How to make stairs for porch

A comfortable porch is an integral element of private housing. Being the face of the building, the desire of the owner to combine it with practical and decorative functions is understandable. Depending on the overall exterior of the house, steps to the porch can be metal, wooden or concrete. After studying the sizing, features everything every kind of designs and designs, make the step to the porch independently will become easier.

The sizing design ↑

Porch building begins with sketches. Based on a drawing transferred to the drawing and preparation of estimates. A detailed description of each element would help further the process. Make the frame of the porch, regardless of the material used, is quite simple. Difficulties arise when planning the steps. They must meet the principles of ergonomics, that is to be comfortable and safe in the operation of the porch.

All calculations are performed prior to the construction site. The procedure is the following:

• The height of the porch, it is equal to the distance from the door threshold to the soil surface (i.e. measured the base of the Foundation).
• When equipped with the wooden structure of the result is subtracted 3 cm It will provide an unobstructed opening of the door during the swelling of the material in conditions of high humidity.
• Calculate the angle of the stairs.
  ?The Council! Regulations SNiP recommend to do the steps with a slope not exceeding 45-50°. Optimal parameters vary within the range of 22-37 degrees.
• Determine the slope, plan the height and width of the stairs to the porch. To ensure comfortable movement allows the depth of 30 cm at the height of the steps 17 cm.

Example. To make an accurate calculation of the height of steps (H) and their number (C), the height of the porch (F) are divided by the desired distance between the steps. When the size of the base of the Foundation is 1.2 m, the number of steps is 120:17=of 7.05. The result is rounded to the nearest value, get 7 steps. Their height will be 120:7=a 17.14 cm.

• The length of the stairway is find out by multiplying the number of steps in their plan width: 7х30=210 cm.
• To calculate the length of the stringers, use the formula for determining the hypotenuse in a right triangle, where the side is the height of the plinth of the Foundation and length of the stairs. In our case, the length of the stringers is equal to 242 cm.

The stairs to the porch should be a minimum width of 70 cm. Dimensions of steps for the porch, of more than 1 m, are equipped with additional stringers 1 stringer 80 cm. Not following the recommendations will lead to lack of reliability and likelihood of premature failure.

Wooden steps ↑

Checking the correctness of the calculations, are transferred to construction. Opted for a variant of a porch from a tree, should prepare the individual elements of the design:

• the tread (the part in which rests the foot);
• the risers (vertical elements of the stairs);
• mauerlat;
• the stringers;
• string (if necessary).

When choosing a suitable material for the tread is oriented on the ratio of the width of the March. The optimum proportion of 1:20, that is, when the width of the stairs to the porch of 1 m is used, the Board thickness of 5 cm to Make the risers can be made of thin boards of 2.5 cm is enough. For mauerlat used timber (70х150 mm) with a length corresponding to the width of the stairs under construction. Waterproofing in the form of a piece of roofing material to extend the period of operation of the wooden structure. Before you begin building the stairs you need to concrete the base for mauerlat. The process is not has high complexity:

• to a depth of 0.5 m preparing two holes whose size is 30×30 cm;
• to a height of 20 cm formed a bed of gravel;
• in each recess are mounted valve rods, not reaching the edges of 5-7 cm.
• poured concrete mixture;
• after complete drying of the Foundation, it is covered with roofing felt or other waterproofing material;
• mauerlat is fixed by means of anchors.

The upper support post and mauerlat connected stringers with construction staples. Wooden steps to the porch are mounted on the ends of the cut stringers or rails of a bowstring. To make a quality mount vertical and horizontal elements of steps between them in three ways:

• hidden fastening with screws;
• to make the step in the groove under the end of a vertical Board;
• with the use of galvanized parts.

Attachment to the bowstring also has the options of:

• on pre-installed rails;
• using a long metal corners;
• fixation with grooves provides pre-treatment of the ends of the boards with glue.

If steps to porch of wood attached to the stringers, used screws and glue, and are fixed to the vertical Board, and then horizontal. The installation is performed from the bottom up.

Concrete structure ↑

The popularity of concrete steps to the porch natural. Long life and lots of design options – the most visible reasons for the decision to do the design of concrete. It is made of a mixture, which traditionally consists of sand, cement and gravel. The approximate ratio of materials for 1 m^Three the concrete mix is as follows: sand – 1m^Three, cement – 3,4 kg, gravel – 0.85 m^Three. Stairs and Foundation of porch poured at the same time, so pre-calculate the cubic capacity of the whole structure. If desired, the design steps can be done semi-circular, this will require a plywood or tin strips. The flexibility of the materials allows you to make the formwork of different shapes. The basic rule – high-quality to fix the design so it doesn’t break under the weight of poured concrete mixture.

The whole procedure of erection of concrete structures the porch includes the following steps:

1. The process of construction of steps begins with the preparation of the pit for the Foundation. Experts advise to make a pit depth of 0.5-0.6 m For the formation of cushion will fit the remains of silicate blocks, the battle of brick or rubble classic. To the edge of the pit, after filling should be about 30 cm.
2. Then proceed to the formation of a reinforcing mesh and formwork Assembly. The rebar is placed on the bottom, the ends are displayed on the edges of the pit. Between material is connected by a wire. After you create the first level casing and continue the construction of the reinforcing mesh.
3. The number of alternations installation of formwork and rebar depends on the size of the porch. The top set of transverse clamps.
4. Prepared the design for the stairs is poured concrete mixture which hardens after 48 hours, but the formwork is removed two weeks later. To get rid of air bubbles in the mixture you can use regular Cola.

At the final stage you can make the decoration of stairs to the porch. Details finish options will be described below.

Metal construction ↑

If the porch is settling on the main entrance, a metal stairs is equipped with the recommended sizes: width from 25 to 30 cm height from 12 to 22 see the emergency entrance is allowed to equip with more narrow stairs. To meet the principles of ergonomics, the total size of risers and treads should be equal to 45 see the Steps to the porch, you can make entirely of metal, or use a combination of hard wood (larch, oak or beech).

When compiling a drawing the important point is the location of the steps relative to the facade construction. High plinth of the Foundation of the porch provides a large number of steps. To occupy in front of the house a useful area with a long ladder is impractical, so it is recommended to consider the option of a screw or two marching with swivel design. If the size of the building permit, you can just do the steps are not perpendicular to the structure, and place them on the sides of the platforms of the porch.

To make the metal structure can be made of different materials:

• will fit steel or cast-iron shaped tube with a cross section of 20/40, 40/40 or 40/45 mm with a minimum thickness of 3 mm;
• profiled area 40/40 mm;
• The use of I-beams or channels allows you to equip the porch, much stronger than a concrete structure. However, the high cost of high-quality metal makes the owners of buildings and for the equipment of the porch to use the iron rod or equilateral area.

In the technology management welding metal steps turn out to be very durable and much lighter than concrete counterparts.

The presence of the Foundation for the steps necessary to make it a belt or a bar. In the first case, preparing the trench, the second option provides for the preparation of Yam for piles. The depth of the pit is 30 cm below the level of soil freezing, this figure is individual for each climate zone. The use of piles greatly reduce the cost of construction of steps to the porch, the distance between them should not exceed 2 m. After installation of the Foundation transferred to the welding equipment steps. As a rule, made only the frame design, which then is sheathed with a wear-resistant wood. Machining metal parts with primer and subsequent timely painting contributes to the prolongation of the period of operation steps.

Design options ↑

At the final stage of construction to make a decorative design structure. Finishing materials are selected depending on the basics of the steps of the porch. Wooden parts are pre-primed and then coated with two layers of paint. For this purpose, suitable alkyd enamel, resistant to moisture and low temperatures or teak oil. From the use of lacquer should be abandoned.

This meets the requirements of ceramic tile or porcelain. A wide range of colors of products allows you to successfully combine high functionality with aesthetic appearance of the porch. Impressive and looks like solid marble or granite finish. Avoid tiles with a relief pattern, clogged dirt can spoil the attractive appearance of the porch.

Whichever material you choose, the important thing is to adhere to the recommendations on the arrangement of the porch. Then the operation of the facilities will not bring more trouble.

• How to make a metal porch with their hands
• Steps to porch of concrete with their hands
• Concrete steps to porch