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How to replace a stair tread with a new one?
A tread is the facing flat part of the steps of the stairs, the replacement of which is associated with the manufacture of new ones or with the use of ready-made elements.
They are made from parts of the window sill board, smoothed with sandpaper. If the treads of the steps are rounded, then the replacement is carried out by removing the lower support post of the railing after the latter have been disassembled.
It is necessary to design a spiral staircase, taking into account the optimal step of the tread width, which in the middle of the march should not be less than 200 mm. When the central pillar is located at a distance of 15 cm, the step should have a width of at least 10 cm on the line of movement.Using this as the main one assumes the length of a flat element of at least 80 cm.The diameter of the ceiling opening should be about 2 m or more.
To ensure the greatest compactness, if the ladder plays an additional role, you can use an opening of up to 1.4 m, and the length of the tread - from 55 to 60 cm.The height of the passage of the additional ladder should be at least 2 m.
Read also:
Right.
Features of construction.
Read about the complete process of building the porch.
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You can make a tread for a staircase from solid wood, which has a thickness of about 50 mm. Structures with flat elements with a thickness that decrease as they move away from the central pillar of the spiral staircase are considered labor-intensive.
- To replace the tread, it is better to remove the old flat tread elements from above.
- Care must be taken that the wedge in the groove of the bowstring does not move if there is no bottom access.
- If the wedge is lost, the new element is supported on a bar having a section of 25x50 mm. It must be attached to the string with screws in such a way that the lower plane of the tread and the upper edge of the bar are located in the same plane.
- Position the flat elements of the staircase with a correct overlap. They will partially overlap each other when viewed from above, their width may not be the same in places that serve to support the right and left legs.
- Support brackets can be installed between the lower and upper wide portions of the step elements, that is, their rear and front edges, respectively. This will give the structure the greatest reliability.
- Holes must be drilled at the wide ends to fit the rails.
- The assembly of the spiral staircase is performed in a specific sequence. Installation of bushings and treads, interspersed with metal washers, is carried out after the central post has been mounted and securely fastened.
- When all the flat elements are already strung on the rack, then they are fanned out, placing them around the circumference, each in its place, taking into account the step and direction of the rise - clockwise or counterclockwise.
- The first and last rung should be especially well positioned.
- The installation of the support brackets is carried out between the wider parts of the treads.
- The end of the central post from above, which is equipped with a thread, is tightened with a nut, after putting on the last sleeve.
- The nut is complemented by a decorative cap.
- The last step is fixed using fasteners.
At the end, handrail posts and handrail posts are installed, which may look like a curved line. With the correct structure of the staircase as a whole, it will correctly fulfill its purpose.
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How to build a tread drawing correctly?
The design of a spiral staircase is associated with the main difficulty, which lies in the correct determination of the shape of the treads and their sizes. Rectangular treads of straight stairs, having an equal width, are the easiest to design. The project of the spiral staircase involves the installation of winder steps. Their width should increase towards the outside contour from the B-pillar.
Before making the tread, the dimensions of the floor opening are determined, on which its length depends. The number of steps depends on the distance between the floors where the stairs are located. The angle of rotation of the steps of the stairs should be outlined in advance. If it is 360 °, then the march should end parallel to its beginning. Then the length of the treads will be 1 m, and they will overlap.
The circle in the plan of the spiral staircase is divided by the corresponding number of radii, commensurate with the number of steps. The step between them is taken into account. The selected tread widths will be less than 200 mm. They will be determined in accordance with the drawing (Fig. 1), starting with one radius, ending with another - adjacent. Radii are the axes of symmetry of the projection.
The tread begins to build in projection from one of the axes. Then the line is divided into 2 parts, designated as point A and a perpendicular line is drawn through it. A segment with a center at point A is a designation of the middle of a flat element, which must have a width of at least 200 mm, and the optimal value is taken to be 220 mm. The designation of the ends of the mid-tread segment A1 and A2, and its length in scale corresponds to its required width.
From the center of the circle, a distance of 150 mm is laid on the segment A1A2, which is denoted by the letter B. The tread in this place should not have a width of less than 100 mm. A perpendicular line is drawn through point B, its ends are designated B1, B2. To scale, the width of the tread and the length of the line segment drawn must match. Two straight lines are drawn through points A1 and B1, A2 and B2.
If straight stairs have a large angle of inclination, then the configuration of the treads of this staircase structure is called "duck step". The use of this option is associated with an ingenious design solution, when all the steps are run-through. Another name for the original staircase design is "samba", which eliminates the problem of a small tread width, which is not convenient.
Thus, the tread is the flat surface of the step, which serves to step on it with your feet.
The construction of private houses is often associated with the installation of a staircase. The abundance of materials and elements allows you to easily create a staircase for the most sophisticated taste. But when designing, all requirements and instructions should be applied. An important criterion in this process is the riser height.
Any type of finishing and construction work is regulated by rules and regulations. The safety of users depends on compliance with these indicators, so you should not neglect them. The staircase is a complex architectural structure. Therefore, the convenience for users must be laid down at the stage of building design. The established requirements can be adjusted for specific building layouts. The tilt angle is between 27 and 45 degrees.
Important! The optimal standard for the width of the steps is in the range of 270-320 mm, which corresponds to the average size of a person's foot.
The flight of stairs should not be narrower than 700 mm. This width is the most optimal for unobstructed movement. The most common dimension is 1000 mm. 
Too steep metal, concrete and wood stairwells can be equipped with overhanging steps. At the same time, the size of the overhang should not exceed thirty millimeters, and for metal structures - fifty. A similar technique allows you to slightly expand the tread. Sanitary Norms and Rules (SNiP) stipulate quantitative indicators for calculating the construction of stairs. The height of the risers is calculated depending on the category of use of the building or structure:
- The first category is residential (in-house). The risers are made with a height of 150-220 mm. The tread is 245-300 mm.
- The second category is public buildings and structures. The height of the risers is 13-18 cm.The depth of the treads is 28-34 cm.
- The third category includes other structures. The size of the riser is 15-19 cm. The depth of the steps is 25-32 cm.
Important! When designing stairs for people with reduced mobility, some deviations from the above standards are permissible.
When lifting, a person spends 2 times more energy than when walking for a walk. Therefore, the formula for creating the ideal parameters of the staircase structure was derived experimentally. 
Calculations
The most common formula is as follows: c + h = 450 ± 20mm, where c is the width of the tread; h - riser height. The maximum tread width of 300mm, despite the fact that not all feet fit on the step, is the most comfortable. The graphic image greatly simplifies the design of the entire building, therefore, the sketches of the structures are initially considered, and then the dimensions are transferred to the drawing plans. 
The formula for designing a staircase structure and the calculation of steps, risers
Possible design errors
The dimensions of the steps must be precisely calibrated during production. Different size of treads is the most common mistake in the construction of a staircase. 
Violation of the standard dimensions leads to inconvenience in operation. High steps are inconvenient for children and the elderly. 
The second design mistake is the unequal dimensions of the risers. The muscular memory of a person lowers the leg to the next step, knowing the distance of the first tread. Different heights can cause a lot of inconvenience when moving up stairs. 
Incline
SNiP regulates the angle of inclination up to 42 degrees. This parameter applies only to the intra-house stair category. When designing structures for other categories, the following dimensions should be adhered to:
- 33 degrees for public places;
- 38 degrees for other structures.
If the floor area is less than 100 square meters, then the tread can be reduced to 250 mm. In this case, the tilt angle will change to 36 degrees. 
Risers of stairs of all categories must comply with the design formula. The tilt angle is not provided by the standards. Therefore, the suggested sizes of treads and risers should be respected.
Flight of stairs
SNiP regulates the use of 3 to 18 treads in one flight of stairs. But in practice it has been proven that the use of more than ten steps makes it difficult for a person to move. This march length is especially inconvenient for children and the elderly. The recommended maximum number of steps in the march is up to 15. 
Advice! It is better to make the number of steps in a flight of stairs odd. This technique allows a person to start and end up stairs with one foot.
When designing a staircase in your home, you need to carefully consider the design, slope, width and height of the staircase opening. These parameters are laid down even during the design of the building. Risers and treads must be calculated and ordered in their exact quantity. The entire staircase structure should appear in a single space in the room, fit well into the interior design. 
The importance of precision in building a structure
Precision in architecture and design plays a key role. Therefore, in order to avoid traumatic situations, the following rules for designing ladder structures should be adhered to:
- The width of the march should not be more than 1000mm.
- Stairways must have the same number of steps.
- 900mm.
- In childcare facilities, open stairs are designed in size 120mm - the height of the riser, the distance between the balusters should not exceed 100mm.
- The load on the ladder structure is 180 - 220 kg.
- The risers must be of the same height.
- The radius of curvature of winder structures must exceed 300mm.
- The level of the last tread must match the level of the site.
- The passage height must exceed 2000mm.
- The passage to the stairs should have a width of 1 meter and around the clock lighting.
Applying in practice all the norms and rules for the design of structures, you can achieve safe, comfortable and functional architectural structures. DIY installation of steps and risers
The construction of any residential or public space always begins with a detailed consideration of each structure that will be included in the project. One of these structures is a staircase. It can be indoor, outdoor, attic, basement, etc. But its detailed component always remains unchanged, on the basis of which there are parameters in accordance with GOST and SNiP, which must comply with any erected staircase. With a detailed analysis of the staircase structure, special attention should be paid to the march, which is a continuous series of steps consisting of a tread (horizontal part) and a riser (vertical part).
Please note: presented in one of our previous articles.
What do GOST and SNiP prescribe to us?
The construction of such facilities has certain standards that should be relied upon when erecting a staircase:
- One flight of stairs should consist of 3-18 steps;
- In public and residential premises, the riser corresponds to a height of 14.8 cm, and a tread to a width of 30 cm;
- In attics and basements 17.1 cm and 26 cm, respectively.
But practical experience shows that slightly different dimensions can provide safety and convenience.
It is better to make the number of steps in the march odd so that a person's movement along the stairs begins and ends with one leg. In addition, climbing 18 steps is a very energy-consuming activity, and 11 or 15 is the best option, after which a person will not suffer from shortness of breath. As for the height of the step, its value fluctuates between 15 - 18 cm, and the double value of the height folded with the width of the step gives as a result the approximate value of the length of a human step - 6064 cm.
Dimensions of the width of the flight of stairs
The width of the steps also has certain norms of the building standard (GOST), which requires mandatory compliance with the values of the maximum and minimum:
- For street, apartment straight lines, basement and fire escapes, the width is 80 cm;
- For the staircase leading to the attic 60 cm;
- Spiral staircase in the apartment from 80 cm to 1 m.
Minimum and maximum step sizes
Referring to SNiP, you can see:
- The tread corresponds to a width of 25 cm, if the staircase is attic or basement, then from 20 cm;
- The riser corresponds to a height of 15 - 20 cm, however, errors of no more than 5 mm are allowed.
As mentioned above, the convenient step sizes are those that are in relation to the average step of a person. Therefore, it is advisable to present such calculations in the form of Blondel's formula:
2h + b = S (60-66 cm)
Optimal slope
Providing an angle of inclination when erecting a staircase, it is worth noting that the recommendations of building standards in this matter have not been established. However, the slope of the stairs is determined by the ratio of the tread to the riser, and focusing on the maximum and minimum height and depth of the step, the angle of inclination ranges from 33 to 45 degrees. For gentle (internal) stairs, the optimal value is considered to be up to 38 degrees, and for steep stairs (utility, attic) - up to 45 degrees.
What is the essence of the accuracy of constructing a structure?
The parameters of each step used in the construction of the stairs must be extremely accurate and the same. This allows a person to use it while walking without special care, both during the day and at night, relying on the muscle memory of the legs. And in case of non-observance of this rule, a person experiences inconvenience when using the stairs, trying to feel each step with his foot. And descending such a ladder is quite traumatic.
A staircase is an essential element of any home. It can be of various types, it can be located inside or outside the building. The main requirements for such a design are reliability and comfortable use. So that a person moving along this staircase does not feel discomfort, it is necessary to pay special attention to the size of the tread and the riser.
What are treads and risers?
These terms mean vertical and horizontal elements of the step. The riser is its height. To make the staircase as comfortable and safe as possible, the height of the riser should be in the range of 15-18 centimeters, while the double height of this parameter, which is folded with the size of the tread (the horizontal part of the step), should be equal to the average step of a person. According to statistics, this parameter should be within 60-64 centimeters.
SNiP provides for the following optimal dimensions:
- when it comes to residential and public premises, the riser should be 14.8 centimeters, and for basements and attics - 17.1 cm;
- the tread should have a width of 30 and 26 centimeters, respectively.
Primary requirements
The staircase to be manufactured must meet the established GOST parameters regarding:
- heights;
- width;
- angle of inclination;
- the size of the steps and risers of the structure.
Consider the optimal dimensions of the staircase elements.
- The marching platform must have a minimum width of 80 centimeters. It is measured from the surface of the wall, taking into account the thickness of the finish, to the inside of the handrails.
- The width of the march, which will be comfortable for a person, ranges from 90 to 100 centimeters. It is necessary to take into account that one march should not include more than 17 and not less than 3 steps.
- Parameters of 17 cm, but not less than 12 cm, are taken as the optimal step height.
- The optimal step width is in the range of 25-32 cm.
The riser can be ready-made or do-it-yourself. Today, ceramic products or MDF versions are often used, light with dark or white stripes.
Common mistakes
Before starting the direct implementation of the construction of the stairs, you must definitely familiarize yourself with the most common mistakes that often arise when installing stairs yourself. In this case, it is worth highlighting a few.
- Incorrect step heights. The standards existing today stipulate that it should not exceed 19 centimeters, otherwise the design will be inconvenient for use. Such steps will bring discomfort to young children and the elderly. When it comes to residential premises, the maximum step height is 19 cm, and for non-residential buildings 17 cm.It should be noted that if the planning feature does not allow compliance with these parameters, it is allowed to adjust the step height up to 20 cm.
- Unequal step size. Differences in height and width can lead to accidents.
If they are different, then the optimal rhythm of a person's walking will be disrupted.
Instructions
Staircase construction experts advise novices to experiment with design work. It is recommended to use proven formulas, thanks to which you can determine the optimal and comfortable dimensions of the structure. It is believed that the total height and width of the steps should be 43-47 cm.
Determine the width of the steps and their number. This parameter is best seen with a specific example.
The stages of the calculation are as follows. The first step is to measure the distance from floor to ceiling. In our example, we will use 2.5 meters as a basis. The interfloor overlap is 35 cm in our case.
As a result, the height of our structure will be the sum of the two previous parameters, namely 2.85 meters. The height of the risers provided by the standard is 17 centimeters. We will stick to this parameter. It is necessary to determine the number of steps required by dividing the height of the stairs by 17 cm. In our case, the number of steps will be 17 when rounded.
It is necessary to determine the height of the tread, based on the area in which our structure will be used. There are several options.
- Ladder construction for private houses, summer cottages and apartments. In this case, the height of the riser should be 15.5-22 cm, and the tread should be in the range of 24.5-26 cm.
- For public buildings, the risers should be slightly lower. They should be equal to 13.5-18 cm. In this case, the tread is wider than in residential buildings, that is, 28-34 cm.
- In other rooms, the standard riser height is 15-19 centimeters, and the tread width should be in the range from 25 to 32 cm.
Particular attention must also be paid to the optimal slope of the ladder. Unfortunately, there are no building standards in this matter. The slope of the stairs is based on the ratio of the riser to the tread. Emphasis is placed on the maximum and minimum height and depth of the step. Based on these parameters, based on the size of the tread and riser, it can be noted that the angle of inclination ranges from 33 to 45 degrees. When it comes to interior stairs, this value should be up to 38 degrees. When it comes to utility or attic stairs, which are characterized by a steeper descent, the optimal angle of inclination is up to 45 degrees.
You should take into account that the wider the angle of inclination, the more space the staircase will occupy.
Why are accurate calculations needed?
It is important that the parameters of each step in the staircase are as accurate and the same as possible. This will allow the person to climb and descend stairs without great care, based on the muscle memory of the legs. If the established rules are not followed, the person will experience discomfort when using the stairs. This is especially acute when the steps have different heights.
In a situation like this, injuries are common. If you carry out the correct calculation of the risers, you can avoid various damage.
Compliance with existing rules and regulations regarding the construction of staircase structures will make it as safe and comfortable as possible.
Attaching the risers
This process can be done in various ways. It depends on what material your staircase is made of, while taking into account whether it will be hemmed from below. The fastening parameter is also influenced by the device of the stringers.
There are three main methods of fastening. Let's consider each of them.
- The classic installation, where the fastening is carried out in the groove.
- Fastening to the end using self-tapping screws. The same method involves the installation of fittings using glue.
- Installation of risers using a corner.
You should stop your choice on one method or another, based on your own preferences and the scope of use of the staircase.
When building a staircase, be sure to consider the most effective expert advice.
- In order to replace the tread, it is recommended to remove the old flat elements of the steps located on top. Be careful not to move the wedge during use.
- If the wedge has been lost, the element can be supported on the block. Flat elements of the staircase must be overlapped. Thus, they will partially overlap each other when viewed from above. Their width may not be the same in the places that serve to support the right and left legs. In order to install the fence, you need to drill holes along the edges of the steps.
Many owners of private houses with staircases ask a reasonable question: "What are these risers for?" On the one hand, this is an aesthetic and practical solution; it is rather difficult to make a staircase with them. In this regard, the risers cause a lot of controversy. We will try to answer the questions about what it is, what they are for and whether they are needed at all.
What are risers?
Risers are small boards that are installed at the end of each step and are located, as it were, under them. From this location they got their main name. In most cases, the risers are made of the same material as the main staircase, but if the decorative solution requires a different, for example, contrasting combination, they can be made of a different tree.
Risers are a very important element of the staircase as such. They do not allow the leg to fall inward, get stuck. This is very important for the elderly and young children who constantly strive to stick their legs, arms and even head everywhere to see what is under the stairs.
That is, the risers perform both a decorative and a practical function.
What are risers for?
Some homeowners cannot imagine a staircase without risers. This is a classic element of any large and beautiful staircase to the second floor. If you value good quality and solidity, then the risers are your choice. On the other hand, they have no special practical function. In some structures that are open in appearance, they only spoil the overall impression of the staircase.
Are risers needed?
If you stick with the classic, solid model of the stairs, then you certainly need it. If you have a beautiful, airy and very modern staircase installed, then the risers will be an unnecessary decorative element that will greatly spoil the impression of the staircase. Risers are usually installed in classic wooden solutions made from expensive wood. At the same time, most of the metal stairs are without risers.
It is worth noting that stairs with run-in steps can be either with or without risers, but screw structures are almost always open.
Whether to make risers or not is a personal matter for each owner of his home. The most important thing is to determine for yourself whether you need risers or not, how close the appearance of your stairs is to the classics and whether they will interfere with your movement.
