The living room, office, or industrial building higher than one floor should be equipped with staircases. This can be a simple design for a lift to the second floor, on the terrace or in the house. Other structures become a real decoration of the interior. And some configurations, such as stairs to the bathroom for disabled people, have a narrow scope, but make life so much easier for those who find it hard to move. It would be useful to get acquainted with the peculiarities of these designs and tips on their use.
Disabled facilities
People with disabilities can be helped with a lot of devices. The step for the bathroom – one of them, it is used at home and in the hospital. The product is made in the form of additional platforms and facilitates the patient’s use of the bathroom. When choosing products for invalids, it is necessary to consider the factors:
- the non-slip surface of the steps;
- rubber tips on the legs of the fixture;
- the strength of the material.
Frame steps are performed of chrome-plated steel, which is resistant to corrosion. Thanks to rubber grips product for the disabled does not slip on the bathroom floor and eliminates damage to the floor covering. The step itself is made of durable plastic that is resistant to moisture and easily cleaned after use.
The step for the bathroom and other appliances for the disabled should be stored in a dry, well-ventilated place.
How to make a bathroom safe
Other devices are provided to equip a bathroom for disabled people. In particular, grab bars are either fixed with screws or attached with vacuum suction cups. It is worth noting that the latter is less reliable. Therefore, it is recommended to purchase fixtures for the disabled with the mounting screws.
You should lay non-slip rubber on the floor to prevent falling in the bathroom. Another functional device is a seat for the bathroom or a more compact chair for shower cabin. The optimal solution is a special sits bath for disabled people, which is equipped with a door. However, it refers to expensive tools.
How to choose the stairs in the house
During construction work in the country, you may need to select and install the ladder. The most common materials are wood, metal, concrete.
Wood is often used not only for the steps in the house or on the second floor but also for interior decoration in the country. The most affordable and therefore, common material is pine. It belongs to soft rock but is quite suitable to build a stage in a country house. The robust species include oak, beech, and ash. They are more durable; however the price is higher.
As you can see in the photo below, the steps of the house may have a different configuration. If the work is performed with your own hands, preferable to stay on the straight-marching design. Its construction is less time consuming compared to other options. While it takes up more space, if a ladder is necessary to enter the small opening, you can choose a spiral configuration. It is worth considering that it is not so easy to operate.
Wooden stairs with your own hands
Deciding to build a ladder to the second floor with your own hands, it is better to stay on the straight marches in structures made of wood. The easiest option in the house – stages with two stringers. The photo shows that these support beams on one side have teeth, which will then be fastened with risers and treads.
The algorithm works as follows:
- design of the march;
- preparation of the stringers;
- installation of bearing elements;
- manufacturing and installation stages;
- fixing of railings;
- finish machining;
- application of the protective composition.
During the design of the march house, you should pay attention to the recommended values.
The most comfortable slope is in the range of 30-40 degrees, the preferred depth of the stage is about 300 mm, and the height of the riser is 140-180 mm.
Also calculate the length of stairs to the second floor, number of steps, frequency of installation of balusters.
Based on the calculations, you can make open strings with your hands. At first, it is better to prepare the part template from plywood. The stringer should have grooves in the upper and lower parts for fastening the bottom and on the second floor. The finished piece is polished, then transferred to self-install.
Stepwise assembly of parts
The stringer is attached at the bottom to the support beams, and the second floor is installed by notching in the floor. You need to use a level to make the installation correct. Fastening elements are used to anchor the bolts.
The installation of steps. You will do with a board with a thickness of 36 mm. The thickness of the riser may be less, 20 mm will be enough. When laying out the width, you should note that a few centimeters will take to install a handrail. Wooden stairs (at the beginning of the risers) to the open strings are fixed with screws and carpenter’s glue.
The next phase is the installation of fencing. The photo shows that the wooden stairs to the second floor are installed with balusters and handrail. The beginning and at the end of the span are mounted lead-in posts, and the basic details are fixed between them. You can use the screws and carpenter’s glue to fix them. It is easier to buy a ready-made set of balusters, but, if desired, the necessary equipment can be made with your own hands from the bars with a square cross-section. The attachment of balusters is masked with decorative caps.
In the final phase, the collected construction to the second floor is ground. Then, the surface of the steps can be covered with paint or other composition. It is important that after the treatment, it remains a little rough to prevent slipping. The product is applied with two or three layers, with breaks between them to have time to dry.
The rise in the house or on the terrace with your hands
Similar design steps for stairs of wood can be performed not only for lifting to the next floor but on the street. If you want to build with your own hands march on the terrace or the porch of wood in the country, it is essential to perform waterproofing. Due to this, you can use processed oil or bitumen beams. Such measures will protect the board steps in the street from rotting.
Stages have a variety of configurations and are made of different materials. Maintaining the required environmental conditions and compliance with the rules of operation will prolong the life of the march. Leave a comment and share practical recommendations about the maintenance of stairs.
