Attic stairs: choosing the best. Stairs to the attic: types of structures and design options Miniature staircase to the attic

Hosts country houses, especially those suffering from insufficient space on the site, often try their best to accessible ways expand living space their possessions. One of the optimal and most popular solutions is to arrange a residential attic in the attic.

Arrangement process attic space into a full-fledged residential attic includes many stages, including the creation of an effective and subsequent high-quality finishing. But no less important is the organization of a convenient, reliable and safe interfloor passage in everyday use. This article will describe and show in detail how to build a staircase to the attic with your own hands, step by step.

Carrying out preliminary calculations of the attic staircase

The staircase to the attic can be located inside or outside the house. Of course, for all-season use internal staircase looks much better. It is this option that will be considered further.

The staircase itself can be a marching staircase, a winder staircase, or a staircase. If we reason from the point of view of ensuring maximum safety, then it is preferable to opt for the marching option.

But marching stairs have one distinct drawback - big sizes in projection onto the floor plane. And a common occurrence is when the area of the room in which the staircase should be located is not so large that it is possible to settle on the simplest, single-flight option. The fact is that if there is not enough space, such a staircase will turn out to be very steep and extremely inconvenient, and even dangerous for everyday use, especially for children or family members who have some kind of disability due to health reasons.

The maximum steepness angle for such stairs is considered to be 45 degrees. But this also seems a bit much in terms of comfort. rise and descent. So it’s better to stop at up to 40 degrees.

So, the one-march option is obtained very rarely. And in order to achieve the desired angle of steepness, you have to break the climb into two flights (sometimes more is practiced). A transitional horizontal platform is made between the flights (this is easier to install and safer for everyday use). Or the flights are connected by a curved section with winder steps (it looks beautiful, but is more difficult to calculate and install, and is not so safe to use).

Next, we will only talk about a flight of stairs with a platform, as a simpler and safer option. And whoever is interested in the winder ladder needs to go to another page.

TO How to design and install a winder staircase

Drawing up a design for a staircase with a winder section, carrying out assembly work - all this has a whole range of important features. Read more about it in a special publication on our portal.

So, the construction of a flight of stairs must be preceded by some calculations.

A. It is necessary to calculate how much area of the room the horizontal projection of the planned staircase with a certain angle of inclination will occupy. Or, conversely, how steep a march will be if built on a specifically designated area. If one march, for these reasons, is impossible (as often happens), then the staircase will have to be divided into two flights, and the mentioned parameters will have to be calculated for each of them, taking into account the location and height of the transition platform. Wherein prerequisite is the same slope angle for both marches.

Prices for wooden stairs

wooden staircase

The dependence of the steepness of the flight and the magnitude of its horizontal projection onto the floor plane will allow you to evaluate the calculator located below.

To climb to the second floor of a private house or attic, as a rule, there are two options for stairs: spiral and flight. Let's try to study each of them in more detail and draw appropriate conclusions that will help you choose the most best option.

Peculiarities

Everyone knows that in order to get to the attic, you need a ladder. Some owners use a conventional attached structure (stepladder) for this purpose, but in this case there is no need to talk about aesthetics. To use attic room for living, you won’t be able to do without a high-quality, beautiful, and, most importantly, safe staircase. This design can be made of metal or wood and have a wide variety of designs.

In some houses, a bathhouse, vestibule or kitchen may be located on the ground floor. There may be several rooms at once or just one of them. In this case, it is necessary to make careful calculations so that the ladder does not in any way interfere with free movement and does not take up too much space. It also needs to be taken into account that the stairs should not block sunlight, otherwise the room will be too dark. Its location should be as practical as possible.

To make proper use of living space and save space, the staircase should be as comfortable as possible. Moreover, it must be in harmony with common interior home and have a safe climb.

Flat staircase in small house takes up a lot of space, so this option is usually used in spacious buildings. Even its bulky design doesn't hurt sunlight freely enter the premises and will not interfere with the movement of residents.

If the house is small, then the best option would be a staircase with a steep design; its arrangement is not very complicated. Such a staircase is less comfortable compared to a flat one, but it makes it easy to move around the house, and the entrance to it is very convenient. The spiral staircase (spiral) is considered the most economical and rational option, because it takes up little space and can radically transform any home.

Kinds

As you already know, the main varieties attic stairs- these are marching and screw designs. Let's look at these types in more detail. Marching stairs are considered the safest and convenient option. This is very important if there are small children or elderly people in the house. It is quite easy to design such a staircase yourself. Its installation does not present any serious difficulties and can be done without the help of specialists, which will save considerable money. To provide reliable design it is necessary to use special stringers (a type of stair string), which are support bolts (a structural part of the staircase to which the steps are attached).

To save space, they most often use a staircase that has two flights, with a winder steps or platform. This type is often used if there is very little space in the house. The two-flight structure is built quite simply. It is worth remembering that single-flight options are more cumbersome compared to double-flight ones, but they are quite convenient in that under them you can make a convenient utility room or closet for storing various small items.

Some parents, in order to please the children, make it into a children's quarters or a real fairy-tale cave. In this case, children's joy simply knows no bounds.

Spiral attic staircases, as a rule, are used much less frequently. They are quite difficult to design and build with your own hands, and you can make a lot of mistakes. Most often, owners simply buy a ready-made structure in specialized stores. It's good that today there are such trading platforms completely, and similar stairs can be presented in various variations: for every taste and color.

If you still can’t find anything, you can easily order a staircase from manufacturing companies that will make it for you individually. In this case, the structure only needs to be assembled and installed.

The compact ladder to the attic can be retractable. Flip and folding options are also quite popular today.

General classification staircases by type and number of flights:

models with straight spans;
single-flight (1-2 turns by 90°);
two-flight (1 turn by 90° and 1 turn by 180°);
screw spans (a mandatory element is a load-bearing column);
circular spans (shaft in the middle).

Straight spans do not have any turns and are installed taking into account a certain angle. The width of the steps in this case should be on average 30 cm, and their depth at least 27 cm. Stairs that have turns, accordingly, take up much more space compared to straight ones. The width of the passage should be 50-100 cm, and the width and height of the steps may vary.

Materials

Everyone knows the fact that using wood as a material for an attic staircase is most advisable. The wood has an aesthetic appearance, beautiful texture and rich color. Modern paint and varnish mixtures make it possible to give wood the most incredible colors and shades. Moreover, wood is a fairly durable and, most importantly, safe material that will serve for many, many years.

Sometimes a material such as iron is used to make stairs, but its use involves many specific difficulties. A good forged structure looks incredibly beautiful, but usually costs much more. If in this case you use ordinary metal rather than forged products, then it is better to get by with a used ladder, since the house should have a high-quality and beautiful product, and not an option that creaks and plays like a garage door.

Let's go back to the tree. This material Perfect for making attic stairs. Minimal amount time and equipment will not interfere with doing everything planned, and this is its main advantage. Moreover, wood, like no other material, can add coziness and comfort to a home.

Making a wooden staircase involves the use of hard wood such as oak, pine, larch, yew and ash. Such products, for example, are offered by the Fakro brand. Door or other elements metal stairs usually decorated with forging, decorative figures, etc. Concrete products are used extremely rarely. They are quite bulky and difficult to manufacture.

How to do it yourself?

For self-made For an attic staircase, you should first decide on its design and location. It is necessary to take into account the area and availability of free space in the house. Most homeowners choose a straight design that has no turns or a staircase with several flights. These varieties are the most optimal, practical and convenient for home use. If the area of the room allows, then you can choose the option with several turns.

It is very important to correctly calculate the number of steps in each span. This can be done using regular string, measuring the distance from the end of the ladder to the floor. The depth and height of the steps are calculated based on the angle of inclination of the structure. The steeper it is, the smaller the width of the steps should be.

Before you begin, you should check all calculations and calculations very carefully. First, we determine the width and height of the rise, the dimensions of the hatch (if there is one), and the steepness. We must not forget that the staircase to the attic should not only be beautiful, but also safe. Therefore, be sure to provide handrails, fences and other safety features. The construction of the staircase involves the following steps:

precise determination of the location of the structure;
creating a sketch;
creation of a detailed drawing with all dimensions, selection of manufacturing materials;
selection of accessories and tools;
production of staircase elements (steps, railings);
installation.

Let's consider the standard procedure for installing a stationary wooden staircase.

Initially, the base of the structure itself is installed. At the very bottom it is securely held by a block, for example, made of wood.
Suitable stringers are screwed to the beam using construction screws.
The upper tenons of each element are inserted into the provided grooves. The joint must be coated with wood glue.
To more securely secure the entire structure, metal construction corners are used.

To strengthen the stairs use threaded rods. With their help, all stringers are connected in several places. This is the standard for reliable and strong fastening.
The main beam is then securely screwed to the wall.
The steps are installed starting from the lowest tread. This sequence is very important. Secure the tread with dowels, or at least with self-tapping screws.
Be sure to coat all visible joints with wood glue.
After these steps, the riser itself is installed.
At the final stage, all stringers are sewn up to the very top of the structure.

Some owners of a private house prefer an external staircase, since this option is very convenient if there is no place to place them in the room. conventional design. External stairs are made from various materials, the main ones being wood, concrete, metal and stone. Wood and metal still remain the best options. These materials are the most resistant to external environment, but only if they are pre-treated with special protective equipment.

The main advantages of an external staircase:

saving free space in the house;
the opportunity to enter the attic directly from the street.

If your house has an attic, it can be turned into a cozy and functional room for relaxation or work. This will save you from the need to build additional extensions and floors. The primary step in arranging an attic is the installation of a ladder, thanks to which you can easily and safely climb into the attic space. We will tell you about the types of attic stairs, which material to choose and whether it is possible to install the structure yourself.

Construction of attic stairs

Based on how much free space is available in your home for installation of the structure, you can choose completely different products. Let's consider all currently existing types of attic stairs:

"Duck step" Steps that have cutouts on one edge are installed one after another.
Retractable with hatch. Used in cases of limited space. The staircase goes up and the entrance to the attic is closed by a hatch.
Screw. Great option for climbing into the attic when there is not enough free space. The design consists of a supporting axis with steps fixed in a spiral.
Straight staircase with one central beam. The steps are attached centrally to the support beam.
Direct one-march. The most common type of staircase, despite the fact that it takes up a lot of space.
Rotary two-flight. A type of single-flight staircase that has an additional turn to save space.

Varieties in the photo

A rotating double-flight staircase is used in rooms with a small area. A straight single-flight staircase has high strength and is easy to manufacture. A straight staircase with one load-bearing beam is the most simple design The spiral staircase looks aesthetically pleasing and takes up little space
Retractable ladder when not needed, it is removed to the attic. The “Duck Step” staircase is convenient thanks to the cutouts in the steps

As you can see, there are plenty of variations of this product. However, owners of private houses often prefer simple marching structures. They can be supported by stringers, bolts or a spinal structure. IN country houses Ladders are usually installed on stringers, as they are considered the most durable and strong. As an example, consider the construction of a straight staircase erected parallel to the wall. In addition, the design is relatively simple to manufacture and any owner with basic technical knowledge and construction skills can install such a product.

Important: Purchasing a ready-made staircase is not always justified, because inner dimensions private houses often vary. Therefore, working locally in this case is the most correct solution. This way you can take into account any deviations and correct inaccuracies.

Before moving on to the workflow, it is advisable to familiarize yourself with all the terms that are used when installing stairs.

Structural elements of the stairs to the attic

A stringer is a supporting element of a structure, which is a strong beam (metal or wood) with special teeth for steps. More often marching stairs have two stringers. But in the case of erecting a large structure, the width of which exceeds 1.2 m, a third (central) beam should be installed.

Important: Minimum thickness A stringer made of timber should be 50 mm and the width should be 250 mm. This will ensure sufficient strength of the entire structure.

The tread is the horizontal surface of the step, that is, the place on which you stand. This structural element is often made from boards 25–50 mm thick. At the same time, the greater the width of the steps, or more precisely, the distance between the stringers, the stronger the boards need to be used. The tread should not deform under the weight of a person. All steps have a small ledge overhanging the tread below. Its value should be in the range from 20 to 40 mm. The upper edge of the steps is treated with a grinder to prevent chipping.

The riser is the vertical distance between adjacent steps. In wooden stairs it is often covered with some lightweight material, for example, plywood up to 15 mm thick. However, you don’t have to close the gap. In the latter case, you will reduce the installation time of the stairs, material consumption, and also significantly simplify the process of washing and cleaning staircases.

Selection of material and preparation of tools

Since we are making a staircase on stringers with our own hands, we will use wood as the material. Metal structures are also good, because they have high strength and have an attractive appearance. But to implement such a project it will be necessary welding machine and the ability to work with it. Coniferous and deciduous species are excellent for constructing wooden stairs. Yes, from coniferous trees most often used:

The most preferable option is larch or cedar. These rocks have a chic appearance, are easy to process and are little susceptible to rotting.
Spruce. Also good lumber, but has a lot of knots. Therefore, it requires additional surface treatment.
Pine is the most a budget option. At the same time, its main advantage is ease of processing.

As for deciduous trees, oak is the leader, followed by beech and ash.

Helpful advice: Before purchasing lumber, check that there is no damage (cracks, chips, bends). Also, you should not purchase wood that has been damaged by borers.

In addition to wooden beams, to build a staircase you will need the following Consumables like varnish, paint and screws. And, of course, to work you will need the following tools:

wood hacksaw or circular saw;
jigsaw;
building level;
metal corner;
pencil;
drill;
grinding machine or sandpaper;
wood glue;
brushes for painting.

Before you start assembling the stairs to the attic with your own hands, you need to study the installation features of the structure and perform a competent calculation.

Installation rules

Dependence of the size of steps on the angle of inclination of the stairs

The key point when erecting a structure is to maintain the angle of inclination. If the latter is less than 20°, then such a staircase will look more like a ramp. If the angle of the structure is over 50°, you can only go down it backwards. A tilt of 30°–38° is considered correct. But for the attic it is usually increased to 45°. The dimensions of the steps and risers are determined depending on the angle of inclination of the stairs. So, the smaller the angle of inclination, the deeper the tread and the smaller the riser; The steeper the angle of inclination, the greater the distance between the steps, and the less their depth. However, there are some restrictions:

maximum and minimum height steps – 20 cm and 12 cm, respectively;
the greatest and smallest depths are 38 cm and 30 cm, respectively;

You may notice that if we add up the extreme dimensions of the tread and riser, we get 50 cm. This value can be reduced slightly - up to 45 cm. For example, in most multi-storey buildings The depth of the step on concrete flights of stairs is about 32 cm, while the height is 17 cm.

There are also special calculation formulas and diagrams that can be used to determine the ideal ratio of these sizes. However, these methods are used only for standard design. Due to the fact that when building a staircase in a private house with your own hands it is quite difficult to maintain all these parameters, many people take verified approximate values as a basis:

If the angle of inclination is 33°–37°, the height of the riser is 16 cm;
at an angle of 38°–42° – 18 cm;
at an angle of 45° – 20 cm.

As for the width of the flight of stairs, the optimal value is 80 cm. If more than two people live in the house, then this distance can be increased to one meter. In addition, there is a requirement for the design of the passage height, which must be at least 2 m.

Choosing a location for installing the stairs

After familiarizing yourself with the requirements for installing the stairs, you can proceed to choosing the installation location of the product. Perfect option- this is the location of the exit to the attic in a separate small room, for example, an insulated vestibule. This will allow you to build a staircase of any size, and will also provide good thermal insulation. If there is no vestibule, then the ladder should be installed against the far wall. So, the design will not interfere with walking around the room and will not take up much free space.

Creating a hatch

You should get an even through hole, which will become the entrance to the attic

Work on installing the stairs to the attic begins with the creation of an entrance hole - a hatch. The first step is to make markings on the floor of the attic. In this case, it is advisable not to hit the floor beam. If there is no flooring in the attic, then determining the presence of a support element is a little easier. However, there are cases when beams cannot be identified visually. For example, if during the construction of a house a layer of insulation and waterproofing was laid in the ceiling. Therefore, if the beams are not visible, you can determine the optimal location of the hatch using a hammer drill with a long thin drill. Make several vertical drillings in the ceiling, thereby sketching out the outline of the future entrance to the attic. Then draw with a pencil the exact location of the hatch.

The next stage involves cutting the floor. To do this use circular saw. Cutting should be done very carefully and wearing strong gloves so as not to injure your hands. The fact is that hardware may get caught in the ceiling. It is also advisable to put a blade with the hardest teeth possible on the saw. After cutting the ceiling, remove the layer thermal insulation material and remove all unnecessary details ceiling covering. As a result, you should get a smooth through hole, which will become the entrance to the attic.

Important: You can proceed to calculating the amount of materials only after creating the hatch. Make any measurements with a non-existent " front door» to the top floor - meaningless. After all, the features of the ceiling and location load-bearing beams may affect the installation location of the ladder and its dimensions.

Marking and cutting stringers

The process of creating a stringer

Stretch a rope along the wall from the far side of the hatch to the base of the structure on the first floor. Determine the number of steps by varying the slope slightly. The obtuse angle between the rope and the floor is the angle at which the steps should be installed on the stringer.
Apply the appropriate markings for the steps on the support beam and cut out the grooves.
Shorten the stringer board in accordance with the length of the previously stretched rope. The cut is made taking into account the selected slope. In this case, the beam must be shortened so that its lower edge is not on the floor, but on a stop (bar) embedded in the floor.
Insert into the stringer from above fastening element or leave a small overhang in advance. The tenon is necessary for attaching the support board to the floor beam.

Helpful advice: You can make grooves on the stringer in another way. Using a stretched rope, attach the board to the wall. In accordance with the angle of inclination, draw steps on the support beam using a building level.

The marking of the remaining beams is done in the same way. To ensure that the structure is symmetrical and not skewed, make the second and third (if necessary) stringers, strictly observing all the dimensions of the first.

Assembling the stairs

Installation of a wooden staircase to the attic

The first step is to install the base of the stairs. Using a drill and self-tapping screws, screw the stringer to the pre-installed stop block. The tenons should be inserted into the prepared holes, lubricated with wood glue. To firmly secure the structure to the stop, use metal corners and plates. The board adjacent to the wall is immediately attached to the top.
Installation of steps is carried out from bottom to top. When preparing the treads, some errors in length will arise. That is why the second stringer should be attached to the ceiling only after installing the last step. Fastening is done using self-tapping screws. And do not forget to coat all joints with glue. If you plan to install risers, then they also need to be screwed in, starting from the first step.
Installation of railings. The outermost pillar is placed first. Screw it to one of the first steps from below using a powerful self-tapping screw. Install the balusters in the same way; you can use 2 pieces per step. In this case, the racks must have a strictly vertical position. The procedure continues until the very last step, at which the pillar is again placed. Then we install railings on the balusters and posts.
Finally, we finish the surface. For this we use a special protective composition or varnish that will make the structure more aesthetically pleasing.

The process of installing a staircase to the attic cannot be called a simple task, but it is also very challenging task he is not. If you want to build a reliable and durable design strictly adhere to all the above rules and recommendations.

The equipment of an additional room in the attic is good option increasing the living space in the house. After the attic has become habitable, you need to take care of installing a beautiful one. Even when designing, it is necessary to think about where the attic staircase will be installed, what type it will have, and what material it will be made of.

Depending on the installation location, the attic staircase can be internal or external. The internal staircase structure is the most used option, but takes up a lot of space. The external staircase for the attic is mounted on the outside of the building and is an element of the building facade. According to the type of construction, stairs to the attic are:

Single-flight staircase to the attic. This attic staircase is easy to manufacture and install.

Double-flight (turning) staircase for the attic.

With winder steps. In this case, the turntable is replaced by steps in the form of a trapezoid. This staircase for the attic takes less space than two-flight.

Screw. This type of attic structure takes up a minimum of space and is the most acceptable option. A spiral attic staircase will add originality to any interior. Assembling a screw attic structure from winder steps, which are mounted on a supporting pole.

Foldable. This is the most economical type of design. It is used when attic stairs are rarely used. The folding staircase to the attic consists of separate sections and is placed in the ceiling hatch. It is easy to install, easy to operate, takes small space, reliable and simple.

Material selection

The main material for making stairs to the attic is wood, less often metal and very rarely stone. Sometimes the march to the attic is combined, when the string is made of metal and the steps are made of wood.

Inside the house, a wooden staircase for the attic is more often used. The wooden staircase structure can have any look and shade. Wood is environmentally friendly, reliable, and easy to process. The lumber prepared for work must be smooth, free from knots, cracks and deformations.

The staircase to the attic, made of metal, is mainly installed indoors. This attic structure is reliable in operation and is highly durable.

The attic staircase, made of stone, is installed outside the building. It is reliable and well made. After installation, the stone staircase structure is plastered and painted in the color of the building facade.

Marching design and calculation of elements

A flight of stairs for the attic is the easiest to build. It may have one or several spans. To flight of stairs has been in operation for a long period, it is necessary to carry out the correct calculation of all elements during design:

The bowstring and stringer are the main ones load-bearing elements the entire structure. Staircase for the attic with bowstrings is the most used option. The bowstring is made either wooden or metal. Wood bowstrings are most often used, as they are easy to process and install. Recommended dimensions of a wooden bowstring: length – 2000-5500 mm, width – from 350 mm, thickness – from 25 to 50 mm. A staircase to the attic with stringers looks more beautiful, but is difficult to manufacture and install. For installation, you need to know what length and height it will be, the depth of its steps, and the height of the riser.

The difference between a bowstring and a stringer is that on a stringer the steps are located between the beams. A stringer is the same beam, only the steps are already installed on top of the beam

Steps and risers. They are made from flat, processed boards, with a width of 0.2 to 0.3 m, based on the free space allocated for flight of stairs. All steps must be sanded, cuts and irregularities removed. The risers are selected in height, ranging from 15 to 20 cm.

Number of steps. The length of the flight of stairs must be divided by the permissible step height. If the staircase structure has 18 steps or more, it is recommended to make turning areas.
Turning area. The attic staircase can be turned 90 and 180 degrees, depending on the shape of the staircase. The width of the landing should be the same as the width of the flight of stairs. It is worthwhile to provide a platform length of more than 1 meter, which is commensurate with the length of a person’s step. This will ensure normal movement around the site.

Steepness. The slope of the flight of stairs should be in the range from 30 to 45 degrees. This meets the conditions of her safe use and ergonomics. With a slope of more than 45 degrees, carrying heavy things and moving people will be very inconvenient. With a slope of less than 30 degrees, the staircase to the attic will be longer and take up a lot of free space.

Structure length. To calculate it, you need to take the attachment points of the march in the floor and lower floor. Having obtained the height and width of the structure, we calculate its length using the formula for the hypotenuse of a right triangle.

Installation of marchingstaircase design

This installation procedure is typical. The set for attic stairs includes a string, balusters with railings, treads, and risers. To install the bowstring, grooves are installed in the upper ceiling for its installation. Sometimes the indicated grooves are not made, but metal stoppers are installed and firmly secured. In the place of the lower fastening of the bowstring, at the level of the first step, a locking block is installed and secured to the floor so that even minimal movement is prevented when the ladder is loaded. Installation of steps is extremely simple. The grooves in the string prepared for the steps must be coated with adhesive and risers installed. After this, you need to make sure that the risers are aligned with the edge and attach them with nails or screws. You can lay treads on the fixed risers and secure them. In this situation, the glue does not allow the steps to creak.

Advice! For ease of use, it is recommended to start installing steps on attic stairs from the first bottom step.

When installing balusters, you need to ensure that they are all installed at the same height. To do this, you need to mount identical balusters on the first and last steps, stretch a rope between them and install the remaining balusters along the line of the stretched rope. Handrails, which can be made of different materials. The assembled attic stairs are sanded again. Sanded stairs are sealed with impregnations that repel water and protect against wood insects. Installation of a flight of stairs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cs53sgwpvEo

Screw design, installation procedure

The screw attic structure looks more attractive, but its production and installation are much more expensive than direct march ones. When installing a spiral staircase in the attic, a load-bearing pillar is most often used, where trapezoidal steps are mounted on an axis one after the other. For stability and reliability, the pole is positioned exactly vertically and concreted at the base. Cylinders are cut from a pipe whose diameter is several millimeters larger than the pole. Steps are attached to the cylinders and mounted on a pole. After the steps are placed on the axial post, they are adjusted to the desired angles and attached to the post. The tread should be from 10 cm deep at the pillar and up to 40 cm at outside. The riser should have an average height of 20 cm. The staircase to the attic is equipped with railings. Standard railings have a height of 1 meter, which can be increased if necessary. When installing screw structures for the attic, do not forget that they are all due to design features limited in use. Installation of a spiral staircase https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZIAhjFjVWf4

If the house initially has a usable attic space, then a staircase for it is probably provided for by the project. But what to do if you have built attic floor later? Of course, you will need a staircase to the attic. Moreover, if you rely on own strength, 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 as reliable, safe and durable as possible. Today we will discuss how to build attic stairs with your own hands, and what materials and design options are preferable for such buildings; We will present to your attention more than a dozen visual drawings and diagrams, and also demonstrate a video with step-by-step instructions.

Metal and wooden attic stairs: photo and design

Metal structures are rightfully considered very reliable and solid. And in the case of stairs, they are also beautiful, since the 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 are wooden. Do-it-yourself stairs to the attic implies that you can cope with this task yourself, and wood - perfect material For creative work. Look 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 easiest to manufacture, or you can decide on a bold and large-scale project. It all depends only on your desire and skill. Below we will look at what shape and design the 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, external

Depending on the location relative to the house, the attic staircase can be internal or external. At the stage of construction and renovation of the attic floor, you need to somehow climb to the work site, and in this case, a good option would 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.

Idea If attic room in the house is someone’s personal bedroom, and you want to give its owner the opportunity to enter his room, bypassing the main entrance, and without disturbing the rest of the household, external staircase- this is a great idea.

The external layout of the stairs to the attic has both advantages and disadvantages. Thieves and other intruders often try to enter the house through such an entrance, especially if the doors are not very secure. 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 veranda.

Many country houses and the dachas cannot boast large area residential premises, so the owners, of course, want the staircase to the attic not to clutter up the space. It should be a small, compact structure with a minimum of parts, but still comfortable enough so that going 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, the best option is a compact folding staircase to the attic, which can be made independently from wood and several simple metal elements.

Advice If you want to save usable area in the house or country house, install a folding staircase to the attic floor, which can be completely hidden in the hatch after use.

However, this is not the only compact design option. Spiral staircases also do not take up much space, and they can look very interesting and beautiful. Sometimes such a solution becomes a real highlight of the entire interior. Screw railings can evoke associations with marine theme, or take your imagination towards medieval castles. You will learn a lot of interesting things about the beautiful design of the attic and choosing a style for the future interior here.

Not only folding and screw structures can 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 move on directly to the manufacture of attic stairs. As we said above, for independent creative project the best thing wood will do. This must be quality wood hard rocks, because it will have to withstand serious loads, and many times. It is important not only to choose the right material for future construction, but also to prepare it correctly.

Important Before the beginning construction work keep the wood for at least three days in the room where it will be installed finished staircase. Let the tree get used to the humidity and air temperature and take on its final size.

Installing a staircase to the attic begins with choosing a project. The easiest to manufacture and install are marching structures of one or two spans. If there is only one flight, 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 a small platform is made between them, or several winder steps are installed. The basis of the design is either stringers, or two supporting strings, or bolts, that is, special bolts screwed into the wall.

How to build a staircase to the attic with the least amount of labor? Of course, using stringers, as in the picture above. But you still have to decide how to position it. The most commonly used location methods are: rotated by 90 degrees, and rotated by 180 degrees.

Any staircase to the attic has standard dimensions, strictly designed for convenience and safety during use. 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 fits onto the step completely, that is, 30 cm will be optimal. The exception is winder steps. At their narrowest part they can be only 10 cm wide. The height of the riser, that is, vertical part separating the steps should be 15-19 cm. To select optimal ratio There are special formulas between the width of the tread and the height of the riser.

There are three formulas that determine the ratio of the riser height (j) to the tread width (e): the convenience formula, the step formula and the safety formula. The most important of them is the step formula. In this case, the ratio between the two quantities (j/e), 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 staircase. Comfortable ascent and descent directly depends on this value. You should carefully consider the choice of slope so that all members of your family can comfortably go up and down.

Important The technological minimum slope for marching stairs is 20 degrees, but a slope of up to 45 degrees is acceptable. But remember that climbing such steep steps is not easy, especially for an elderly person.

Construction work begins with cutting out the hatch if the attic floor has just been built on and there was no access to it previously. The dimensions of the sides of the hatch are determined by the width of the stairs, and its shape should be square. It's easiest to cut it out circular saw. Then the stringers are cut out, milled and sanded. The wall stringer is installed first, and the second is installed at the required distance, strictly parallel. For accuracy, use a building level. Then the risers are attached, and lastly, the steps and handrails. The entire construction process is clearly demonstrated in this video: