Glass stairs serve not only in a functional attribute, but also represent an original decoration of the design. They do not emphasize too much attention, but at the same time complement the interior. Glass designs can harmoniously look in almost any room, whether it be a living room, office or hall of a shopping center. Not so long ago it was impossible to imagine that glass, such fragile and unreliable material, can be used to create stairs. Of course, a special high -strength glass is used for this. We will talk about how to choose the materials for creating a glass staircase and the features of its installation in this article.
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Types of glass stairs
Glass stairs, like any others, can be classified by appearance and constructive features. The most common are marching products, since it is their geometry that is most oriented to human biomechanics. Marsh stairs made of glass are straight or rotary (on the left or right side). They can consist of one or more marches, just like wooden, concrete or metal structures. The number of marches depends on the design and number of storeys of the building.
In second place in popularity after marching are stairs on Bolts. This is a very stylish home solution that will instantly transform the interior, making it more respectable and futuristic. Bolts are called special fasteners on which the steps are attached. They can only be attached to the wall or located separately.
Glass stairs on Boltsa acquire genuine weightlessness, and a person, climbing the steps, experiences a semblance of soaring in the air. Despite the apparent instability, the construction is reliable and the ability to withstand serious loads. The main advantage of large stairs is that they save free space, so they can be used where the marching structure is not placed. However, if small children or elderly people live in the house, you should think three times before deciding to install such a glass staircase on the second floor. To protect the movement, you will need to install the fence without fail. It can also be made of glass, but we will talk about this in detail a little later.
Contained stairs make up serious competition in Boltsev in terms of originality. Their steps rest against the wall with one side, and the other simply hangs in the air. This is a rather impressive sight, but such a solution is unlikely to be suitable for the house where a large family lives - such structures do not provide for the installation of fences.
There are also screw stairs made of glass, which also look very interesting. But like all other screw stairs, they are not deprived of the main drawback - you will not be able to move quickly along them, and you can’t lift large -sized furniture to the second floor. Despite this, many choose this particular type, because it is relatively safe and saves a lot of free space. The stairs consist only of the race steps, which are attached around the axial support, and the outer part is surrounded by a fence. A screw staircase made of glass can be round or repeat the geometry of the walls of the staircase.
Glass stairs look most appropriate in concrete or brick buildings, but for a wooden house this is not the most successful option. Still, glass is a “cold” material that will conflict with cozy warmth of wood.
The principles of glass staircases
The first and most important requirement for glass stairs is increased strength. For this reason, not ordinary glass is used for their manufacture, but an enhanced triplex. In such a design, special attention is paid to each detail at all stages, from loading them into the car, ending with installation work.
The steps of the stairs
As we have already said, special high -strength glass is used to create steps. It consists of several layers that are interconnected by a polymer binder. It is this polymer glue, laid between glass panels, does not allow fragments to flush in different directions when impact. But to break the triplex, you will need to make serious efforts - polymers give it incredible strength. Triplex glass stairs can be used both in residential buildings and in buildings with high cross -country ability.
Glass steps can differ in texture and even color, but the thickness of all products is the same - 40 mm. Also, all of them have high anti -suggestion properties, so when choosing steps made of glass triplex, you can be sure of their quality and reliability. Based on this, it becomes clear that making a glass staircase with your own hands “from scratch” will not work out - you can only purchase individual materials and assemble the structure.
The length and width of the glass steps do not differ in standard, but products of 1050 mm wide are considered the most convenient option. Triplex may contain various impurities and additives to enhance strength. Often, when creating the steps, a brightened glass with a low level of iron content is used. This allows him to remain completely transparent despite a significant thickness. As a result, the staircase is almost invisible and does not overload the space.
Requirements for glass steps:
- the thickness of the step should be the same throughout the area;
- the surface should be even and without differences;
- the most acceptable error of the product is the difference between glass points up to 0.7 mm.
In order for the glass staircase to move safely, the steps are treated with sandblasting - with special abrasive equipment, which deprives the surface of a sliding effect and gives the glass of dullness.
Fences of the stairs
Fences and railing for glass stairs ensure the safety of movement. They must be installed without fail in the house where the family lives with children or elderly people. Glass fences do not take the staircase at all, and the railing made of metal or wood makes it more elegant and more beautiful. The charm of glass is that it goes well with any materials: wood, stone, metal. This opens up a whole new world of design solutions. For example, in a modern interior, a glass staircase will look good with fittings and stainless steel railing, and forged elements are suitable for a classic style.
You can mount the backlight into the railing and fences, which will visually increase the space and give an additional light source. By the way, the backlight in the form of LED strips can be installed under each step along the entire length.
The enclosing structures do not require special care, and in case of breakdown they can always be replaced with new ones. For the manufacture of glass fences, the same triplex is used as it goes to create steps. But since the sidewalls of the stairs will not be subjected to such serious loads as a step, the requirements for them are not so strict. For this reason, the fence is also made of durable fecal glass.
The enclosing structures can be fixed in racks or be self -supporting. The latter are elements, when installing which use special secret mounts. As a result, the railing is almost invisible against the background of the entire structure. When fastening the fence on the racks or frame, a glass tandem with forging or wood is often used.
Furniture of the stairs
Despite the fact that stairs are called glass, they cannot fully consist of only glass, albeit as strong as a triplex. To collect the design together, it is necessary to use fasteners, accessories, carrying elements of wood or metal. Some of them are designed in such a way that after installation they remain completely inconspicuous and create a feeling of 100% glazing.
One of these elements are special glass holders, which, after installation, practically merge with a glass surface. Such accessories for glass stairs requires the presence of technological mounting holes or grooves. It is almost impossible to do such work with your own hands for lack of complex equipment and professional skills. In general, such stairs are considered expensive pleasure and their cost includes the development of the project in accordance with the interior of the house, the creation of parts by the project, transportation, unloading and, finally, installing the structure. Sometimes the amount for 1 m² can be several hundred thousand rubles.
The video below shows how, using glass holders, you can make an absolutely transparent and “weightless” glass staircase:
Features of the installation of the stairs
The manufacture of glass stairs is an extremely complex process that requires compliance with strict requirements and special skills, but anyone can cope with the assembly of the finished kit. All that is needed for this is to adhere to the instructions and know at what stages the "pitfalls" can meet.
The assembly of the staircase of glass can be carried out in two ways: bolted joints (mechanical assembly) or arg welding. It is clear that in the latter case, special equipment will be required, so it is better to call a professional welder. But anyone who knows how to hold a screwdriver can screw the bolts. But it is important to understand that working with glass requires extreme caution and composure, so do not assemble the stairs alone, carefully study the instructions and work plan.
The strength of the structure directly depends on the number of technological holes, that is, the larger they are, the lower the strength of the stairs. For this reason, when creating a project, try to reduce the number of holes as much as possible. This can be done through the use of special polymer glue or argon welding.
What problems can arise during the assembly process:
- If at least small chips are found on the ends of the steps, then a poor -quality product was sold to you, or it was damaged during transportation. Thoroughly inspect each detail before loading. Even microscopic chips will eventually lead to a violation of the integrity of steps or fences. Chips and cracks on the steps can cut the leg.
- If you find damaged angles of parts, then they can no longer be used. This applies not only to steps, but also by glass sheets of fence.
- Zazubrins are also unacceptable. During the operation of the staircases, the Zazubina will be disclosed in the glass mass voltage, which will ultimately come to the leveling of strength indicators. In other words, a large crack may form over time due to a small zabina.
Marching staircase
To arrange a marching staircase made of glass, first of all, it is necessary to make a metal frame. As a rule, classical technology is used for this.
The course of work:
- To make the frame, measure the length of the march, pulling the rope between the floor of the lower floor and part of the passage to the upper floor at an angle of 45 ° (the optimal angle of lifting). As a result, you will receive a mark for fixing the lower edge of the Kosuura (the supporting element).
- Calculate the number of steps, measuring the height of the room in mm and dividing the resulting value by 40 mm (the height of the step from the triplex). The width of the steps can vary from 25 to 32 cm.
- Mount a support pillar, determining its position depending on the width of the stairs.
- Install a supporting channel along the wall, welding one part of it to the beam, and attaching the other with pins to the surface of the wall. On the support pipe, fix another channel parallel to the first. Both channel must be attached to the outside.
- Install the braids, then weld all the supporting elements.
- Weld the jumpers and the approached the scarves between them (they will hold the approaches).
- Alternately weld the corner supports in accordance with the number of steps. Before installing each element, check its horizontality by the building level.
- When all the corners are installed, weld the jumpers between them so that their ends coincide with the corners of the supports.
- Process all metal surfaces with a grinder, clean and polish them.
- Insert glass steps and balusters into the frame, if any, are provided by the project.
Any glass staircase should correspond to three factors: to be safe, functional and beautiful. None of them cannot be neglected, even by beauty, otherwise why pay a lot of money for a mediocre element of the interior?
Glass stairs: photo
Finally, we suggest that you look at how harmoniously glass stairs can fit into completely different interiors and how they transform the appearance of the room.
