Forged stair railings - materials, sketches, dimensions and do-it-yourself installation

Can a forged staircase be made from start to finish with your own hands if you have neither a forge nor the corresponding skills at your disposal? You will be surprised, but the answer will be positive.

A wrought-iron fence that hasn't been touched by a blacksmith's hammer? Is this possible?

Features of forged stair railings

Forged elements look great in any interior. But there are a number of features that must be taken into account when drawing up the project in order to avoid unpleasant surprises after all the work is completed.

The height of the fence and the gaps between the posts must comply with safety standards, especially if there are small children in the house. The recommended height is 1200 mm, and the clearance between the vertical elements of the staircase is no more than 200 mm.

This fence has a number of nuances

The fences are very massive, and the supporting substructure must be designed for additional load. Metal elements of racks are dangerous, and the use of wooden elements of railings and plugs will significantly reduce the likelihood of damage

Design, distances, dimensions

Handrails for stairs are necessary for safer use, as they are an enclosing structure that prevents injuries. There are models of stairs that do not require any railings. They may look interesting, but using such stairs is scary. Typically, stair railings consist of several elements:

Support pillars. They are a mandatory part of the structure, installed at the beginning and end of each span and between them in increments of 50-60 cm. Support pillars are also placed at the corners of the turntable. They must be strong, securely fastened as they bear the main load.

Structural elements of stair railings

Handrail. The structure that connects the tops of the support posts serves to provide support during lifting and to create the building envelope itself. Handrails can also be attached from the second side - to the wall. Such double handrails are made when the width of the steps is more than 120 cm. The minimum height of the handrail is 90 cm, the maximum is about 100-110 cm. The second option is for tall inhabitants. For ease of use, if there are small children or short people in the family, you can install a second handrail below, which will be comfortable for them to hold on to.
Filling. This is an optional element, but most often, in one form or another, it is present. The distance between the support posts (pillars) is 50-60 cm. If there are no children in the house, this space can be left empty. But usually, in the gaps, balusters (vertical posts), longitudinal elements connecting pillars, patterned or forged filling, pieces of glass, plastic, etc. are installed.

Such a simple design, and it has a great many options. And it is the railings for stairs that give them a special charm and uniqueness and set the style.

Materials for forged fences

For forged stair railings, steel grade St3 is usually used. When design features or conditions of further operation require additional properties, the steel grade is changed to one that can meet all the wishes.

If there is a possibility of exposure to aggressive environments, such as high humidity, salt solutions falling on the surface (when located on the seashore or not far from the roadway), austenitic stainless steel is used:

If it is necessary to increase the safety margin, alloy steels with the addition of metals such as manganese, molybdenum, and tungsten are used.
For a protective or decorative top layer, bluing or titanium coating, or a polymer or epoxy enamel coating is usually used. The choice of material here will depend on the requirements for decorativeness and operating features.

Important! The choice of material must take into account the operating conditions.

In this video you will learn how to make forged railings:

Simple rules of care

For the first time after installation, railings installed on the street must be observed especially carefully and their reaction to temperature changes, sunlight, dew and precipitation must be determined. If necessary, the metal should be coated with an additional layer of protective moisture-resistant varnish for outdoor use. This will avoid global stripping and repainting in the future.

In general, caring for wrought iron railings comes down to regular inspection, identifying rust and removing dust. If rust spots appear, the damaged areas must be cleaned, treated with an anti-corrosion compound and coated with hammer enamel or varnish.

Types of forged railings for stairs

The types of wrought iron fencing are very different and are determined by a number of factors, whether they serve as a fence from casual glances or should transmit light as much as possible. For example, you can make the following classification.

By type of stairs:

straight, for fencing areas without height differences;
oblique, for the flights of stairs themselves;
curved, for spiral staircases.

In relation to a certain interior design style:

loft is a popular modern style in the spirit of minimalism, characterized by straight lines, without unnecessary details, with basic colors (black, white, gray);
Empire - imperial style with an emphasis on luxury and an abundance of military-themed elements in the ornament; a combination of black and gold colors is usually used;
Provence - a light style with airy, simple patterns of thin lines; pastel-colored paint with a patina effect is usually used for coating;
classic style - inspired by antique designs and classicist architecture, simplicity and grace of lines are combined with decorative elements in the form of flowers, wreaths and crossed arms, a strict combination of black and gold finishes completes the impression.

This is interesting: the features of forged stairs.

Description

Let's find out what characteristic properties and advantages of forged railings have.

This element has outstanding decorative properties. Forged railings give the entire porch lightness, weightlessness and transparency. And the variety of different options for forged elements makes each porch unique. Modern manufacturers can offer a very wide range of forged design options: it is possible to choose one to suit every taste, color and any style of home. It is also worth paying attention to what wrought iron railings exist for stairs in the house, and what their price is, indicated in the article at the link.
The durability of the design is impressive . For all its openwork and decorativeness, forged railings can serve regularly for several decades. The strength and reliability of the railings are also at the proper level: they are almost impossible to break, bend, or deform in any way. The product is already very durable, but even the existing reliability and strength can be enhanced: this is achieved by coating the railings with a special protective compound.
Forged railings clearly demonstrate the well-being and strong financial position of the owner of the house. For a person of a certain status, this is an important nuance. Forged railings also often decorate the entrance to offices, law firms, and other reputable institutions: thus, immediately at the entrance, visitors get the first favorable impression of this establishment.
Metal railings will serve as a reliable support in case of ice or slush: they will never let you down and will not bend under any weight. and will look good with any type of material (for example, both a wooden canopy and a polycarbonate canopy will look equally good).

Wrought iron railings for the street

Forged elements add completeness and integrity to the appearance of the entire front façade of the building . Thanks to such a porch, the appearance of the house becomes refined, noble and a little vintage. Forging can make the railings both straight and intricately curved, which also makes it possible to decorate the porch in the most interesting way.
Wrought iron railings are very practical. They do not require any maintenance: they are not afraid of rain, snow, or other precipitation. They are not afraid of mechanical influences either. But, although no maintenance is required, some zealous owners still paint wrought iron railings every few years, extending their service life and updating their appearance.
A big plus of forged railings is that they organically fit into the style of any building. If the building is in a modern style, you can choose a laconic option, but for a luxurious building in the Baroque style, you can choose elegant twisted railings decorated with floral patterns. Wrought iron railings help bring any design idea to life. The possibility of individual order allows you to make the entrance to your home unlike any other.
You can install railings on any porch : be it wooden, or metal, or concrete. This versatility significantly expands the range of use of the product.

But this article will help you understand how to make wooden railings with your own hands, and how they are installed.

On video - forged railings for the porch:

Elements for metal stairs can be colored, as well as gold-plated, silver-plated, or artificially aged. In addition to metal, other details can also be included in the design of the elements: inserts made of stones, polycarbonate, ceramics, stained glass. All these elements make the railing pattern individual and unique. But it is recommended to use such design options only if the porch has a canopy that protects from precipitation.

Speaking about the advantages, it is necessary to say a few words about the existing disadvantages. But in essence, forged railings have only two disadvantages: they are not the cheapest cost of the product, and the rather labor-intensive process of installing the finished structure on the porch. Both disadvantages are explained by the complexity and considerable weight of the railing elements. But they can also be mitigated by complying with standards when designing a staircase (for example, the size of the staircase steps is GOST).

You may also find it useful and interesting to learn about what a PVC handrail for railings looks like and how to install them.

Manufacturing technology for forged fences

Blacksmithing appeared long before our era, but they learned to use forged elements as stair railings relatively recently. The first known and famous example of the interior use of blacksmithing is Qween House in Greenwich. Built in the first half of the 17th century, the mansion became famous for the tulips woven into the staircase railings. These iron flowers gave rise to a huge chain of imitations, which were often much more successful than the original.

Hot forging technology

Hot forging was known to the ancient Greeks and Phoenicians. For this process, it is necessary to heat the metal until it reaches high ductility, after which it is quite easy to give exactly the shape that is needed. If for copper the processing temperature is about 800 degrees Celsius, for steel it is 1200 degrees. To achieve this range, a regular fire flame will not help, and you will need a blacksmith's forge. Air is supplied into it under pressure, and due to the high combustion intensity, very high temperatures are achieved.

The heated metal is processed using tools that have proven themselves over the centuries:

anvil;
hammers of different shapes and weights, depending on the purpose;
tongs for holding workpieces.

There are several forging technologies.
An experienced blacksmith, with precise blows, quickly turns a steel blank into a sheet of wood or a heraldic shield.

Then all the elements are welded together, forming a single pattern, and acquiring the necessary rigidity. Already the assembled structure is subjected to grinding and anti-corrosion treatment, first with a metal primer, and then with decorative enamel. In modern technology, there are a huge number of ways to coat metal, it all depends on the budget and requirements:

powder coating, it is applied under the influence of high temperature and electrostatic field;
hot-dip galvanizing, in a galvanic bath the entire structure is coated with a thin layer of zinc;
airless spraying, enamel is supplied through a special device;
Traditional painting using rollers and brushes, with the correct selection of materials, will give a coating that is not inferior in strength to industrial designs.

Cold forging

For cold forging, the metal does not need to be heated, but you will need a large number of special tools. Each technological operation for processing rolled products (bending, thickening, stretching, twisting) will require a separate tool. The necessary templates must also be prepared. As a result, the master’s flight of imagination is greatly narrowed, but there is no need for a forge and high energy costs for heating it.

One type of cold artistic forging is, for example, embossing. The metal workpiece is given the required shape by tapping with a hammer and a special chisel. This process is extremely painstaking and long, but upon completion the metal acquires improved reliability qualities and an unusual texture.

After preparing all the elements, assembly, welding and processing of the structure occur in the same way as during hot forging.

Advantages and disadvantages

Products produced by cold forging have some advantages and disadvantages.

Advantages:

reasonable price is an important advantage for many buyers;
there is no need to heat the metal to high temperatures, which has a positive effect on the labor intensity of production;
accuracy of lines and shapes of products;
high productivity , efficiency in the sale of large batches of elements (you can quickly order and purchase without waiting for manual production, as with hand-made exclusives);
compactness of equipment for cold forging and ease of operation ;
no contamination of the working area with combustion products from heating.

Flaws:

availability of a wide range of specialized equipment;
processing workpieces requires considerable effort;
less flexibility of the metal;
the surface must be clean, free of scale;
lack of uniqueness , standard design.

It is also worth noting the opinions of experts who know how to distinguish between types of metal processing. They consider cold forging products to be a typical, not so original solution. Experts highly value hot forged items. There are connoisseurs who do not consider cold forging to be forging at all, although this is a controversial topic and we will not touch on it here.

But for ordinary customers and inexperienced people, forged metal products look interesting and unique, and therefore are highly valued.

Therefore, in order to surprise guests at home (dacha) or visitors to a company (institution), it is worth purchasing railings made from forging elements.

Installation of forged fences

The installation of fencing must be designed at the pre-production stage. On load-bearing elements, it is recommended to prepare a flange for anchoring or a spindle for welding. Anchoring seems to be preferable, as it is easier to install and allows for quick dismantling if necessary. When welding fastenings, you should be especially careful about possible changes in the geometry of the structure due to overheating.

The type of anchors will depend on the material of the steps. For metal, concrete or wood, fasteners are selected in accordance with the calculated load.

Important! Manufacturing must begin with a design in which everything is taken into account, including fasteners.

How they do it

The production of forged railings includes several stages, regardless of whether the structure is created with your own hands, or the project is implemented by professionals:

Development of a sketch or making necessary adjustments to an existing drawing.
Design – determining the optimal dimensions of the structure.
Production of all necessary preparations .
Assembly of parts by welding.
Removing scale and other contaminants from the surface of the finished product .
An important step is installation. The stability and durability of the structure depends on how competently the installation is carried out.
Finally, you need to coat the finished product with primer and paint .

Advantages of forged stair railing elements

Forged fences are quite expensive compared to analogues, however, they have undeniable advantages that justify the high price:

Individuality: Patterned forged steel will definitely make a building stand out and give it a completely unique look. There is no doubt that the building will attract the attention of guests. And if we talk about the financial side, then when selling, the price for unique structures is always higher than for a standard solution.
Practicality: steel with an additional coating can withstand the most intensive use without maintenance and without losing its appearance and properties.
Durability: unlike wooden or plastic, forged construction has an almost unlimited supply of strength. The fences will have to be changed only in connection with the reconstruction of the building.

These fences have a number of advantages

Self-production of forged fences

Many people wonder whether it is possible to make a forged fence on their own without contacting specialized companies? Of course, it is possible, all tools and equipment are easily accessible, if we are talking about cold technology, the workshop can be located in a very ordinary room. If you need to equip a hot forging shop, serious fire safety measures will be required. But there are two aspects that nullify all possible savings:

it will take an order of magnitude more time to master the technology and practice the techniques than when turning to the services of professionals;
funds for workshop equipment, purchase of tools and consumables will increase the estimate several times.

So, as always, it would be wiser to leave the production of forged railings for stairs in the hands of specialists, of course, if there is no desire to radically change your occupation.