Concrete stairs with own hands

The staircase is a complex architectural structure. It should be reliable, safe, aesthetic and comfortable. Of course, I want to serve it for as long as possible, without having to repair it. Therefore, the concrete staircase with their own hands is a worthy option. This material is expressive from an artistic point of view, it serves a long time, and you can work with it yourself, without resorting to the help of professionals.

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Material Features

Concrete is a popular material. It is used to produce a variety of designs. If we take into account the degree of reliability, then this material will not be equal. The advantages of this material are:

• Strength and durability;
• Uniform load distribution due to the use of reinforcement;
• Resistant to temperature and moisture;
• Monolithicity;
• Diversity of decorative solutions;
• Good combination with a variety of materials.

Important! If the technology is not complied with, there may be shortcomings. For example:

• if you use poor quality raw materials and break the ratio of strength and load, in the concrete, cracks may appear, it will crumble;
• if there is high humidity in the room, a fungus may appear;
• if you do not make an additional finish, the appearance of the cover will be gray and inconspicuous.

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Types of stairs from concrete

Systems of this material are represented by two types:

• Monolithic;
• Combined.

What is a good monolithic concrete staircase? This is a common installation that can be applied anywhere. But the combined ladder is a complex metal structure, acting as a frame for securing concrete steps. To cast them, use formwork with reinforcing mesh.

Important! To make steps, use a mixture of concrete, granite chips and marble chips. When the concrete mixture dries, the surface is polished.

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Design and calculation subtleties:

• To make the work easier, you can use your own sketch.
• The first step is to determine the position of the ladder. It can be located on the ground, next to the wall, serve to connect two opposite walls, etc. All these factors influence the further calculations and installation of the structure.
• When calculating the ladder, it is necessary to take into account the dimensions of the steps and how many. Usually recommend a height of 160-200 mm, width - not less than 270 mm. If in the end after all calculations it turns out that the number of steps exceeds fourteen, then it is better to divide them into two spans.

Important! Be sure to consider the needs of people living in the house. Elderly people can hardly overcome high stairs. But if there are young children, they can hit the step.

• When designing a ladder, be sure to consider that the angle should vary from 24 to 45 degrees. The higher the angle of inclination, the more difficult it will be to climb the stairs.
• The width should also be considered. It should not be more than 800-900 mm.
• When the materials for formwork are selected, it is taken into account how much the whole structure will weigh.

Important! If the thickness of the concrete is 200 mm, then a square meter will weigh about five hundred kilograms. At the same time, the weight of a meter long march of 4 m will be more than 2.5 tons.

• To get a quality concrete mortar, it is better to use a concrete mixer. To make a staircase of concrete with your own hands turned out to be a quality one, the solution is compacted with a special electric vibrator.

Important! The better the solution, the more solid the base will be.

• To ensure that the surface does not dry out after pouring, it is covered with a polyethylene film. The formwork is removed after about a month, when the concrete will become sturdy.

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We collect

formwork Even a spiral staircase made of concrete can not do without the formwork itself:

• Most often it is made of wood based materials. For the manufacture of supports and racks use a bar 100x100 mm, for the formation of steps - edged or half-trimmed boards, the thickness of which is not less than 30 mm, for curvilinear parts use plywood or OSB plates.
• To ensure that the boards are not jammed under the influence of moisture, which is present in the concrete, it is necessary to lay a waterproofing lining before reinforcement. Here you can use roofing paper, polyethylene film or alkyd varnish.
• When assembling the formwork it is necessary to use self-tapping screws, it is better not to use nails. It is better to take phosphated( black) screws, having incomplete thread.
• To join parts, use metal corners or wooden short bars.
• To cut wood materials, use an electric jigsaw.

Important! When installing collections, it is necessary to take into account that concrete weighs a lot. Racks should not hang in the air. If necessary, wedges or linings are installed. To increase the rigidity of the structure, the racks are connected with the help of boards.

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Reinforcing frame

To make the whole structure stronger and stiffer, reinforcement is performed. In this case, use ribbed reinforcement, diameter 10-12 mm. Use a soft wire to bond the individual parts.

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Concreting

Concrete is poured in one go. The air temperature should be positive. The first step is to fill the bottom steps.

Important! To prevent the flow of concrete, it adds crushed stone 10-20 mm.

To prevent air cavities from forming in the concrete, it must be sealed with an electric vibrator. In this case, it is important not to touch the reinforcement, as in this case it will be worse to mesh with the reinforcement.

In order to make concrete, prepare a mixture of:

• Cement grade M 400, one piece;
• Sand, two parts;
• Rubble, four parts;
• Water, 600 ml;
• Plasticizer, 10 ml.

Further adhere to this scheme of work, so that the concrete staircase with their own hands was of high quality:

1. For mixing of components a concrete mixer is used.
2. After the filling, the wet mass is covered with a film so that it does not crack when it dries quickly.
3. The formwork is not dismantled after four weeks.
4. After the concrete strength is collected, the march is finished and the fence is installed.

Important! To avoid unnecessary load, experts recommend using wood as a finishing. The tree can be used both for manufacturing steps, and for handrails with balusters. Ceramic tiles are also used for finishing the steps. In addition, it is possible to use clean concrete surfaces that are covered with a protective compound and ground.

Now you know how to make a concrete staircase. It takes a lot of time and effort to make a ladder, but even a beginner can handle this, if desired.