Railing for the stairs - the finishing touch in the design

Any design is inevitably associated with the need to select the appropriate railing. This important structural element not only affects the safety level of the entire structure, but also forms the appearance and design of the stairs. There are many ways to make a railing. They may vary in manufacturing material, shape, size, fill level, design and the presence of decor. In order for the entire staircase design to be safe, practical, aesthetic and harmoniously fit into the interior of the home, the choice of handrail must be approached with special care. We suggest that you be inspired by the options for the execution of handrails for stairs of a wide variety of designs and materials of execution, as an example of our large-scale photo selection.

Varieties of railings according to the material of execution

Railings are called staircase railings. Often they are necessary not only to create protection against the possible fall of a person walking along the steps and his support, but also to maintain the entire structure of the staircase and its elements. Depending on the functions assigned to the railing, the material of the entire staircase, its size and type of modification, interior decoration and the financial capabilities of the owners, it selects the material for the railing. Most often for the manufacture of railings are used:

• wood;
• metal;
• glass;
• polyurethane;
• acrylic;
• combined designs.

Metal railing

Currently, metal railing can be safely called the most popular way of performing this element of the staircase construction. The advantages of metal products are obvious;

• strength;
• durability;
• reliability;
• high wear resistance;
• resistance to moisture and temperature fluctuations;
• high fire safety;
• simplicity in leaving;
• wide range of design possibilities;
• wide variation in pricing policy (depends on the material chosen).

The owner with any size of wallet will be able to find his version of the metal fence. Aluminum and stainless steel will cost several times cheaper than forging or railings made of brass, copper. Steel products are currently the most popular (the cost in this case plays an important role), but manufacturers offer designs made of iron and even cast iron. But when choosing the material for the execution of the railing, a lot depends on the design of the stairs, its weight, size and method of attaching the steps in particular and the marches in general.

Aluminum railing have the following list of benefits:

• ease of installation;
• resistance to corrosion;
• light weight, elegant appearance;
• affordable cost;
• the railing with natural aluminum shine will look great in such interior decoration styles as hi-tech, minimalism, modern, varieties of modern stylistics;
• the ability to tint a shiny surface in any color.

The main disadvantage of aluminum products is their low strength. They can only be used indoors and in a gentle manner. But for many stair customers, such conditions are more than acceptable.

Stainless steel railing differ from aluminum structures in the absence of fragility in the structure of the material. Stainless steel is most often combined with other materials, so it can effectively fit into any style of interior design. Usually a "stainless steel" is combined with wooden handrails. A combination of stainless steel racks with glass screens is also popular. Such railings can be used both indoors and for the exterior of dwellings.

According to the type of execution, all metal railings can be divided into 4 groups:

prefabricated - they are mounted very quickly, they are distinguished by high adaptability, low weight and affordable cost;

welded - such railings are obtained from steel or ferrous metals by the method of cold deflection. Products differ in sufficient strength, durability, wear resistance. The weak point of such railings is welds. To prevent corrosion, the product must be periodically painted. Only stainless steel lacks this disadvantage;

casting - products are obtained by pouring molten metal into molds. The cooled blanks are removed and processed. In this way, you can make a railing of amazing beauty, with the most diverse design, exquisite decorative elements;

forging - In this way, you can create a railing with a truly unique design. Forging masters are able to create real masterpieces using special tools or manually. Finished products can be processed "under gold or silver", apply a patina (it all depends on the style of the interior in which the staircase will be located). The high cost of forged products is justified not only by manual work, but also by the original design, strength and reliability of the structures.

Handrail made of wood

Even if your staircase is not made of wood, the railing of this natural, versatile material will be more than appropriate. Wood products will never go out of style. High environmental friendliness of natural material, excellent aesthetic qualities, and simply pleasant sensations from touching warm wood are relevant at all times. There is an opinion that stairs or their components made of natural wood are not a pleasure for everyone. But for the manufacture of railings, you can choose the so-called "budget" varieties of wood, affordable at the cost of many of the Russians.

The disadvantages of natural wood handrails can only be attributed to the influence of moisture and temperature changes on the structure of the material. Wooden structures without additional processing (coating with varnishes and impregnation with special compounds) should not be used outdoors.

If your interior is decorated in one of the areas of country style, or in such styles as chalets, Provence, tropical, marine, wooden structures of stairs in general and railings in particular will be more than appropriate. A beautiful natural wood pattern not only brings a special atmosphere to the image of the room, but also emphasizes the originality of other interior items.

It happens that customers want to create wooden handrails on the railing of a spiral staircase. It is not easy to get such a design from natural material. An affordable alternative is the manufacture of radial elements from polyvinyl chloride. Of course, it will not be possible to achieve complete resemblance to the aesthetic qualities of natural wood, but you can get a completely durable and reliable structure.

If the staircase is bounded on two sides by walls, then there is no need for a railing. But for comfortable and safe movement along the stairs, it is necessary to equip it with a handrail, which can be mounted directly to the wall. In most cases, such a handrail is made of wood (even if the staircase itself is made of another material), because it is so nice to touch it.

When creating a fully wooden staircase, you can use a combination of wood species with a contrasting combination of natural color solutions. But such designs can be expensive. It is much more practical and more affordable - to combine painted and unpainted wood. As a rule, if this technique is used for the supports and the handrail of the railing, then it is repeated in the steps of the stairs.

Glass railing for a modern interior

Most often, glass is used to create protective screens. For this, panels of tempered, laminated organic or silicate glass are used. Such material is called triplex, in construction circles you can find the name "translucent structures." Glass in the triplex system has the following advantageous qualities:

• aesthetic appearance;
• environmental friendliness of material
• strength;
• heat resistance;
• there is no danger for a person to be cut by fragments when breaking the panel (a protective film prevents the formation of fragments);
• safe sanded edges;
• the ability to tint panels in any color if transparency of the structure is not required.

Another important advantage of glass railings, which must be noted separately, is the transparency of the structure. Sunlight penetrates almost unhindered through the protective screens of the stairs, creating a light and bright image of the entire room, not cluttered with stairs.

As a rule, the size of triplex glass panels does not exceed 1.2 m. Glass railings are used both for equipping stairs in public buildings and for private use in houses and apartments with several levels. Glass railings, consisting only of translucent panels that do not have handrails, look luxurious, modern, unique. But the level of safety and comfort in use they have an order of magnitude lower than the alternative with comfortable handrails.

Combined Railing

By combining various materials in the manufacture of railings for stairs, it is possible not only to create an original design, but also to improve the quality of strength, reliability and safety of structures. Most often, metal and wood are combined. Metal racks and a wooden handrail are an ideal alliance for creating reliable, durable, convenient and pleasant to use handrails for stairs.

When creating combined designs of railings for stairs, so-called metal strings are very often used. The elements got their name for their small diameter, but high strength. The strings provide reliable protection for everyone who moves up the stairs, but pi practically do not block the spread of sunlight. For these qualities, designers recommend the use of metal strings (thin ropes) both in spacious rooms and in small spaces.

In some cases, it is successful to combine the three main materials used to make the railing - metal, wood and glass. Such structures will cost a lot, but can become a practical and reliable decoration of the stairs. As a rule, protective screens are made of glass, which are attached to metal racks, the wooden railings complete the design.

And in conclusion

Summarizing all of the above, we can highlight several recommendations for choosing a railing for a staircase used in a private home:

it is obvious that the appearance of the railing should not resonate with the overall design of the staircase, it is necessary that the whole structure looks organically. The texture, material and color schemes of the main parts must match or organically combine. Decorative elements (if any) should not “conflict” with the foundation of the structure;

for a fully wooden staircase, it is better to opt for a railing made of the same material (you can combine different types of wood with a variety of natural patterns, color schemes). But metal inserts can decorate a wooden staircase, giving its structure additional strength;

if you need an affordable, reliable and not fastidious in operation solution for the execution of handrails for the stairs, then choose the option using stainless steel (such structures do not need to be painted, it is easy to transport and assemble);

the shiny surface of stainless steel will organically look in any of the areas of modern style, hi-tech or modern. If you need matte surfaces, then it makes sense to consider the option of using black steel. Powder coating will help to give products any color scheme (at your discretion - to harmoniously fit into the overall picture or create contrast). With this choice, the family budget will not suffer;

when creating a luxurious interior, in which the staircase construction is assigned a key role, the best option is to use art forging - the exclusive design and the magnificent appearance of the durable construction compensate for all costs.

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