How to make steps for a porch from wood and WPC with your own hands: step-by-step instructions

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When planning the construction of a new two-story house, you need to think about the construction of a staircase, which should be reliable, safe and aesthetically attractive. To achieve such a result, the material from which the structure will be formed plays an important role. Oak is considered the most durable and beautiful in design. He has rightfully occupied a leading position for many years. This elite material is used when decorating classic and non-traditional modern interiors.

Types of steps

Oak furniture and various wood accessories have never been considered cheap. This is explained by the complex preparatory process (drying and staining) of the workpieces. The result is a high quality product. Not everyone can afford to purchase oak products, however, the price does not count when the splendor and durability of the product are at stake. Therefore, when cladding flights of stairs, oak tiles are often used, guided precisely by their long service life. Oak steps last a long time without changing their positive characteristics.

There are 3 types of steps

Kinds:

1. Solid. To create them, a whole piece of wood is used, and the structure of the wood pattern does not change. The main condition before installing the panels is that the wood must be kept for some time in the room where the adaptation work is supposed to be carried out.
2. Solid lamella. Products are obtained by superimposing horizontal plates on top of each other. The pattern in this case is not lost.
3. Spliced. The method is good if you need to create a very durable wooden structure. The method is based on merging several lamellas with tenons or grooves in the vertical direction. It is in demand when lining the treads of a flight of stairs.

Form

The design of the feet is greatly influenced by their shape, chosen taking into account the possible designs of this structural element. They can be:

• straight (the so-called steps with rectangular platforms), which are the simplest of all possible designs;
• with round or semicircular contours, differing in their radial orientation;
• and finally, trapezoidal, in which the sides have different depths (in this case, the structure takes the shape of a trapezoid).

The last version of the steps is usually used when arranging spiral and special rotary staircases made of wood.

When constructing porches and other simple structures, the first type is mainly used as the least slippery. Often there are original methods of making steps, the implementation of which uses halves of a log (they are called that - stairs from a log to a porch).

Types of wood for steps

The aesthetic appearance of a wooden structure depends entirely on the type of wood involved in construction work. For the result to be pleasing to the eye, the tree must meet the following requirements:

• the surface of the elements must be uniform, without defects: cracks, areas damaged by beetles, knots;
• The moisture content of the wood should be no more than 12%. If the indicator is too high, the material should be thoroughly dried.

In this video you will learn how to make wooden steps:

Advice! In places with high loads, it is better to use blanks made from a single piece of wood or take laminated veneer lumber.

The following tree species are involved in the manufacture of products:

• steps made of pine - the hardness is not high, so they can be easily processed. After some time, yellow spots may appear on pine products. But this material can be easily found at an affordable price;
• birch – it produces fairly hard specimens. They serve for a very long time, but, as a rule, large pieces cannot be made from it due to the presence of defects and differences in shades;
• larch – the structure contains tannins, thanks to which larch steps do not deform, but the high cost does not allow the material to get ahead among its competitors;
• beech is a material with a beautiful pattern and color range, susceptible to the influence of ambient humidity. Beech stair treads are recommended for use in interior structures;
• ash - the plates are hard and bright. It is the flashy color that scares off many buyers;
• oak is the most suitable material for steps. Oak stairs are durable, very beautiful, but expensive.

Preparation of material

Before making wooden steps for the porch, you need to choose the right material.

When choosing a material, you need to pay attention to coniferous wood (pine or spruce). But to make the staircase design more reliable, it is necessary to give preference to such types of coniferous wood as larch and cedar. These materials are not subject to rotting and swelling, so a staircase made of cedar and larch will last a long time without repair.

If you bought material with natural humidity, then it becomes necessary to carefully prepare :

• 
  The material is dried well in a dry room with good ventilation. This may take some time. Lumber usually dries within 3-4 months;

• You can also buy boards for stairs and steps already prepared, that is, they have been processed in special chambers;
• To check the condition of the tree, use shavings. In wood that has dried well, the shavings break without bending;
• To protect wood, special compounds are used against rotting and fungus.

Buy ready-made steps in Petrovich =>>

To build steps to the porch, you need to first prepare the following tools:

1. grinding machine;
2. electric plane;
3. a circular saw;
4. pencil;
5. ruler.

The thickness of the boards for steps should be from 30 to 40 millimeters.

Calculation of stair steps

The flight of stairs is calculated based on the average step length of a person. There are certain formulas for carrying out calculations that can be used to calculate the height and depth of a march element. But there is one rule - when walking, a person must place 1/3 of his foot on the tread of the march. The generally accepted depth should be 20-30 centimeters. A smaller size will make going down the stairs much more difficult.

In their home, when building stairs, they resort to the following trick - they take the shoes of all household members, calculate the average length and, by adding 2 centimeters, get the depth of the tread. If the calculation led to a small depth (in the case of a steep staircase), then it is possible to provide an overlap on the steps, which will prevent the foot from sliding and prevent a person from falling on the stairs.

This is interesting: the optimal height of steps.

Geometric parameters of steps

As you know, all objects are measured by basic parameters: length, width and height. Wood steps are no exception:

• height – accepted in the range from 15 to 22 centimeters;
• depth - the horizontal part on which a person rests his foot;
• width - the distance between the two edges of the flight of stairs;
• The thickness of the riser and tread is at least 25 and 35 mm, respectively.

Attention! The size of the tread depth can vary in turning and spiral staircase models. This way, each family member can choose which side is better to go up or down.

Based on the data obtained, the angle of inclination of the staircase with the number of treads is determined.

Optimal slope of the stairs

The inclination of the staircase design affects how much space it will take up in the room. If the room is huge, you can freely install a large staircase with a wide flight of stairs. In small rooms the rise is steeper.

For ease of movement, the slope is taken to be from 23 to 37 degrees. When the number is less than 23, the span is easily replaced with a ramp - a flat surface connecting two others at different heights.

The slope should not be less than 23 degrees

Calculation of the number of steps in a march

To determine the number of steps required for a climb, you need to measure the height of the floor (rise) and divide by the height of the proposed wooden step for the stairs. If there is a turntable, two calculations are performed with two lifting heights: from the floor to the platform and after it - to the next floor. The thickness of the floor on the next floor must be taken into account.

Wooden steps can be determined graphically. This method involves the use of graph paper, onto which a flight of stairs is transferred to scale. Using special safety formulas and the height of the room, the depth of the tread is determined. The remaining wooden steps are taken according to the obtained dimensions.

This is interesting: how to make calculations for stairs using a constructor?

Manufacturing stages

Assembling a staircase consists of several stages, each of which is very important.

1. Design and calculation. Depending on the specific tasks and location of the staircase, its type is selected and engineering calculations are performed. We will go into more detail at this stage below; it plays a decisive role.
2. Selection and purchase of materials. It is necessary to determine not only the type of wood, but also the linear dimensions and the total amount of lumber. At the same time, you should buy elements for additional decor and hardware.
3. Preparation of elements. These works have differences associated with the design features of the staircase. One system is used to prepare parts for a propeller, and a completely different one for a sustainer.
4. Assembly of the structure. The staircase is assembled according to a specific algorithm; it has no unnecessary elements. Each node is very important and if its stability is violated, the entire structure suffers.
5. Final finishing. The surface of a wooden staircase is covered with various impregnations, varnishes or paints. Such coatings perform two tasks: they increase the service life and improve the appearance of the structure.

The key stage is designing the structure.
Before studying the instructions for making stairs themselves, you need to familiarize yourself with the theoretical part.

Installing wooden steps on a metal staircase

Holes are drilled in the metal frame of the stairs every 15 centimeters. Make an indent of 2 centimeters from the edge. Wooden steps made of oak or other wood will be attached to these holes. During the welding process of metal elements of a flight of stairs, some inaccuracies may occur, resulting in height differences. Such defects can be easily corrected by gluing the backing onto the frame, which can be plywood.

To securely fix the substrate, use self-tapping screws. To brighten up the cold metal, wooden steps are made with a protrusion.

Installing wooden steps on concrete stairs

Almost any structure made of concrete does not shine with beauty, so they try to cover it with another, more elegant material. Wooden steps made of oak or other types of wood look very impressive, although they require considerable investment. Cladding work should only be carried out on dry concrete, otherwise the wooden steps may become deformed from absorbed moisture. The horizontalness of the surfaces is carefully checked using a building level. If necessary, a screed or plywood backing is provided.

Upon completion of the preparatory work, you can install wooden steps:

1. The installation procedure begins with the bottom riser. The first step is to securely fasten it to the floor; to do this, two self-tapping screws must be screwed into the end of the tile. Their caps are trimmed.
2. Then holes are made in the floor for self-tapping screws and filled with glue.
3. Risers are inserted into the prepared places.
4. Glue is applied to the horizontal part of the march and treads are placed.
5. You need to put a weight on top.

How to make steps from wood with your own hands

To do the work yourself, it is advisable to have the following tools on hand: an electric saw and plane, a grinder and a milling machine for processing the edges of wooden tiles. On rotary structures of a flight of stairs, individual tread elements are prepared according to a template and treated with a protective compound. The steps are secured to wooden stringers or bowstrings using nails or glue. After completion of the work, the junction of the march and the walls are covered with a plinth.

A detailed description of how to make wooden steps, namely steps from a terrace board, is presented on our website.

Installation of a wooden porch in 2 options

As already mentioned, it is better for amateurs to make a staircase on stringers or bowstrings, but in addition to assembly and finishing, there is also such an important point as the foundation for a wooden porch, and that’s where we’ll start.

Foundation for a wooden porch

It is easiest to install a porch under a wooden house. You need to arrange a support platform on the ground, and the porch, or rather the stringers or bowstrings, are attached directly to the wooden house with special canopies.

I recommend pouring a small reinforced concrete slab as a support platform.

• According to the size of the slab, a small pit is dug and immediately compacted to a depth of 30 cm.
• The bottom of the pit is covered with roofing felt or geotextile.
• Next, a sand and gravel cushion is filled in and compacted at a depth of 200 mm.
• A small formwork is constructed on top; the slab will be poured 50 - 100 mm above the ground.
• Now a cage of metal reinforcement is placed on the cushion and concrete is poured, and when the solution hardens, all you have to do is remove the formwork.

The reinforced concrete slab holds up well on any soil, including heaving soils and peat bogs.

With fastening to the wooden house itself, everything is simple, previously the stringers cut directly into the frame of the house, now this is not necessary. There are metal hangers on the market for arranging the rafter system; with their help, supporting structures are screwed to the house quickly and reliably. By the way, the porch can also be attached to concrete with hangers.

Metal hangers will save you a lot of time without losing the quality of fixation

But if the house is new and is still shrinking or there is no way to pour a reinforced concrete slab, then the porch is placed on bored concrete piles. Filling them with your own hands is not difficult.

• Take a garden drill and make holes at the reference points. The depth depends on the type of soil; on dense soils, half a meter is enough, and on heaving soils, the hole is drilled just below the freezing level.
• Next, pour a sand and gravel cushion into the hole to a depth of 100 - 150 mm.
• Make a pipe from roofing felt and insert it into the hole.
• Insert a reinforcement cage into the pipe and fill everything with concrete.
• After pouring, raise the pipe by 100 mm to expand the support base.

Important! A threaded pin is either inserted into the bored pile, or reinforcement is brought up to fix the porch structures.

Bored piles are suitable for any soil, the main thing is to correctly determine the laying depth

Option #1. Staircase on stringers

Do-it-yourself steps for a wooden porch are easier to install on stringers.

• You need to take two or more wide boards with a thickness of 40 mm and mark them for future steps.
• Next, take a hacksaw and cut out the bed for the steps.
• After installing the stringers level and fixing them to the base, all you have to do is cut the treads with risers and screw them to the stringers.

Instructions for assembling stairs on stringers

Option #2. Ladder on bowstrings

Installing a ladder on bowstrings is also not very difficult. The entire preparatory stage and calculations remain the same, only the principle of fixing the treads and risers on strings changes, there are 3 main methods.

• The easiest way is to screw thick bars to the strings and put treads on them, but this option is good if you plan to install risers; the bars look ugly on open structures.
• It is much more convenient to assemble a staircase on metal corners, however, for a street staircase you need stainless steel corners, and their price is not the lowest.
• Professionals prefer to cut grooves in the strings and install treads and risers in them. To do this you will need a hand cutter; cutting with a hacksaw and chisel looks rough. The treads themselves are fixed with self-tapping screws through the string

Options for attaching treads to a string

Finishing a wooden porch

Finishing a wooden porch begins at the wood harvesting stage. If you want the porch to stand for at least 20 years, then it is better to take a board with deep vacuum impregnation. The price for such material is 2 times higher than for ordinary wood, but it is worth it.

If for some reason you had to build a porch from ordinary dry or freshly cut wood, then first cut it to size, plan and lightly sand all the elements, and then treat them a couple of times with a complex protective compound.

Protective impregnation is applied to wood at least 2 – 3 times

Advice! There are tips online to saturate the wood with used machine oil, but under no circumstances should you try to do this. Despite the fact that the porch is located on the street, the smell of machine oil will last for several years.

When the wood has dried after complex impregnation, a final fine sanding is carried out and you can proceed to applying decor. If you are working with coniferous species, then after sanding the wood still needs to be bleached (the resin is washed off).

Decor is a delicate matter; the easiest way is to paint the porch with some covering paint for exterior use, but in this case you will hide all the beauty of natural wood.

After bleaching, wood and light-colored species can be tinted with stains; they are inexpensive and there is quite a large selection.

Wood stain can be used to make wood darker, but not lighter.

For adherents of environmentally friendly coatings, oil-wax is now sold, if you don’t trust industrial compounds, then you can make such impregnation yourself, the recipes are “HERE” . But keep in mind that you will have to renew the oil-wax every year, because the beauty and protection will last a couple of years at most.

If you want the porch to look beautiful and the coating to last a long time, you will have to fork out for a good yacht (alkyd-urethane) varnish. These compounds can even withstand sea water, so you don’t have to worry about the porch here.

On the porch, waterproof yacht varnish will last at least 3 - 4 years, without updating

Important! Whatever finishing composition you choose, it is applied to the wood at least 2 times with a break for drying.

Treatment of steps with protective agents

Steps made of larch or oak are quite resistant to external influences. But there are several techniques that can further improve the protective properties of the material. Oak steps can be varnished. This adds shine and prevents minor scratches on the surface. Temperature changes and humidity have a negative impact on wooden steps; they can become deformed. Varnishing the surface eliminates such a nuisance.

It is better to use polyurethane mixtures as varnish, which can withstand significant damage. The varnish is applied in three layers, but first a primer is applied.

The next operation to extend the life of the product is wood impregnation. At the stage of selling wooden products, no one can say for sure in what conditions they will be used: in dry places with high loads or wet conditions.

Positive effects of impregnation:

• creates a surface wear-resistant layer and improves the performance of wood (not so important for steps made of larch and oak);
• reduces the sensitivity of the material to ultraviolet radiation - paints and varnishes last a long time and do not fade;
• improves the moisture resistance of wood.

Advice! A board treated with paint and varnish coatings and various impregnations does not allow air to pass through it well, so unpleasant odors will accumulate in the room more quickly. This drawback can be eliminated by good ventilation of the room.

What is important to consider before starting construction

When making steps onto the porch, the following nuances are taken into account:

• For a house made of wood or a log house, wooden steps are ideal. Using brick or metal ones will be ridiculous. The stone product must rest on a foundation, which is best poured together with the main foundation of the building. Failure to comply with this condition will lead to possible distortions, subsidence, cracking, etc.;
• Metal is not considered an ideal material for arranging a porch, because... In winter there will be a problem of icing. In addition, if the roof does not prevent precipitation from entering, then constant problems with rust and corrosion arise. This means that regular cleaning and touch-up will be required;
• Wood is also considered unreliable, because... it is prone to absorbing moisture and swelling. To prevent premature decay, it is recommended to make supporting piles from brick. The use of wood when constructing street steps for a porch requires appropriate treatment with agents against rot, combustion, animals and pests.

An example of a wooden porch for a country house Source obustroeno.com
It is necessary to use only dried boards in order to prevent the release of resins during operation, leading to the destruction of the external paintwork;

• The dimensions of the porch are usually calculated with a margin so that it is comfortable to use the door that opens outward. The best option is when additional storage space for shoes, bags and other small items is provided;
• the presence of four or more steps on the porch, as well as the lack of protection from precipitation (roof, canopy), requires the mandatory installation of railings of the appropriate height. This will be convenient for the elderly and children, and in winter it will protect even adults from injury due to falls;
• If, as a result of a design decision, the use of tiles is considered ideal, then it is better to opt for a material that has a corrugated surface. The benefit of this will become noticeable the first time the porch ices up;
• the height of the steps on the porch must be identical, with the exception of the outer steps. This is provided for by the relevant GOSTs, which make the process of moving along the stairs safe.

Option for concrete steps with tiled cladding Source olestnicah.ru