Such material as metal gives wide opportunities for creating the safe and durable construction. In this, you can use any design, which would fit both for the house interior and technical rooms. Therefore, metal ladders are quite popular.
Options and features of manufacture
Ladders may differ in the construction and assembling technology. These parameters depend on the destination and place of installation (indoors or outdoors). There are certain rules and regulations to build a ladder. You should choose the best width of flights, slope angle and other parameters depending on the area and configuration on the building.
Ladders are divided by the method of manufacturing: they can be welded or forged. Usually, forged ladders are the individual articles of author’s work. The price of this construction can be very high, but it will serve for a very long time.
Types of ladder constructions
There are several types of their building:
- On one or several stringers.
- On bolts. Such ladders doesn’t have a frame; it consists of the ladders, attached directly to the walls or ceiling with the use of bolts.
- On “fillies”.
- Winding version, where the central column is a bearing one.
- Modular constructions
They can also differ in the type of mounting of the handrails and fences. The ladders can be mounted on the upper surface of the ladder, fixed with welding or bolts from the end side.
The reliability of the structure also depends on the support. Sometimes, all the pressure is transferred to the floor, and in the other cases, you should install the additional strengthening under the landing.
Mounting of stringer steps
This type of mounting is considered one of the most popular. In such models, you should use a special wood species not to exceed the load on the floor.
The framework has pre-arranged cutouts for the steps, attached to them with the common bolts from the other side. If there is one stringer, you should weld the metal rectangle to it. And only after that, you can start attaching the steps to the stringer.
Mounting of bolt steps
The convenience of this type of construction lies in that it doesn’t have a heavy framework. The steps are fixed with special bolts, and the load is redistributed to the pillars and the wall.
A prerequisite for such construction is the presence of durable concrete bearing wall. Special brackets are driven into the chosen places, to which the elements are fastened. These models are usually cheap.
Mounting of “fillies”
Sometimes the stringer doesn’t have the specially cut grooves for the installation of steps. In this case, you should use the “fillies” – special ledges, screwed or welded to the basis. They are made of different materials:
- Welded profile
- Tubes
- Sheet metal
- Corner
The best option is chosen according to the design features. If there is one support, located in the center, the basis is usually made of profile, while the pair stringers require corners, tubes or sheet metal. Weld the framework for consolidating the steps to the fillies.
Winding ladders
This kind is different from all the other buildings, features of mounting and construction. Their support is a central beam, which is usually made of pipe. The platforms, on which the steps will be located, are attached to this support. They can be fixed with bolts, welding or special brackets.
If the steps are made of wood, it must be fastened at several points on the lower side. If the special corner frame is mounted under the step, the wooden details must have a bit smaller size to avoid the problems during the changes of humidity and temperature.
Options of modular structures
Modular ladder is a set of the same components, strung on the frame. In its mounting method, such construction option reminds of designer. It will take some time to build such ladder. With different options of connecting the same details, you can make different configurations:
- Straight staircase
- With a 180 or 90-degree turns
- Winding staircase
Such models can include different types of stairs. For their mounting, people usually use screws, pillars or bolts.
Fasten the metal plates to the supporting elements, on which you should place the steps and align them. After that, you can make a mount from the sides, using the bolts.
Combination of materials in the manufacture of metal ladders
Today, the manufacture of metal products makes it possible to combine them with different materials. Modern models of ladders can include concrete, brick, stone, glass and wood elements. There are many options of fences and railings that you can use to equip the building, such as: hand-forged details, steel screens with perforation, parallel bars and wood carving. The price of such product depends on the complexity and materials used.
The ladders used in technical rooms and at work, are usually equipped with the steps made of corrugated iron, perforated metal sheet or steel fittings.
Models with the concrete steps are intended for the public buildings. For the home interiors, you should choose the combination with wood, porcelain stoneware and even glass. Such products are built according to individual projects. At home, you should use wooden finishing elements, as they are pleasant to touch and walk barefoot. In addition, steps can be complemented by different types of finishing in the form of carpet, flooring, laminate or ceramic tile.
To provide the safety of descent and ascent, you can equip it with special covering that would prevent slipping. There are special strips made of silicon or material that looks like sandpaper. They are attached to every step closer to the edge.
Advantages of metal ladders
Metal ladders are chosen for a number of good qualities:
- Structural strength – such products are good at carrying an external load, blows, action of aggressive media and temperature changes.
- Plenty of options and an ability to build a ladder out of modular solutions allows you to create different buildings.
- They require almost no additional cost of operating. If you respect all the recommendations, they will not need a repair for a long time.
- You can combine a lot of materials with metal so that the ladder can fit perfectly into the interior.
- Depending on the structure and manufacturing technology, the ladders can be used both indoors and outdoors— you just have to know how to calculate the construction and ladder steps.
Metal models have a lot of merits due to the broad range of embodiments. If you have any creative solutions for building the metal ladder, tell us about your idea.
