Concrete marches, which form the basis of the stairs, have a long service life and increased strength. The metal reinforcement located inside the structures acts as a force. Due to this, the concrete is not covered by cracks and does not crumble. It is completely indifferent to moisture and external factors. The most accurate can be considered prefabricated stairs mounted from slabs and their fragments, as well as monolithic, made on the spot. Concrete construction can be finished with stone, carpet, tile or wood. The staircase will look spectacular in the latter case, this is especially true when valuable species of wood such as beech, larch, ash or oak are used.
Wood species selection
Finishing concrete stairs with wood can be done using different species. Sometimes quite rare are used, which are imported from afar. However, you can choose practical, beautiful and solid wood within your region. A favorite among the finishing materials is oak, which is affordable and durable, it has pleasant shades and a bright pattern on the surface. If you want to get a respectable design that will last more than one year, you should choose oak.
Larch and beech
With the acquisition of larch there will be no problems, its cost will pleasantly surprise, since it is almost half the price of oak. However, the material itself is not inferior in external data and quality. It is reliable and durable enough, and it is ready to serve for a very long time. Finishing concrete stairs with ash will be cheaper compared to works where oak is used. Among other things, this breed is very durable, and the pattern is natural beauty. When choosing material based on ash, you can even choose a color that can be light or dark. Another worthy contender in the line of described materials is beech, which has a uniform structure and a pleasant shade. You will have to pay for it not so expensive, and the quality of the material will be at its best.
How to avoid installation errors
If you will be finishing concrete stairs with wood, then you must try to exclude the most common mistakes. Most believe that the most expensive part of the job is pouring stairs. But facing the structure with wood will cost the most. Do not fix the array directly on the steps, this requirement is due to the fact that such a finish will not last long. It is not worth saving on the thickness of the material, shields should be no thinner than 30 millimeters or more.
Expendable materials
Before you finish the final cladding, you need to level the surface and make veneering. It is not recommended to use paint that completely hides the natural structure of wood, as the appearance will lose attractiveness. Prior to the start of sheathing work, it is necessary to clean the surface of dust and debris, otherwise adhesion to glue and other materials will be unstable. Finishing a concrete staircase with wood should be accompanied by the use of not only the adhesive composition, but also additional mechanical fasteners in the form of dowels. In this case, the material will hold firmly enough. You should not save on varnish coatings, it is worth acquiring a moisture-resistant composition, to cover the steps with at least three times, between the layers you must definitely withstand the time necessary for the coating to completely dry.
Tool preparation
Finishing a concrete staircase with wood should begin with preparing a set of necessary tools, among them an electric drill, a jigsaw, a building level and a plumb line, a milling machine, and a hammer. You will need a hacksaw, a grinder and a screwdriver. You need to purchase material that suits you in advance, which will be used for decoration. You will also need plywood, which will act as a substrate. It will be possible to level the surface with a solution of cement and sand, and glue will be needed for fixing the elements. At the final stage, the surface of the stairs should be varnished or painted, which will make the design not only more attractive, but also durable.
Work technology
Finishing a concrete staircase with a tree with your own hands should be carried out according to a certain method, at the first stage the surface of the steps must be cleaned of dust and contaminants. Next, the master prepares a solution of sand and cement, it is best to use the M150 brand.
At the next stage, the steps are glued; for this, a liquid composition based on sand and PVA glue should be diluted. The layer must be left until it dries, which can take up to 5 hours.
Cracks, bumps and potholes are smoothed out with a spatula, with which you can apply the concrete mixture. Finishing a concrete staircase in a private house should involve preparatory work. In order for the design to look like a whole with the wall, you need to install narrow strips from the bottom, which are made of 10 mm veneered plywood. While the solution will dry, attention should be paid to treads and risers. In order to make the lining durable, hard rocks should be used.
For reference
The standard tread width is considered to be a range from 27 to 32 centimeters, as for risers, their width can be from 15 to 18 centimeters. Depending on the characteristics of the march, these elements should be made and installed.
Installation of treads and risers
When the concrete stairs are finished with their own hands, self-tapping screws should be used to fasten the tread and riser. It is necessary to make a groove in advance using a milling machine, after the risers are fixed to the tread with the lower edge flush with the lower part. The upper edge of the tread is installed in the groove on the back side. It should have a width and depth that are 2.5 and 1.4 centimeters respectively.
The master will be able to speed up the process if he collects several risers with treads in a single design. From the side of the tread a corner of metal is installed. It is recommended to make additional insulation of the steps, for this you can use 3 mm polyethylene. It will protect wood and concrete from harmful effects and create sound insulation. When using material steps will almost not be heard.
The nuances of facing
If you are thinking about how to trim a concrete staircase with wood, then you should start work from the lower riser. In each workpiece, it is necessary to mark, and then drill holes, which should be two on each side. Details will be installed in the groove, while you can control their even location. Self-tapping screws should not be fully tightened until the entire structure can be installed. Only after the build quality has been checked can the screws be screwed in as far as they will go. At the end, a riser should be installed, for which it is necessary to use a board or corner.
Next, the master proceeds to finish the railing, if they are planned. Turns should be made by sawing segments at a certain angle. Between themselves, they are not only glued together, but also fixed with screws to the base. In order to make the cut as even as possible, you should use a hacksaw with small teeth. Joints need to be puttied, and then sanded. It is important to choose the right color of putty, the shade of which will match the color of the wood. The final step is grinding the surface of the steps, as well as further coating them with varnish.
Alternative finish
Wood concrete stairs can be finished using a slightly different technology. To do this, at the preparatory stage, it is necessary to measure the steps, which will determine the highest of them. All others should be trimmed to size using a self-leveling floor mix. If the differences are insignificant or the steps are the same in height, then the surface is still leveled, and the mixture just needs to be applied to the base. If the difference in height was more than a centimeter, then formwork should be prepared from plywood, which is fixed with dowels, so that the upper edge coincides with the required level.
Before using the fill, the steps are cleaned of debris and covered with a primer, which will improve the adhesive characteristics. After the primer has dried, the mixture can be filled.
Concrete stairs are finished according to the described technology only after fixing the plywood, which will act as an insulating layer. At the same time, wooden linings will not accumulate excess moisture. The surface is then primed again, the composition should be allowed to dry. At the next stage, the master cuts the blanks from plywood, the thickness of which should be from 10 to 15 centimeters. The dimensions of these elements must correspond to the dimensions of the steps. Next, adhesive mastic is applied, and a blank of plywood is applied on top, which is fixed with dowels. In this case, it is important to level the plywood.
Main stage
Finishing concrete stairs with wood, photos of which you can see in the article, is carried out using an array. Blanks for this can be cut independently or ordered in the workshop. If the treads have a rather complex shape, then their outline is best depicted on thick cardboard or plywood. Finishing is necessary from the bottom. Three bolts should be screwed into the lower end of the riser so that they protrude from it. The hats are cut off, the wooden riser is combined with concrete, and the location of the bolts will need to be marked.
Holes of the appropriate size must be drilled, and then filled with epoxy. The surface of the plywood is treated with liquid nails and installed in place. In the step, a groove of the necessary depth should be made, which is necessary for the abutting riser. The second riser is fixed with screws on the step. The technology of finishing concrete stairs with wood requires the need for surface treatment of plywood with adhesive. This will allow you to set the first step. Elements are verified by level, and if necessary, corrected. According to this technology, it is necessary to clad the stairs, gradually moving upstairs.
Conclusion
Projects for finishing concrete stairs with wood should be prepared by a professional. But you can try to make them yourself. However, even if the scheme of work is drawn up as accurately as possible, gaps will form on the side of the steps, which are recommended to be filled with putty or polyurethane foam.
It is important not only to observe the features of the technology, but also to choose the right material. For example, a laminate is completely unsuitable for this. Despite the fact that it belongs to the popular floor coverings, it is not used for cladding. Since the area of the steps is small, it will not work to lay the material in a floating way, and the technology will be violated. The thickness of the boards is too small to fix them in a way that is similar to the technology when using wood. In addition, they do not have anti-slip coating.