and ductility, acquiring new advantages - weather resistance and durability.
The ability to take almost any shape and excellent surface quality, which lasts a very long time, has made stainless steel moldings the most popular material for the manufacture of stairs and railings. Stainless steel handrails, ladders that use a combination of this material with glass, are especially in demand where there is a large load and high traffic - in shopping centers, at stadiums, in pools, in cinemas, etc.
The use of various unified elements for the assembly of such elements, the development of technologies for the processing and installation of walling and load-bearing structures made of stainless steel made its one more advantage significant - affordable cost. Handrails made of stainless steel, the price of which in comparison with ferrous metal at first looks too high, in the future become the most economical option because of the simplicity and adaptability of installation, convenience and durability.
Aesthetic virtues
When talking about architectural and design products from stainless steel, most often they mean metal structures having a polished surface. The high-quality stainless steel handrail has an almost mirror-reflective ability, which eliminates even microscopic scratches and damage. This is achieved by various polishing methods, from manual and mechanical to electrochemical and plasma. Their meaning is in the surface melting of metal, as a result of which all, even the most microscopic defects, are eliminated. In addition to an expressive modern appearance, this surface is very easy to clean and care.
Thanks to reflectivity, stainless steel fencing with a mirror surface does not look bulky even with a high saturation with metal structural elements.
Where, for aesthetic or functional reasons, it is necessary to avoid excess shine, matting, or satin finishing is used. As a result of processing a metal surface with a jet of air containing sand, glass balls or another abrasive, many tiny dots and scratches are obtained. It is important at the same time to choose a processing depth so that there are no recesses that can trap dirt. The stainless steel handrail, which has a matte surface, causes a more pleasant tactile sensation - it is not so cold to the touch, which is especially important for the railing and handrails.
Types of handrails by location
The most popular type of handrails is located on top of the stair railings. Such a design can be mounted on the side, to the longitudinal end of the march, or on vertical balusters mounted on the edge of the tread. Such a handrail is especially often connected into a single element passing through several floors, which especially increases the overall structural rigidity. Stainless steel railing, the handrail of which is a pipe with a diameter of 50 mm, is the most commonly used design for installation on balconies and along the edge of openings when installing large atriums. So often looks and protection of window and other openings.
A stainless steel wall-mounted handrail is often used when the pipe is mounted on special curved brackets that exit the wall. This method of fastening allows you to provide a comfortable hand grip, reliable support when climbing and, no less important, when descending the stairs. The usual height of such a handrail from the floor or surface of the steps is 900, and the thickness is 50 mm. In public buildings, a handrail is also in demand, installed at a height of 0.5 m, with a thickness of not more than 40 mm.
Prefabricated Fencing
Modern stainless steel fences are mounted in two main ways. The most economical option is to assemble pre-made kits from the factory. In this case, the handrail is assembled from straight pipe sections of the desired diameter with a finished - polished or polished - surface. For mounting the handrail in a single design, connectors are used - double-sided tubular elements having a thickness equal to the inner diameter of the pipes. The connectors have a thickening that fills the seam at the junction of two segments of the handrail. Pipe cuts are used, depending on the situation, with plugs or curved bends connecting the handrails on different floors.
Connectors of another type are couplings with zavoulennymi edges, in the holes of which insert the pipe of the handrail of the desired length. This type of connection is less comfortable, since the hand encounters a small obstacle when moving along the handrail at the joints. To mount the handrail, special holders and pins are used, often with hinges, which allows you to set the handrail at the desired angle to the line of movement.
Stainless steel fence kits include special mounting elements to fill the space between the uprights. These can be holders for railing - thin pipes of small diameter (usually 10-16 mm) or metal cables. If the fence is planned to be transparent, different types of glass holders have been developed.
The connection of accessories for the handrail or fencing occurs using special glue or screws. A more reliable, but more time consuming and expensive method is welded.
Welded joint
Welding with special electrodes or argon is used for handrails and fences made of stainless steel of high class or complex design. The handrail mounted in this way is a rigid, robust structure that looks, in comparison with the national team, more solid, without unnecessary fragmentation.
For the structural strength and high aesthetics of the welded handrail, a higher price must be paid. It consists of the need to attract skilled labor and special equipment. A more precise cutting of moldings and careful processing of joints with subsequent grinding and polishing of welds are required.
Handrails for the disabled
Stainless steel pipes of various sections and sizes are an indispensable material for providing comfort for people with limited mobility - people with disabilities, children and the elderly. Stainless steel handrails for the disabled can be of various types and designs:
- Folding handrails for sanitary facilities (bathroom and toilet rooms), allowing you to sit and get up comfortably and safely.
- Stationary support handrails for toilets and bathtubs, supports for washbasins to prevent leaning on the sink.
- One and two-level handrails on stairs and ramps to ensure safe ascent and descent.
- Supporting wall handrails in corridors and walkways.
Such equipment has special requirements for the strength of the joints. The fastening of such interior elements should be provided only to the bearing walls and ceilings.
Value for money, reviews
Handrails and rails assembled from separate components are the most economical way of arranging stainless steel fences. The right choice of the manufacturer of such accessories is important here, since today the market is saturated with products that only imitate high-quality metal.
According to experts and users, the optimal steel grade for fencing is AISI 201 Prima: at a lower cost, its anticorrosion properties allow the product to not lose its high functional and aesthetic qualities for a very long time. For pools and bath complexes, it is better to choose AISI 304 Super, which is able to successfully counteract high temperature and humidity and contact with water.
The cost of finished handrails and fences depends on the manufacturer, volumes, design, installation methods. A stainless steel wall-mounted grab rail, the price of which starts at 1,500 rubles per linear meter assembled from Chinese-made components, is the most inexpensive option. A double wall handrail from a pipe with a diameter of 38 mm, with a 45 mm relative to the wall, with fastening on bent holders costs about 4000 rubles per meter.
Reviews that such elements of interior and exterior design are only suitable for shopping centers or large office spaces are inherent only to ordinary people. Among professional architects and designers, there is a belief that the multiplicity of such material allows it to be successfully used in residential premises, with a great variety of styles.