How to make a staircase to the attic. Convenient stairs to the attic in the house: types of designs. How to make a staircase to the attic: we make the necessary calculations

If the house initially has an operated attic room, then the staircase for it is probably provided for by the project. But what to do if you built attic floor later? Of course, you will need a ladder to the attic. Moreover, if you rely on own forces, and want to design it yourself, you will need to take into account all the nuances and carefully consider the design so that the staircase is not only comfortable and beautiful, but also the most reliable, safe and durable. Today we will discuss how do-it-yourself attic stairs are built, and what materials and design options are preferable for such buildings; we will bring to your attention more than a dozen visual drawings and diagrams, as well as demonstrate a video with step-by-step instructions.

Metal and wooden attic stairs: photo and design

Metal structures are considered to be very reliable and solid. And in the case of stairs, they are also beautiful, since twisted railings with elements artistic forging look stylish, rich and exclusive. However, attic stairs are most often made of wood, and not only because most country houses and dachas - wooden. Ladders to the attic with your own hands means that you can handle this task on your own, and wood is an ideal material for creative work. See how beautiful and unusual the staircase to the attic can be, photos from our gallery clearly demonstrate this.

The options for stairs to the attic are very numerous, you can choose the most modest and easy to manufacture, or you can decide on a bold and large-scale project. It all depends on your desire and skill. Below we will consider what shape and design a staircase to the attic can have, where it can be placed, and how to make it correctly.

Types of stairs to the attic: spiral, folding, attic, outdoor

According to the location relative to the house attic staircase can be internal and external. At the stage of construction and repair of the attic floor, you need to somehow rise to the place of work, and in this case good option there will be a staircase to the attic from the street. However, such a design does not necessarily have to be temporary. Many homes retain a separate entrance to the attic, and for good reason.

The outdoor layout of the stairs to the attic has both advantages and disadvantages. Through such an entrance, thieves and other intruders often try to enter the house, especially if the doors are not very reliable. Therefore, if you put safety first, it is better to equip the entrance to the attic inside the house, for example from the hallway, living room or from the veranda.

Many country houses and cottages cannot boast large area living quarters, so the owners, of course, want the stairs to the attic not to clutter up the space. It should be a small, compact design with a minimum of parts, but still comfortable enough that climbing upstairs does not become a dangerous adventure for the residents of the house. This is especially important if there are elderly people and small children in the family.

For small houses best option- This is a compact folding staircase to the attic, which can be made independently from wood and a few simple metal elements.

However, this is not the only option for a compact design. Spiral staircases also do not take up much space, and they can look very interesting and beautiful. Sometimes such a decision becomes a real highlight of the whole interior. Spiral railings can be associated with a marine theme, or divert your imagination to the side. medieval castles. You will learn a lot of interesting things about the beautiful design of the attic and the selection of style for the future interior here.

Not only folding and screw structures may be small in size. An ordinary one- or two-flight staircase to the attic can also be very compact, if you do not overload it with unnecessary elements, and make it narrow, within 90-100 cm.

How to make a staircase to the attic: width and dimensions, calculation and installation

Let's proceed directly to the manufacture of attic stairs. As we said above, for independent creative project wood is best. It should be quality wood hard rock, because she will have to withstand a serious load, moreover, repeatedly. It is important not only to choose the right material for future construction, but also to prepare it correctly.

The device stairs to the attic begins with the choice of the project. The most simple to manufacture and install are mid-flight structures of one or two spans. If there is only one span, then such a staircase can hardly be called compact, but under it it is very easy to organize a utility room, pantry or mini-dressing room. And if there are two spans, then between them they make small playground, or install several winders. The basis of the design is either stringers, or two supporting bowstrings, or bolts, that is, special bolts screwed into the wall.

How to build a staircase to the attic with the least effort? Of course, using stringers, as in the picture above. But you still have to decide how to place it. The most commonly used positioning methods are 90 degree rotation and 180 degree rotation.

Any staircase to the attic has typical dimensions, strictly designed for convenience and safety when using. The width usually varies from 80 to 100 cm, and the width of the step itself is from 20 to 32 cm, although it is strongly recommended not to reduce this dimension. It is desirable that the average human foot stands completely on the step, that is, 30 cm will be optimal. The exception is winder steps. In their narrowest part, they can be only 10 cm wide. The height of the riser, that is, the vertical part separating the steps, should be 15-19 cm. To select the optimal ratio between the width of the tread and the height of the riser, there are special formulas.

There are three formulas that determine the ratio of riser height (j) to tread width (e): convenience formula, pitch formula, and safety formula. The most important of them is the step formula. At the same time, the ratio between the two quantities (j/e), which is satisfactory for all three formulas, is 17/29. The convenience formula looks like this: e - j = 12 cm; step: 2j + e = 62 (60-64) cm; safety: e + j = 46 cm.

Then you need to choose the slope of the future stairs. Comfortable ascent and descent directly depend on this value. You should carefully consider the choice of slope, so that it is convenient for all members of your family to go up and down.

Construction work begins with cutting out the hatch, if the attic floor is only built on, and there was no access to it before. The dimensions of the sides of the hatch are determined by the width of the stairs, and its shape should be square. The easiest way to cut it circular saw. Then the stringers are cut out, milled and sanded. The wall kosour is mounted first, and the second is installed on required distance strictly parallel. For accuracy use building level. Then the risers are attached, and last but not least, the steps and handrails. The entire construction process is clearly demonstrated in this video:

Often the desire to change attic space into a practical attic appears during the operation of the house. Of course, this amount of space should be put to good use. And if you finally decide to start alterations, then you should start by creating a staircase.

The ladder structure must be durable, comfortable and easy to manufacture. Residents of the house should not have any doubts about the comfort and safety of climbing to the attic floor. Great option - folding attic stairs but today is not about them.

We will look at how to make a staircase to the attic so that it meets all these requirements.

type of instalation

It is good when the layout of the stairs to the attic was made by the designer, and the design was made in accordance with accurate calculations. But we are considering the case when everything needs to be done independently.

The first question that will arise even before the start of the calculations is how to place the stairs to the attic? Most in a simple way is the installation of stairs from the street. This method is simple because you do not have to make a hatch and make changes to the interior.

However, the location of stairs in houses with an attic is more often internal, since most owners of even small country houses prefer to install stairs in the house. Firstly, such a ladder is much more convenient to use. And secondly, it will not attract representatives of the criminal world with one more, front door, which is usually not reliable.

Material

After you decide on the installation site of the structure, you need to decide what material the staircase will be made of. Usually homemade stairs to the attic are made of hardwood. This is due to the fact that it is much easier to work with a tree, and the appearance of the structure will turn out to be more attractive. This staircase looks very nice.

Advice! Before the construction of the stairs, the lumber must lie down for at least three days in the room in which it is planned to install the structure. It is recommended to use wood that has undergone chamber drying.

Stair type

Of course, the desire of any home owner is to save as much space as possible. Also, a homemade staircase to the attic must be made in compliance with all safety standards, while the design should not greatly obscure the room.

The safest and gentlest stairs will take up a lot of space in the house. The steep staircase will take less space, but will make climbing and descending it difficult and dangerous. That's why great option, especially for small houses, is a compact folding ladder. It can be made of wood and several metal elements.

However, this is far from the only design option that can be placed in a small area.

It also doesn't take up much space.

• Such structures can be built on the basis of a kosour, bolts, and two supporting bowstrings can also be used. In order to save space, stairs are usually made with two marches, between which there are winder steps or landing. A single-march option will take up a lot of space, but for that you can make a closet or utility room under it.
• Spiral staircase. It looks great and takes up minimal space, but at the same time it is quite difficult to do it yourself. It is much easier to purchase a ready-made kit with a kosour. Collecting it is not difficult, since there is always detailed instructions from the manufacturer.
• Ladder "Duck step". This is the simplest type of stairs, which we will discuss below.

Design

The design of the future staircase is determined by the following parameters:

• lift height. It consists of the distance from the floor to the ceiling plus the thickness of the pie of the top floor.
• Plan area of ​​the building. The steepness of the stairs, its width and the size of the hatch to the attic depend on this.
• Tread width. This is very important characteristic, which often forces you to change the type of construction and completely redo the project. Therefore, it should be calculated in advance that the leg rests completely on the step, but at the same time there should not be an extra distance. most optimum width treads - 30 cm, march width - 80-100 cm, and the height of the riser should be within 15-19 cm.

Construction of a marching staircase

Preparation

If in top floor there was no hatch of the appropriate size, and most often it is not there, then the construction of the stairs to the attic begins with it. overlap and flooring saw through with a circular saw according to precise markings. The size of the hatch is determined by the dimensions of the stairs. When the cut is completed, it is necessary to remove all unnecessary.

Before proceeding with the marking of materials and cutting, it is necessary to draw a drawing of the future staircase. It can even be done by hand. The main thing is that all the details and their dimensions are applied to the drawing. This will make it easier further work and will help to avoid errors during markup.

Then, according to the data obtained during the design, stringers are marked. Cutting them out is easiest with electric jigsaw. At the same time, outside should be " clean cut". The outer edges of the stringers must be milled, and then processed sandpaper and bring to the ideal with a grinder.

Advice! It is extremely important to ensure that the cuts are parallel, even and that the level of the recesses for the steps matches. It depends on how evenly the steps will be installed.

The number of steps is also determined by design parameters. In accordance with this do required amount propyl. To facilitate installation with the help of milling, a groove for the lock is made. In this case, it is necessary to strictly observe the parallelism of directions.

Installation

The installation of the structure should begin with the installation of a wall-mounted kosour, which rests on the floor with its lower part, and on the support with its upper part. A similar opposite structural element is mounted according to the design dimensions opposite the first part, while checking the location and parallelism using a level.

Please note that when constructing a two-flight staircase, powerful supports will be needed to which the flight of stairs will be attached. For these purposes, you can use a bar or metal pipes. For strength, they can be concreted.

Then the frame is completely constructed and its openings are trimmed. furniture boards if they were originally intended to be used. At the end of the work, the risers are installed in the places prepared for them, and then the steps. After that, the elements of the fences and the balustrade are mounted.

Advice! The space even under a two-flight staircase can be used to good use. For example, there you can make a pantry for all sorts of rubbish.

The assembly of a multi-flight staircase is a serial connection separate parts. If all the elements were made exactly in accordance with the drawing, then the process is very fast and resembles the assembly of a designer. However, the possibility of fitting parts in place is not ruled out.

If grooves were made on the stringers for fastening, and ridges were made on the steps, then the elements can be connected using a two-component adhesive, for example - Titebond. Otherwise, screws are used.

To give the design a more attractive look, it is varnished. However, it should be borne in mind that a varnished staircase can be slippery, especially if it is supposed to climb it in socks. Therefore, it is better to simply cover the structure with a special composition with antistatic and fire retardant substances.

Advice! As long as it dries paintwork the room must be ventilated.

Construction of the "Duck Step" staircase

Another way to save space and make convenient design for descent and ascent is a ladder type "Duck step". Its peculiarity lies in the fact that the angle of inclination can be up to 65 degrees.

Safety and comfort of movement on such a ladder is achieved due to the steps of a special shape - one half of the step is wide, and the second is narrower by a third. Such steps are installed on bowstrings and alternate - a wide one is installed above the narrow part of the step, and then vice versa. As a result, the wide and narrow parts are staggered.

When climbing such a ladder, the shin of the leg does not rest against the upper step, and when descending, the foot can confidently stand on a wide part. Thus, the ascent and descent is carried out in a waddle, which is why this design was called the “duck gait”.

Walking on such a ladder should be careful, and not get confused in the alternation of steps. Of course, this design is less convenient than a marching staircase, but for that, it is more compact.

Production of staircase elements

First of all, you need two bowstrings. They must have a length capable of providing the required angle of inclination of the stairs. The thickness of the boards can be about 40 mm, and the width is about 150 mm. For the installation of steps, it is necessary to make hidden grooves in them with a depth of 10 mm.

In accordance with the height of the future staircase, the required number of such grooves is determined. You can cut them with your own hands with a hacksaw.

Advice! In order not to worry about the depth of the cuts, holes should be drilled in the blade and the limiter plate screwed on.

The width of the steps (wide part) is selected in accordance with the angle of inclination. The greater the slope, the wider the step should be. On average, the step width can be from 200 to 250 mm. In narrow places, wood must be selected by a third of the width of the step.

Then the treads must be inserted into the grooves on the supporting beams and secured with screws. After mounting all the parts, the surfaces must be sanded. If you plan to cover the stairs with paint, then you can not grind so carefully.

Conclusion

Now, knowing how to build a staircase to the attic, you can decide for yourself whether it is worth starting this procedure. Your family members will surely use the result of labor with pleasure and a sense of reliability.

However, if you are not confident in your abilities, then it is better to purchase a finished product. True, the price of it will be much higher than the cost of independent construction. Additional information on this topic can be obtained from the video in this article.

Also come to an end. It remains only to build a staircase to the attic floor. But which one to choose? How to arrange, inside or outside? And how many marches should the stairs to the attic have? In this article we will try to answer all these questions, and also tell you how to build a staircase with your own hands.

Structures and places of installation of stairs to the attic floor

Stairs for attic floors differ in the types of structures and the place of their installation. And in your choice you need to be based on the needs of residents, area and technical specifications the entire building. Next, we will consider the most popular designs of those used for attic floors.

Types of designs of stairs to the attic floor

Screw - the smallest in terms of the area it occupies than all those structures that will be described below. If you have only 1-1.5 m 2 at your disposal, then the screw structure will be your salvation.

Designs of stairs to the attic: from the simplest to the artsy

The picture below shows a classic single-march design. It is easier to calculate and mount than the rest, but, as you can see, it takes up a lot of space. This can be corrected by increasing the angle of inclination of the march, but in this case it will not be very convenient to climb the floor.

Do-it-yourself one-flight staircase to the attic is the easiest to install

Classical two-march systems are straight, g- and p-shaped. The first type for attics in private homes is rarely used, but the other two are very common.

If there is not a lot of space in the house, then attic stairs in two flights are suitable

Above you can see the layout of the marches, and in the photo below - examples finished structures. In the space under the stairs to the attic floor, you can either install a heating system, as in the photo, or make a pantry.

Attic stairs: photo of classic two-flight structures

It is also worth mentioning the way the marches are connected. The most familiar option for us is reversal platforms. However, so-called winder steps are often made instead of platforms, you can see them on the left side of the photo.

The device of the stairs to the attic: winder steps and a reversal platform

Another type of attic stairs - folding, attic. Such designs are used more often if there is an attic on the second floor. When there is no need for a ladder, it is completely retracted into a hatch in the attic ceiling.

folding, compact stairs to the attic floor

Installation of stairs to the attic floor inside and outside the building

Climbing to the floor from the street is a good option if two families live in the same house. Both floors are isolated from each other, no one bothers anyone: there are two entrances to the house, internal and external.

External staircase to the attic: separate entrance to the second floor

The staircase to the attic from the veranda also makes it possible to use different entrances to the living quarters, but there is no need to go outside, as happens when the staircase is external.

In the photo there is a staircase to the attic floor located on the veranda

Installing stairs inside the house is the more common option. If one family uses the building on a permanent basis, then, of course, it would be logical to choose just this type of installation.

Internal staircase to the attic. Photo of the simplest design for lifting to the second floor

How to make and install stairs to the attic floor

Stairs can be made from almost any material, but wood is perhaps the most common. They will suit almost anyone, especially considering how popular they are today. Let's see how this is done using the example of a straight single-flight staircase.

We calculate the parameters of the flight of stairs

• Floor height. We measure the difference between the levels of the finishing floor of the first floor and the attic. Let it be 250 cm.
• Number and height of steps. We divide the height of the rise by the recommended height of the risers - 18 cm. So: 250:18 = 13.88 pieces. Fractional numbers should not be, round up to 14 pieces. Now we calculate the height of the steps: 250:14 = 17.85 cm. We got 14 steps with 17.85 cm risers.
• The total length of the march. We take the width of the steps 27 cm. We consider: 14x27 \u003d 405 cm.

The layout of the stairs to the attic. Start of calculations

Based on these calculations, we make a drawing and put down all the dimensions. Now we measure the distance from one attic floor to another, in the drawing we mark the edge of the second floor. From it we measure the distance to the steps of the flight of stairs, according to GOST it should not be less than 185 cm. If this distance is less, we reduce the length of the march by reducing the number of steps and giving them a greater height.

Definition Table optimal sizes steps

Stringers and treads

For stringers, we need the following formula: height 2 + length 2 √22.65 = stringer length. That is: 4.05 2 +2.50 2 √22.65=4.75m. The width of the stringers is calculated so that it is twice as large as the size of the risers. In our case, this is 17.85x2 \u003d 35.7 cm. More is possible, less is not.

The marking of the slots on the stringers is done using a joiner's corner. If it is not there, we make a homemade one, from plywood and a pair of slats. We number the steps. We purchase boards for stringers with a margin, with the required length of 4.75 m we take 5 m.

Marking the stringers: a) the height of the risers; b) the width of the steps

We carried out all calculations without taking into account the step boards. We measure their thickness, and cut the lower part of the kosour exactly as much. Now about the width of the treads. To their width, we must take into account the thickness of the riser. According to the diagram below, this is: b + d \u003d e, where b is the width of the tread, d is the thickness of the riser. This is a calculation without an overhang, if you plan to do it, then add its width to "b". The diagram shows both options, with and without an overhang.

Do-it-yourself attic stairs: tread width with and without overhang

platform beam

Its width is equal to the width of the future staircase (90 cm) + two thicknesses of the stringer + 14 cm at the edges. The last digit changes depending on the parameters of the stairs. So: 90 + 10 + 14 \u003d 114 cm is our platform beam. You will need 2 in total.

In the figure you see the ways of fastening the stringers to the platform beam: with and without a cut. You can choose the method that suits you best. IN right side Figure two versions of the frieze step: ordinary and retracted into the platform. Cut out right amount steps, then sand all the details.

How to make a staircase to the attic: fastening the stringers to the platform beam and installing a frieze step

Retreating 7 cm from the edges, we make cuts in the platform beams, equal in width to the thickness of the stringers. In the latter, we also make gashes, if the method of fastening you have chosen implies them. Now we attach the platform beams to the ceilings. This can be done with anchors. The figure shows the fixing methods for the upper and lower floors.

Construction of stairs to the attic: fixing platform beams to the first and second floor

Assembling the stairs to the attic floor

We put stringers in the grooves, fasten them to the platform beams with dowels or studs. The kosour, adjacent to the wall, is attached to it with anchors, if the material of the wall itself allows. Now we fix the steps and risers. You can choose any of the methods shown in the picture.

Ways of fastening steps and risers

Now it remains to fix the balusters. At the top we do this with screws, obliquely, at the bottom with the help of dowels. You can choose any shape of balusters and steps that will suit the design of the attic.

If in small house it is planned to equip a residential attic, a safe and comfortable staircase should lead to it. This part of the design is also important element interior design, right choice it can emphasize the style and character of the house. But above all, the stairs to the attic should be comfortable, practical, and if our house is small, then it should not take up too much space. How to implement this task in practice - this will be discussed in this article.

, photo

In newly built houses, stairs tend to dominate the open spaces of spacious living rooms or halls. In a small house, the staircase to the attic can be small so that it does not take up valuable space, but at the same time it must be comfortable and safe. The choice of a suitable option is determined mainly by the size of the room in which it will be installed - different models have different space requirements for their installation.

There is a huge selection of models on the market, we can make a custom-made design according to our sizes or buy a ready-made one, which will require only self-assembly.

Types of stairs to the attic and their designs

There are several types of stairs that connect the first floor to the attic. Among them are: panel (reinforced concrete) and modular.

They are distinguished by a self-supporting structure that rests on the upper and lower parts of the ceiling and wall. They seem heavy and bulky, so these stairs are for small house And small spaces are not recommended. This solution is suitable for large spacious houses.

Modular stairs are made from separate parts, which are called modules, they have a self-supporting system and are based on a single support beam. It consists of metal pipes located under the stairs. The beam is fixed from below and above on the floor and ceiling of the building. Assembly of these modular structures happens from top to bottom.

In the course of the construction, it can be attached to the wall one to three times using special anchors. Additional mount will help us increase the strength of the structure and prevent the lateral reeling of the stairs. Steps, adjustable in height, are screwed to the beam. This model provides the ability to create any form.

Installation modular stairs can be seen in the video below.

Modular models can be:

This model takes up very little space, so these stairs to the attic in small houses fit very well. Since it is especially important to choose the right size of the stairs to the attic in a small house.

This structure is located around the central column to which it is attached. The column, as a rule, is metal, sometimes it consists of several elements superimposed on each other. Screw models can be left-handed or right-handed, depending on which side of the entrance there is a handrail.

Their steps are mounted on long beams on both sides. Beams, or as they are also called stringers, can be placed at the ends of the steps, in the middle or only on one side, and the other end of the step can be attached to the wall. Kosour - load-bearing element, may have a thickness of 60-80 mm.

One of their varieties of kosour structures are screw models, the steps of which are mounted on the kosour on one side, and on the column on the other.

They are very practical for small houses. They are used in small houses as a staircase to a non-residential attic or attic. They are convenient and do not take up much valuable space, since they are most often folded, they are laid out only for the time of infrequent visits to an uninhabited attic or attic. Structures can be made of wood or metal, some options have enough decorative form and can even become a decoration modern interior in industrial style. However, their practicality is low, such designs are not suitable for frequent use especially in families with young children or the elderly.

What materials can stairs to the attic be made of?

Most often, stairs to the attic in small private houses are made of wood or metal, less often they are made of concrete with wood or tile trim.

For production wooden structures mainly hardwood is used: oak, beech, ash, birch, cherry.

Sometimes very durable exotic woods are used. However, exotic woods such as teak or merbau tend to be very expensive. There are also pine products, but it should be remembered that pine is quite soft and dents can easily appear on it. steps for wooden models also made of wood, it is rare to find steps made of metal or some wood-like materials.

A very popular solution is metal stairs. They can be made from:

• of stainless steel;
• wrought iron;
• made of powder coated steel.

These products are quite durable, but will cost us dearly, especially in forged version. However, they look very nice and expensive. For the manufacture of steps of such stairs, wood and metal can be used. Some modern models tempered glass can be used for steps.

An integral element of the stairs is balustrades (they must be placed at a height of at least 90 cm). Their choice significantly affects the safety and appearance the whole structure. The balustrade can take the form of ornate wood or metal forged railings or vice versa - to appear in the form of raw, almost ascetic steel rods. Interesting stylistic balustrades in the form of a ribbon. They are usually made from bent wood as well as metal or glass. They are very elegant and decorative.

To make the stairs to the attic comfortable

The ease of use of the stairs is determined by several factors:

• form (simple, rotary, with a platform, screw, etc.);
• height and width of steps;
• the width of the stairs;
• location (accessible from the corridor or from the living room).

The most convenient and at the same time the easiest to install is a simple straight model with one or two spans. Rotary models, and especially spiral ones, are much less convenient, since they have a variable step width.

According to the rules, the maximum step height of the stairs leading to the living room should be 19 cm, and truly comfortable steps with a height of up to 17 cm. At the same time, their height should also be adjusted with an average step length (60-65 cm).

Therefore, the steps must satisfy the condition:

2 * H + S = 60 to 65 cm, where

H - step height;

S - step width.

Therefore, to make steps with maximum height(19 cm), their width should be between 22 and 27 cm. In practice, it is often difficult to implement this rule, since we do not have enough space to install a comfortable staircase, so the stairs leading to the attic in a small house are very cool. Minimum Width the span is 80 cm. This is a minimum, and such models are too narrow to miss each other or lift large objects, such as furniture.

Attention! The width of the stairs is measured between the balustrades, the actual width is influenced by the shape and method of fixing the balustrade.

Choosing the location of the stairs

The choice of location for the stairs largely depends on what kind of surface it occupies.

It occupies the smallest area, of course, spiral staircase, but such options are inconvenient. In relatively small space you can install a convenient simple single-span staircase. 4 m² of area is enough for it, compared to 6-7 m² in the case of a two-span staircase with a seating area.

IN many respects, best solution is a staircase located in the lobby or corridor. The staircase can even be completely divided and placed between two walls of rooms. If placed between the bedroom and the living room, it will also make it possible to make a sound barrier between these rooms, while we can freely receive guests in the living room when children are sleeping in the bedroom downstairs or upstairs.

Stairs placed at the entrance to the house are a good option if the house is inhabited big family or people of different generations. Even if her members leave and return home in a completely different time they don't interfere with each other.

Alternatively, the ladder is placed in the living room. This solution is currently very popular and used in new homes, but has a number of significant drawbacks:

1. first of all, such a living room becomes an inevitable part of the communication space and it is difficult to avoid the transmission of noise between it and the rooms upstairs;
2. in addition, such a design in the living room does not take up little space and is difficult to organize.

When choosing a place for a staircase to the attic and its shape, we must remember which hole will be required in the roof. The easiest way is to make a long and narrow hole for a single-span model with beams in parallel. Designing any other opening in the floor is a job for the design architect, who will figure out the number of supports and how the structure will be organized.

Regardless of which model is chosen, it is also important to design it in accordance with the style of the house. Classic interiors they love wood and wrought iron, and modern minimalist houses love chrome stainless steel simple forms. For home in rustic style or Provence style, models made of wood in in kind or painted, light wood will look good in a Scandinavian interior. And a loft-style house will be decorated with a structure made of concrete or metal, rough, unfinished, reminiscent of the climate of factories and factories.

In their homes, most people, not wanting to lose the usable area of ​​the attic, convert it into a living attic space. To climb into such a room, you need a safe and comfortable staircase. In order not to make a mistake when choosing, you need to know what are the attic stairs in terms of design and materials of manufacture, where it is best to place it in your home, and what dimensions to take into account when calculating the staircase structure.

Stair structures to the attic floor, according to the type of placement, are divided into two types:

• outdoor
• internal

An external staircase to the attic is located on the street side of the building and provides us with a separate entrance. The construction of such a staircase structure is advisable if the owner of the room needs to get inside without disturbing the residents. In a small house, the staircase to the attic from the street will not clutter up the living space with its design. To avoid unnecessary financial costs, the entrance for outdoor stairs It is best to design at the stage of building a house.

The internal staircase structure is located inside the building, the most common placement option, since you have access to the attic directly from the inside of the house. With the right choice of design and convenient location location, such a staircase design can be the highlight of your interior.

Types of attic stairs by design

There are six main types of stairs to the attic:

1. Single-march - simple design which you can make with your own hands, consists of a straight flight of stairs, located at an angle. This design is not suitable for all types of houses, since for a comfortable tilt angle, which is 20-45 degrees, it is necessary to have a ceiling height of no more than 2.5 meters. With large dimensions in height, the stairs will have a steep and unsafe descent. The construction of this staircase will require a more gentle opening in the ceiling, which will lead to a decrease in living space. attic room.

1. Double-flight - a comfortable staircase suitable for spacious rooms, consists of flights of stairs and a turntable, which is located at an angle of 90 or 180 degrees. With the correct placement of the platform, you can set the appropriate angle of inclination, which will ensure safe and comfortable descent and ascent. It is more expedient to place such a ladder structure in a corner to save space.

1. With winder steps - in this design turntable is replaced by trapezoid-shaped steps, the placement of which occurs with the narrow side towards the center of the stairs. Due to this, this type of construction takes up much less space than one or two mid-flight stairs.

1. A spiral staircase to the attic, due to its design consisting of winder steps attached to support post, looks exquisite and compact, suitable for small spaces. different types such a design may be enough for 1 sq. meters of living space. On construction small sizes very easy to stumble. It must be taken into account that climbing in a spiral in the elderly may become dizzy, and such stairs require additional lighting and more reliable railings. It is impossible to lift bulky items to the attic on it, consider this point, if you need to furnish a room, it is better to do this before installing a spiral staircase.

1. Involute stairs - they look very elegant and original, according to design features an average solution between screw and marching options. This design mounted on a curved metal or wooden kosour, which is very difficult to make on its own, and therefore such a ladder is a rather expensive option.

1. Folding ladders are a mechanism consisting of sections that fold or slide into each other. When folded, they are placed in the ladder box and are closed by a hatch from the side of the room, thanks to which the room is thermally insulated and you do not have to do additional insulation stairway. This type of construction is more suitable if the house is small or you do not plan to constantly use the attic, for example, only in the summer.

What to make a staircase for your interior

The staircase to the attic floor is an important and exclusive part of the interior, on which attention is focused, when choosing an outdoor one, it is also important architectural element. When choosing a material, be guided by the interior of the house and your preferences.

Common types of materials in the manufacture of staircases are:

• Wood
• Metal
• Concrete (stone)
• Glass

1. A wooden staircase to the attic looks beautiful in any interior, giving extra comfort to the room. For self-manufacturing staircase construction, wood is the most suitable material, which is easy to work with at home. When choosing a ladder made of wood, you need to consider wooden steps should not be too smooth, as polished or varnished increases the chance of slipping and falling down the stairs.
2. Metal stair structures in the interior look refined and refined, their characteristics are durable and reliable, and do not require constant maintenance. Metal stairs can be given any kind of design, from artistic forging to chrome plating of individual parts or the entire structure. If you are not familiar with welded business, then this ladder to the attic with your own hands becomes a difficult task at home.
3. Concrete or stone, very heavy and massive, give a strong load on the foundation or floor slabs. Stairs made of such material look bulky in wooden houses, the best place setup, it's in brick houses or outside the building. A staircase made of such material will have to be tiled or plastered and painted, which will lead to financial costs.
4. Glass is combined model, consisting of a metal stringer and glass steps, which visually give lightness to the structure. Practical and durable, but requires constant care of the glass. Quite expensive staircase structures, steps will have to be bought in specialized stores.

How to build an attic staircase with your own hands

Before starting work, questions arise, where to start and how to make a staircase to the attic. If you have already decided on the design, then you need to choose the material that is most suitable and available material for the manufacture of ladder construction is a tree. Hardwood is chosen, as it will have to withstand a serious load, and repeatedly.

Whole wooden material for the stairs, we bring it into the room where we are going to directly build the staircase structure, and store it for two to three days, this is necessary so that the material is at the same temperature and humidity with the room and takes the final dimensions.

Choosing a place to install the stairs

The choice of installation location depends on the use attic space, permanent or temporary (seasonal), if it is a living room with constant use, then the ideal installation location is the hallway or living room. It is best to install the ladder structure near or along the far wall (depending on the chosen design), with this arrangement, the usable area is saved, and does not interfere with moving around the room.

Placement of the staircase structure, for temporary or seasonal use of the attic room, the veranda is best suited, it will act as a vestibule, which will prevent cool air from entering the living space, also good decision there will be an installation of an external staircase structure from the street.

The main parameters when calculating the stairs

To ensure safety and convenient movement, there are norms for allowable sizes elements of the staircase:

• slope of mid-flight stairs -20-40°
• width of stairs not less than 80-100 cm
• width (depth) of the step - 20-32 cm (optimally - 27 cm)
• narrow part running stage– not less than 10 cm
• riser height - 15 - 20 cm

Drawing up a drawing and an example of calculating a ladder

This calculation scheme is applicable for single-flight ladder structures made of various materials whether concrete, wood or metal.

We measure the total height of the lift - the distance from the level of the clean floor of the lower floor to the level of the clean floor of the attic floor, for example, take equal to 260 cm.

We calculate the number of steps, for this we divide the total height of the rise by the height of the riser, take 18 cm (allowable 15-19 cm), we get 260/18 = 14.44 pcs. The result is rounded up to the integer 14.

Therefore, the real height of the steps (from the top of the lower step to the top of the upper step) will not be 18 cm, but 18.57 cm (260/14).

We calculate the length of the march, take the number of steps and multiply by their width 27 cm (permissible 20-32 cm), we get 14 * 27 = 405 cm.

Having made these calculations, we transfer the obtained dimensions of the stairs to the attic to the drawing.

The height of the space above your head is the distance from the lower edge of the attic floor to the steps. For unhindered passage along the staircase, according to GOST, this distance must be at least 185 cm. If this distance is less than the permissible one, then it is necessary to reduce the length of the march by reducing the number of steps and increasing their height.

We calculate the length of the stringer, for this the Pythagorean formula h2 + l2 \u003d k2 is suitable

l - march length

h - lifting height

k - stringer

We get k=√(h2 +l2)=√(2.62 +4.052) =4.81. It is better to take the length with a margin and round up to 5 m.

We calculate the width of the stringer - multiply the size of the riser by 2, we get 17.85 * 2 = 35.7 cm.

Video - calculation of a metal ladder structure.

Installation of an attic staircase

Wooden elements of the staircase structure, it is necessary to process special formulations(impregnation), giving the material resistance to fire and protection from moisture, as well as varnishing, we do all this after their manufacture, but before the start of installation work.

Work begins with the preparation of stringers, for this we take two boards 5 meters long, this size is taken from the above calculations. Using a square or a template, we mark the slots, draw the places for cutting future steps and number them.

Making a template:

• take a small sheet of plywood
• from the corners we measure the width of the tread and the height of the riser
• the obtained marks are connected by a line
• on both sides, along the lines made, we fasten the rails
• we apply the made template to the stringer in such a way that the slats prevent displacement, and mark up

We use the finished first kosour as a template to make the second kosour.

After the slots have been made, we apply two stringers to each other and check them for an exact match, this is necessary for a stable and reliable design.

To install and secure the stringers, we prepare a support for them. In the ceiling of the attic floor (at the end of the staircase), we make grooves or fix an additional beam on which the stringers will rest. Grooves are easier to make in a wooden floor, and in concrete slabs it is better to attach an additional wooden beam. The stringers are fastened from above and below, so we need two beams. In the prepared beams, we make a gash under the grooves, stepping back from the edges by 7 cm. The width of the gash should be equal to the width of the stringer.

When selecting and installing a support (platform) beam, take into account such dimensions as the minimum section equal to 5 × 8 cm. These section dimensions exclude the thinning of the structure when cutting grooves for the stringer in it.

Having done the above work, we proceed directly to the assembly. We insert the finished stringers into the grooves and fix them with hardware, dowels or studs. We fasten the kosour located along the wall to it with the help of anchors or long self-tapping screws. The next assembly step is the installation of steps and risers, fixing occurs in one of the following ways:

1. cutting
2. screws
3. dowels

The final step is the installation of balusters and railings. Thanks to our step by step instructions, a do-it-yourself attic staircase is a completely feasible project, if you follow the sequence of work and accurately make calculations.