Every homeowner strives to make the interior luxurious and exclusive. And it is doubly sweet when the original elements of interior decoration are not purchased but done by your own. For example, in a house with several floors, guests will always be attracted to the stylish design of spiral staircases. And if you have made such a spiral staircase with your own hands, is it not a reason to be proud? In this article, we will outline the main points of manufacturing and design features ladders of this type, after reading that, you will be able to select suitable materials, make calculations, and install the design confidently.
Why should you choose a spiral staircase?
Each ladder has its advantages and disadvantages. Of course, the traditional stairway is structurally much simpler, and the calculations are made quickly, but the trouble is that it takes significant floor space.
Hence the first argument is in favor of screw configurations that fit compactly in a small space with low ceilings and visually make the room higher.
The second argument is the price, which is much cheaper than propulsion constructions, a variety of materials, and freedom of imagination in terms of design and decor. A striking confirmation of this will be a considerable number of photos of the author’s ladders on the Internet that will give you an idea about what kind of spiral staircase with your own hands you prefer.
Note that the helical models are beautiful but not convenient for frequent use, moving bulky items, furniture, etc. So, it is desirable to access the bedrooms or the attic, but not the children’s rooms, to install them.
Varieties of models of spiral staircases
Already looking at pictures of spiral stairs collected with your own hands, it is possible to note that design features may vary. Fixing the treads of this ladder is made radially. If we analyze a horizontal cut of such flights of the screw in the drawings, we can see that it is circular or polygonal. The polygon is optimal if the ladder is mounted on the wall. You can also successfully plan a half-spiral staircase. Going with this design is quite simple, and if you are interested in this option, the network can help you to find a good selection of videos on the topic, as well as the available calculation methods for developing drawings.
There are the following types of spiral staircases:
- drawing on the walls and the supporting rack;
- jamming in support leg;
- resting on bent bowstring or fencing;
- supporting on the pillar.
Materials for the fabrication of improvised ladders are diverse. It is easier to collect a spiral design made of wood, but you can use concrete or metal elements. Welded metal staircases in the photo look very attractive.
Preparation for work
Before proceeding to the manufacture of spiral stairs with your hands, you should seriously work on preliminary calculations, measurements, and drawings. Planning the technical part of this element, you should consider how often it will be used, think about its function, and calculate its weight. After all, an openwork design with a handrail will not allow you to lift the overall furniture to the top floor, and the presence of children will require equipping an improvised spiral staircase with additional elements of security. Numerous photos and drawings of staircases on the Internet will help to simplify this work. You can use the materials on our website, which presents step-by-step videos of preparatory work and examples of design calculations.
The choice of material for construction
As already mentioned, a spiral staircase with your hands is often made of wood. This material allows to execute the color gamut of the product successfully to match the interior and has good strength, durability, ease of handling, and subsequent maintenance.
Fabrication drawing stairs
Using the samples in the photo is easy to make drawings for spiral stairs.
The main thing in this process –is the most accurate measurements and calculations details of the future element of the interior.
Using video tutorials, it is easy to make independent estimates of the parameters of the steps. It is important to remember that the height should be measured at the corners. If the levels are different, then focus on the biggest stage and then adjust for the level.
When calculating the spiral staircase with your own hands, consider the six main points:
- The optimum width of the ladder – 0.9 m. Thus, the diameter of the ladder should be equal to the sum of the width of 2 degrees plus the diameter of the central rack;
- The staircase will be safe and comfortable if twice the height of the riser in the amount of tread would be about 620 mm, i.e., equal to the standard step;
- The riser shall be equal to 150 mm in height and tread width of 300 mm for proper support of the foot height. If these dimensions change when the lifting or lowering of employees are out of step;
- The most convenient corners of the rise are the angles from 23 to 37°;
- The optimal distance between the ceiling level and the first tier should be about 2 m. This size will make it convenient to lift people to above-average growth;
- the staircase with its size must be equal to the width of the exit to the stairwell or be more of it.
The next stage is the acquisition of materials or blanks for the manufacture of stringers, treads, balusters, racks, etc.
The wood for these items should be better combined. For example, balusters, steps, and handrails can be made of high-quality beech or oak, and the support leg and the string are made of spruce.
Purchased materials can be used in the construction not earlier than three overnights at room temperature. During this time, they will give extra moisture and become suitable for treatment.
The process of mounting the stairs
For clarity, look at the installation of spiral staircases with their hands on the video. These detailed surveys, supplemented by the following instruction, will help you to get answers to all your questions and to help you create your little masterpiece.
The typical installation of the spiral staircase
Name of material | Amount of water absorption, % | Temperature resistance, 0С |
Granite | 0,05 | 300 |
Stone | 3 | 270 |
Rubber | 1 | 100 |
Ceramic | 18 | 250 |
Using this statement, you should note that ready spiral stairs have many configurations, each with different characteristics of the assembly. Therefore, in practice, it is necessary to use only the drawings and calculations that conform to your idea and relevant materials for the manufacture of the product.
Carefully consider all options for stairs for your home, carefully examine the photos of the models you are interested in, double-check the accuracy of calculations, use only high-quality materials, and personally collected spiral staircase will delight you and your family for many years.
If this material has been helpful to you or has caused questions, we ask you to rate or comment on it in the fields below.
I am renovating a house in Mineo Sicily that was built in 1694 with Arabian influence. I want to attempt to build a spiral staircase that is extended to the corner of the entryway. The house is built of stone and the shape is not square anywhere.
Any suggestions you can offer would be fantastic!