How to make steps for a staircase made of wood with your own hands?

Wooden stairs have long been used in private homes, in the design of the landscape zone, because this material is natural, environmentally friendly, beautiful, and with the right choice of breed - it is also extremely durable. Despite the emergence of new technologies and materials - concrete, composite, metal, wood structures do not lose their popularity and are still used in private homes and cottages. They can be made both from a solid board (array), and from a furniture board. In this article, we will talk about how to make steps for a staircase from a tree with your own hands.

to contents ↑

The advantages of wooden steps

So, if we are dealing with a concrete or metal staircase, then it is recommended to make steps for it from an array. It has a lot of advantages:

• It is easy to create on your own.
• Poor thermal conductivity. The steps will not cool much, even if the house is very cold.
• Aesthetic component. Such an element of wood will give a pleasant feeling of comfort to everyone.
• Durability and reliability. If the coating is well made, then it will last you decades.

to contents ↑

We will carry out calculations

Before embarking on such an accurate work, it is necessary to carry out a considerable number of calculations, following the proverb “Measure seven times, cut once”.

Standards

Below are the standard sizes, thanks to which you can make wooden steps for the stairs with your own hands:

• Height, i.e. the length of the vertical part (or riser). If the staircase is installed inside the room, then its height should be from 15 to 21 cm.
• The width is the distance between the edges of the stairs. It depends on many factors. If this element is installed indoors, then the standard tread width will be considered 1 m. If it is installed outside the house, then the size can be chosen by you yourself.
• The thickness of a step depends on its width in a ratio of 1:20. This means that if the width is 1 m, then the thickness will be 5 cm. Note that when applying a step to an existing base of any material, the thickness is reduced by about 1 cm.
• The standard size of the riser thickness should be 18-25 mm.
• Depth, that is, the distance from the edge of the tread to the vertical part. The leg of an adult should be fully supported on it, which means that its length should be from 25 to 40 cm. In some cases, this parameter can vary.

Important! A slight variation in the size of the treads is possible, but only if the master follows the following formula: twice the size of the riser in total with the tread should be at a distance of 60 to 65 cm.

Tilt angle calculation

In order to make wooden steps for the stairs with your own hands, you need to choose the right angle of the structure.

The best angle for a person will be from 23 to 37 degrees. The steeper the design, the less space it will occupy.

Important! In case you are planning a slope of less than 23 degrees, then instead of a ladder, it is better to install a flat inclined platform (ramp). If the angle is approximately 45 degrees, then it is better to purchase a folding or side ladder.

Calculation of the number of steps

In order to get the desired number of steps, you should follow the formula: divide the floor height by the riser height. The resulting number must be rounded to millimeters.

The height of the floor is the distance from the floor of the first floor to the floor of the second floor. This means that the thickness of the flooring is included in this gap.

Important! Most likely there will be an error in the calculations when you rounded the heights. In this case, it is necessary to distribute one “unsuccessful" step as a frieze one, and make all the others identical.

to contents ↑

Parts Manufacturing - Preparation

After carrying out all the calculations and measurements, you need to start making wooden steps for the stairs with your own hands. For this purpose, you need to choose a decent material.

Here we focus on such recommendations:

• Most often, arrays of their solid trees are used for such purposes - maple, oak or beech are suitable.
• When purchasing boards, pay attention to their evenness in order to avoid planing.
• If you plan to make raw boards, then first you need to dry them thoroughly. For this, the boards need to be stacked in a suitable place. A 4-mm board will last 4 months to dry thoroughly to the required state.
• To prevent mold, treat the wood with an antiseptic.
• In well-prepared wood, the chips will not bend, but break off.
• When the work is completed, without fail, apply special coatings on the surface of the parts to protect the wood in 3-5 layers. Very often recommend the use of wear-resistant varnish for parquet.

Important! If not dried wood is used, then the staircase will deform strongly over the years and will become worthless.

To make wooden steps for the stairs with your own hands, you will need the following tools:

• If you need to plan the board, arm yourself with an electric plane.
• A circular saw is used for sawing.
• Grinding machine.
• Milling cutter to process edges.

Important! After making templates for the right sizes, treads and the vertical part of the steps are cut from previously prepared boards. Most often, difficulties arise with rotary steps due to their non-standard shape, give them due attention.

to contents ↑

Parts Installation

There are only three ways to fasten wooden steps together:

1. By the Bolts. It is the most difficult option and, at the same time, does not require any complex skills.
2. To the bowstring.
3. To the kosour.

Let us dwell on the last option.

There are many variations of connecting treads with risers. Here are two of the most popular:

• With screws.
• In the groove. To do this, in the place in the tread where the riser should be, a groove of the desired depth is cut out.

Important! Both methods assume that the two parts to be joined will be well glued together.

to contents ↑

Wooden steps with metal base

Wondering what to make steps for a metal staircase from? Our answer is made of wood, because a metal staircase with exquisite wooden steps emphasizes the beauty of the materials used.

And here the rules will be as follows:

• As for the fastening of steps, it is carried out using special holes that are made every 15 cm, departing from the edge of 1-3 cm.
• Any quality of welding metal parts does not imply inaccuracies or any height differences.
• To smooth such a surface, you need to glue the substrate on the frame with glue. The role of the substrate can be played by plywood 10 mm thick, additionally fixed with self-tapping screws.
• In order to fix plywood, in no case can foam be used for installation, since it is not designed for such a high load on the part of users.
• On the plywood, using clamps, fix the tread of the tree and fix using self-tapping screws.

Important! It is recommended to make steps so that they slightly protrude beyond the base of metal. Thus, the appearance of the structure will be more attractive, and will also be able to hide the possibly failed frame of the staircase. So that the ends do not form chips, it is recommended to use hardwood and give them a rounded shape.

to contents ↑

Wooden steps to the concrete staircase

Concrete stairs are famous for their strength and reliability, but at the same time, and not attractive. In order to decorate such a design and make it cozy, you can sheathe a concrete staircase in the house with the help of wood.

Important! Before you start lining, you need to make sure that the “bare” structure is well dried out. Otherwise, deformation of the finished staircase and rapid crumbling of concrete is possible.

After the design has dried for more than 3 months, it's time to get down to business:

1. Any coating may have irregularities, so it is recommended to carefully level the concrete surface using a self-leveling mixture or screed.
2. Next - clean and prime the treated surface.
3. After that, stick plywood sheets to create a moisture barrier. Glue the plywood with a special mastic and fix it with dowels.
4. Only now are steps set of wood. To do this, connect the treads and risers together, a certain puzzle is built.
5. In order to fix the risers on the floor, it is necessary to screw the bolts into the end face so that they protrude by about 7 cm, then cut off the hats, and mark the place on the floor where they will fit. In these places, drill holes and fill them with special resin, and only then fix the riser into it. After fixing it, lay on the early plywood greased with glue, tread with a new riser attached to it.
6. Put the load on this step and wait for the glue to dry.

to contents ↑

Stock footage

So, in this article we told you not only about how to make steps for a staircase from a tree with your own hands, but also about how to make a facing of a metal and concrete wall. Now you must very clearly and accurately act according to the indicated rules in order to get a reliable lifting system that will look appropriate in the selected interior.