Wooden handrails for stairs: when natural beauty brings comfort
Wood has rightfully earned the title of the main building material. As a rule, wood is used as the base of various structures, but do not underestimate the aesthetic component of this unique material with a unique texture. Wooden handrails for stairs are not only the best design solution, but also provide safety and convenience while moving between floors.
Wooden railings for stairs not only look great, but also provide safety
- 1 Wooden railing for stairs: design features
- 2 Wooden handrails for stairs: advantages of the material
- 3 Wooden railings: a brief “educational program” on design
- 3.1 A few words about the construction and mounting of balusters
- 3.2 Handrails for stairs made of wood: how to make a connection
- 4 Wooden handrails for handrails: manufacturing instructions
- 5 Wooden railings for the terrace: a few words about painting
- 6 Wooden stair railings: mounting options
Wooden railings for stairs: design features
Absolutely any staircase structure that contains more than three steps should be equipped with a railing. If you want to give comfort to the house, choosing wooden railings will be the best solution. At the same time, the design should be selected based on the features of the decoration of the room. To build a handrail for stairs made of wood with your own hands, you should first familiarize yourself with the technology and basic nuances of designing such a product.
The distance between the wooden railing posts should not be more than 20 cm
Pay attention! In accordance with the norms, the height of the railing for wooden staircases should be at least 90 cm. In addition, additional handrails can be installed for small family members at a height of about 60 cm.
Often in the minds of people, railings are associated with handrails. In reality, they are only part of the whole structure, which serves as a fence for wooden stairs.
Thanks to the handrails, the process of climbing and descending the stairs becomes absolutely safe and comfortable. The so-called balusters are a load-bearing part, to which all structural elements are often attached. Such racks can be attached to the bowstring or to the steps. In addition, the enclosing structure includes filling, which is to be installed between the racks. It performs several important functions:
- it is a fence, thanks to which the probability of falling between the racks is eliminated;
- it is a decorative element that decorates the entire structure.
According to the norms, the height of the railing for wooden stairs should be at least 90 cm
The distance between the racks should be no more than 20 cm. Otherwise, children will easily be able to get between them, which will cause an accident. At the same time, the height of the fence should be convenient for adults.
Making wooden railings is a fairly simple task. Perhaps the most important step here is to determine their design.
Fences often have the following configurations:
- racks installed at a small distance from each other, to which the handrail is mounted;
- the racks located at a considerable distance to which the filling is attached are frames with a grid or horizontally arranged slats.
Fencing of the first type is characterized by attractiveness and simplicity in terms of manufacturing. The balusters of the chiseled type look especially impressive. In order to decorate the product, you can alternate racks of various shapes, for example, square with round chiseled ones. At the same time, the balusters located first and last differ in larger size. This is due to the fact that they take on the greatest load.
The most important step in the manufacture of wooden railings is to determine their design
Due to the fact that chiseled racks and other ready-made construction parts can be purchased at specialized retail outlets, the process of designing wooden handrails for stairs with your own hands will become the most comfortable and operational activity.
Wooden handrails for stairs: advantages of the material
Wood is a traditional material used to create such structures. It is characterized not only by a stylish look, but also by durability, due to which it is ideal for equipping houses made of various materials. If the exterior decoration of the building is made of wood, then a wooden porch railing is the best solution.
It’s interesting! In the case of using the technique of wood carving, you can give the interior sophistication and originality.
This building material, donated by nature itself, is endowed with such advantages:
Wooden handrails for stairs are characterized by aesthetics, ease of installation, environmental friendliness and safety
- Aesthetics. It lends itself perfectly to the processing process, therefore it is an excellent base for creating various designs.
- Ease of installation. If there is a desire to install wooden railings in the house yourself, it can be done without having special skills and relevant experience. For such work, the simplest tools that are available in every home are used.
- Environmental friendliness. Natural material does not have a negative effect on the body, therefore it rightfully deserves the title of the safest building component.
- Security. If small family members live in the house, wooden fences for stairs should be preferred. In case of impact on them, the little fidget will remain unharmed. In addition, tactile contact with the railing will not cause discomfort, because even under the influence of critical temperatures it does not become too cold or hot.
To protect the products from the harmful effects of the humid environment and other negative factors, they should be treated with special solutions. In addition, do not forget that you need to take care of ensuring the safety of the skin of your hands while touching the railing.
To protect wooden railings from negative factors, they should be painted or treated with special solutions
On the Internet there are many photos of wooden railings made in various styles and variations. Among them, you can find the best option that will become an elegant addition to the interior.
Wooden railings: a brief “educational program” on design
The manufacture of each element of the staircase structure involves the use of a single wood species. Due to this, the possibility of deformation of the product is completely eliminated.
Pay attention! Before you start installing wooden railings, you should perform a number of calculations and form an estimate for materials. At the same time, the number of balusters is calculated based on the length of the product and the width of the step.
The process of manufacturing fencing for stair structures is step-by-step and consists of the following steps:
A sketch of the future railings indicating the dimensions of the elements is as necessary as the materials themselves
- Before starting work, it is necessary to sketch a sketch of the future product with an indication of the dimensions of the elements.
- After that, the balusters are turned in accordance with the sketches created.
- The next step is drilling holes for the shkantov from the lower side of the supports.
- On the other edge of the balusters, a cut should be made at an angle equal to the angle of inclination of the staircase structure. Due to this, the handrail will be located in a parallel direction with respect to the stairs.
- Then, from the bars of the required length, you need to carve wooden handrails.
- The next step is to grind all the elements. This can be done using special equipment or independently using sandpaper.
- Before installing railings and balusters on a wooden structure, it is necessary to apply markings.
- Then, holes should be drilled in the steps intended for the shkants.
- After that, the sheets are to be smeared with a layer of glue and installed in the steps, after which balusters must be strung on them.
- The next step is to connect all the supports with a rail, which is fixed by means of screws.
- Next, a handrail must be attached to the rail. In this case, the screws are screwed in from below, from the side of the steps.
- The finishing touch is the coating of the product with varnish.
The sharpening of the balusters takes place in accordance with the created sketch
This completes the process of creating the enclosing product. It is the same regardless of what kind of construction the railing is created for – for a concrete staircase or for a wooden march.
This is important! The moisture content of the wood used for the manufacture of fences should not exceed 7-8%. In the case of a larger value, the elements during the use of the structure may simply lead.
Thus, if you have at least minimal experience working with wood, it will not be difficult to construct such a product at all. At the same time, the price of wooden railings created independently will be significantly less than the cost of a ready-made fence.
A few words about the design and installation of balusters
The manufacturing process of these parts takes place in accordance with the prepared sketches. If there is no lathe, the supports can be ordered from any of the carpentry workshops. In case of purchase of special equipment, the total price of wooden railings, of course, will be higher, but the tool can be used in the future to create other wooden masterpieces.
The production of balusters begins with the execution of drawings. moreover, all the details must be numbered in order to avoid mistakes in the future. After that, the boards are adjusted in accordance with the dimensions of the future balusters. Then they are turned on the machine, as a result of which they acquire the necessary configuration. You can give the details the shape of a circle by pre-forming them in the form of octagons.
In the process of creating wooden handrails with your own hands, you may encounter difficulties during fastening. The reason lies in elementary inexperience. In this regard, initially it is necessary to create blanks in an amount slightly exceeding the required.
In order for the racks to have an aesthetic appearance, they are given the proper shape by means of incisors (according to the drawings). At the same time, it is best to mount the balusters on spikes, for which it is necessary to drill a small recess in advance.
At the final stage, all wooden products are thoroughly sanded. Speaking about the price of wooden railings, it is worth noting that it is entirely justified by the reliability and durability of this material.
Making railings from wood yourself, you may encounter difficulties during the fastening of balusters
Handrails for stairs made of wood: how to make a connection
After preparing all the necessary elements: balusters, handrails and curbstones – it is necessary to assemble all the details. Installation should be characterized by strength, and also ensure not only safety, but also the aesthetic appearance of the structure.
In order to ensure the reliability of fasteners, wooden march nodes are used. Thanks to them, the connection of the balusters and steps is guaranteed, and with proper handling, creaking can be prevented.
Wrought iron railings for stairs: the beauty of metal patterns
Advantages and disadvantages. Varieties. The choice of style and design of wrought iron railings. Wrought iron railing for the porch. Prices for different products. Rules of care.
In addition, the nodes are used if it is necessary to connect the carved part of the handrails with curved elements “joint to joint”. The installation process is, in fact, incredibly simple.
After fixing the structure, it is necessary to putty, so that absolutely all defects and irregularities can be eliminated. After that, the fence should be sanded with fine sandpaper.
It is possible to connect handrails for stairs made of wood with balusters using self-tapping screws
The finishing touch is the application of a coating that performs a decorative function. They can be paint or varnish. The choice of coating depends on the features of the interior of the room.
Wooden handrails for handrails: manufacturing instructions
The design of the railing provides for the presence of wooden handrails, the price of which may be high. That is why the rational solution is the independent manufacture of this element of the stairs.
When performing this process, the following requirements must be observed:
- Handrails are made of wooden beams, the cross-section of which is identical to the cross-section of the balusters. At the same time, it is very important that the surface of the structure has a rounded shape.
- If the dimensions of the stairs themselves are small, in order to construct handrails, you can use one board with a size of about 1.5 m.
- The future product should be processed using a lathe, after which it will be necessary to perform its grinding.
- In order to simplify the fastening of the balusters directly to the handrail, it is necessary to make the appropriate grooves in it.
Handrails are made of wooden beams, the cross-section of which should be the same as the cross-section of the balusters
There is another option for designing handrails using glue. It will be an excellent solution if we are talking about spiral staircases. The essence of this method is reduced to gluing boards one on top of the other. At the same time, they must be pre-sanded. For this purpose, you can use a grinder.
In this case, plywood, which is to be attached to the railing, will act as the base of the future wooden fence. Paper is laid on the masking tape.
Subsequently, the base is dismantled, and the paper is used so that there is no adhesion of the base material to the plywood sheet. At the same time, the dimensions of the railing and the base should be equal. The finishing layer is laid on the base, which should be fixed by means of clamps. For a more dense laying with an end saw, the boards must be trimmed along the entire length of the product.
By analogy, the second finishing layer is laid, the boards are also trimmed. In this case, the seams of the additional layer should overlap the seams of the original by about 5 cm. Then it is necessary to fasten the formed layers together with the help of glue, as which PVA is quite suitable. At the same time, the glue consumption should be minimal, otherwise it will be noticeable at the joints.
Handrails of rounded shapes are made by gluing several elements
Pay attention! For the convenience of distributing the adhesive layer over the surface, it is better to use a brush, which must be stored in a container filled with water.
In order to ensure a tight connection of the clamps with each other, preference should be given to wooden bars, which are to be attached to self-tapping screws. The handrail assembly process continues in a similar way. At the same time, the height level of both the railing itself and the handrail is determined depending on the number of layers.
In the process of gluing handrails for wooden stairs with your own hands, you will need to be patient, since this is a rather time-consuming and lengthy procedure. It will take at least 12 hours for all layers to dry.
After complete drying, all layers are subject to processing, grinding, and excess edges are cut. Already finished products should be processed using a milling machine equipped with a nozzle in the form of a semicircle. The base should be carefully removed, then unscrew the screws. At the final stage, the handrails will only need to be attached to the railing using the resulting holes. At the same time, the installation of railings on a wooden staircase should be carried out strictly in the center.
Special clamps are used to fix the elements during gluing
Wooden railings for the terrace: a few words about painting
The price of wooden railings for stairs is quite justified, because wood, with proper care, can serve for a very long time and not succumb to destruction under the influence of moisture. Since wood is a rather vulnerable material, special formulations should be applied to it for maximum protection.
The paint is also used as a decorative coating, due to which it is possible to change the appearance of the porch almost beyond recognition. In addition, the paint stimulates the manifestation of the natural structure of the material. Such compositions also help to prevent the formation of mold.
To perform the painting of wooden railings for the balcony, you will have to get:
- chisel;
- sandpaper;
- rollers with large pile;
- with brushes;
- a brush that will be needed to remove dust.
In addition, painting will require putty on wood, necessary for sealing small cracks on the surface, as well as a primer used to increase adhesion and form a protective layer. The main consumable material is paint, the selection of which must be treated with maximum care.
Water-based solutions are not inclined to resist the physical influence of atmospheric phenomena
Special compositions are used for painting wooden products that are under the influence of atmospheric conditions. They are divided into the following types:
- oil paints;
- alkyd;
- water – based emulsion;
- reactive;
- polyurethane.
The composition of oil paints contains special oils, in particular linseed and hemp. They are characterized by the ability to perfectly absorb into the wood surface.
It’s interesting! Previously, such compositions were used for the purpose of staining wood surfaces, since they serve as excellent protection for the material. However, over time, their prevalence has decreased, as they tend to emit a pungent odor, and it takes quite a long time for them to dry out.
Water-based solutions, when applied, almost do not exude odor and perfectly protect wood from the influence of ultraviolet light. However, they are practically not inclined to resist physical influence. That is why it makes sense to use this type of paint for railings, for a wooden porch only if the structure plays the role of a decorative element.
Alkyd compounds are a reliable protection against moisture
It takes much less time for alkyd substances to dry than for other formulations. It is thanks to this that they have gained great popularity. This type of paint is characterized by resistance to mechanical influences and is a reliable protection against moisture ingress.
As for reactive compounds, they are made of pigment resins and a hardener. Before applying them to a wooden surface, these elements should be mixed. The result of the reaction between them is the formation of a protective film characterized by a high degree of hardness.
The most important characteristic of the composition, which is intended for painting wooden porch railings, is its resistance to external factors. Therefore, the choice should be made based on such parameters:
- average temperature in summer and winter season;
- degrees of influence of snow, wind and rain;
- the level of impact of a mechanical nature.
To keep the paint as long as possible, you should use all kinds of varnishes and protective equipment
In order for the paint to last for a long time, it is necessary to use all kinds of varnishes and other protective means for wood. If you follow the above recommendations, the price of a wooden handrail for handrails will be justified not only by its highest reliability, but also by its beauty.
Wooden stair railings: mounting options
It is worth noting that the method of manufacturing fences directly depends on the features of the interior, as well as on the type of wooden stairs for which they are designed.
For example, a distinctive feature of spiral staircases is their compactness. As for the installation, it also does not cause difficulties and involves the installation of two types of balusters: large ones are mounted in the corners, and those that are smaller – on the steps.
On the tops of small racks, it is necessary to mark the angle of inclination of the staircase structure and cut it off. In the lower part, you need to drill a hole. At the same time, its height directly depends on the size of the sheets. During the installation of these elements, you can add a little glue to increase the strength. After that, the installation of the balusters and the main parts is carried out.
The method of manufacturing the railing directly depends on the features of the interior and the type of the staircase itself
For screw structures, you will need to create a bowstring of a curved shape.
Interesting! You can do this yourself. To do this, the workpiece made of wood should be soaked in boiling water to give it softness.
Then the workpiece is to be fixed in the desired position and dried. After that, you should connect all the details of the stairs.
It is worth noting that the fences can be forged. Such railings for wooden stairs in a private house are a sign of the excellent taste of its inhabitants. The key point in creating a tandem of wood and metal is to ensure the correct and reliable connection. However, speaking about the material for the stairs made of wood, it is worth noting that the additional elements made of natural material have no equal.
The process of manufacturing handrails for stairs in a private house is long and painstaking
If we are talking about creating a combined structure, in this case, mounting glue and a grooved system are used. In addition, you can use elements for fasteners, including self-tapping screws. Having made a decision on the combination of forged balusters with wood, it is necessary to organize the processing of the compound with an anti-corrosion compound.
The process of creating a wooden staircase railing in a private house is quite lengthy and painstaking, and caring for them requires some effort, which is fully justified by creating a stylish and luxurious appearance of the house.
In buildings with several floors, stair railings are a necessary attribute that ensures the safety of staying on the stairs, balcony or terrace. In addition, wooden railings will add sophistication to the interior and become an elegant element of decor.
Erika Baldwin
We offer a variety of handrail systems, including traditional, antibacterial or virucidal, and glass railings. Safety is our top priority, using only high-quality materials and techniques. Our custom design options allow clients to get exactly what they need. Handrails are more than just functional, they reflect a building’s style and character. We work closely with clients to deliver a unique solution. Contact us for exceptional handrail systems.