Stairs are not only an integral part of interior of the house with several floors, but also a simple and reliable way to go up and down to the necessary level. Wood is the most popular material for building the stairs. People often build the combined structures, such as steps from larch or other wood and metal handrails. Such product is always original and fits perfectly into any interior.
Larch- convenient and reliable material
Larch has a lot of color shades, which makes it possible to use it for almost any interior. Larch is considered a competitor of oak, as it has the same density. Larch is resistant to temperature changes, humidity and direct atmospheric precipitations. Processed board of the real Siberian larch looks beautiful and expensive compared to pine and other (less dense) types of wood.
Larch is easy to process. It can be used not only for building any structures, but also for interior decoration.
Larch stairs look modern in all times. Larch treads are much stronger and safer than pine or ash ones. The main disadvantage of wooden products is that any type of wood must be processed to prevent rotting, mold and make it fire resistant. Natural untreated wood looks much more beautiful than the processed one.
To make the wood look as natural as possible, it should be coated with transparent lacquer or wax.
Ash wood
The texture of ash wood is very beautiful and reminds of oak. When it comes to the common ash, its wood has a uniformly dense structure, which differs it from the oak wood. Ash is a very durable material. In its appearance and strength properties, ash steps don’t yield to the other wood species. Bending ability makes it useful for building the sports equipment. Due to the fact that ash has a beautiful texture, it is used for manufacturing the furniture. Ash is easy and comfortable to process. Ash is also used for building the stair railings. Ash steps will look great and please you with its naturalness and beauty. Choosing between Siberian larch and ash for building the stairs, keep in mind that due to the multiple color shades, larch steps will look much more beautiful than the ash ones.
Pine
Pine is a softer breed of wood. Therefore, steps made of pine will be more subject to mechanical damage than the larch ones. When comparing the price, pine steps will cost you much cheaper than ash or larch ones. The most expensive models are exotic wood species. Pine steps require obligatory processing.
Choice of material and method of installation
The choice of material for constructing the stairs will depend on its price, purpose, place of location, taste and individual preferences of the house owner. Stairs can be metal or forged. Steps and other details of such structures are interconnected by welding or special locks. Reinforced concrete stairs are made of meshes, embedded in the wooden or plastic formwork, filled with concrete mixture of optimal composition. Such stairs can be faced with natural stone (for example, marble or granite). For the wooden structures, you can use different wood species. Sometimes, you can combine the materials (for example, larch steps and pile handrails, or vice versa.
Structural element with metal bearing part and larch steps will look good. In this, stair construction allows you to hide the metal, giving a sense that it is completely wooden. Ash steps will look great in this performance. But if you chase after cheapness, using the pine steps, it can result in mechanical damages and loss of attractiveness compared to the above-mentioned wood species. Whether this is about steps for the porch or indoor stairs, all the beauty will leave soon.
To build the ash steps or use other wood species – it’s up to you. We hope that this article helped you make a right choice. And if it didn’t, ask your questions in the comments
Oak steps have served me for two decades. I highly suggest that you try them!