Concrete balusters - a simple way to improve the stairs

03-07-2018

Building

As you know, the appearance of the stairs depends not only on the steps and their decoration, but also on the railing and their supports, which are called balusters. It is worth noting that these elements are quite expensive, but you can significantly reduce the cost of the project and make very strong and reliable balusters made of concrete with your own hands. Consider the main features of the workflow and note the nuances that should be given special attention.

There are many options for shapes and sizes of products, as in the photo, and you only need to choose the best for your stairs

Features of the preparatory phase

So that the whole work process does not cause you difficulties, we will consider in detail each of the stages. Naturally, first of all it is necessary to carry out the whole complex of preliminary works.

Planning and design work

First of all, you should decide on all the main nuances:

Number of balusters, to calculate this figure is quite simple if the ladder is already installed. Each step has one piece, plus at the sites they should be located at a distance of 15-20 centimeters from each other, everything depends on the thickness and configuration of the specific product. In this case, a reasonable solution would be to manufacture with a margin of several pieces in case of damage to the elements during installation.
Height of finished structure also applies to important factors. It should not be forgotten that the rails will be placed on top, and their size should be taken into account, otherwise the final height may be much higher than planned, which creates inconvenience in the process of further operation.

It is important to correctly calculate the height of the products.

The configuration of the finished elements, this factor depends only on the stylistic design of the environment and your personal preferences. It is important that after the completion of the work all elements of the situation look harmonious and not dissonant with each other.

Preparation of tools and materials

Consider what you need to stock up, so that in the process of work there is no difficulty and downtime:

Concrete baluster molds are undoubtedly the most important element, without which the whole process has no meaning. Previously, you had to make them yourself from gypsum, wood and other improvised materials. In our time, everything has become much simpler: lightweight and durable forms of impact-resistant plastic or fiberglass have appeared, which are very easy to work with, moreover, their price is quite democratic, so this question rests only on choosing the best option.

Even with a single mold, you can make all the necessary volume of products.

If you decide to start production of concrete balusters, then silicone forms will suit you, this option is more expensive than the previous one, but you can simultaneously fill in 5-6 products, which significantly speeds up the productivity of work.

Silicone is an excellent material for making molds.

To strengthen products, simple or galvanized reinforcement is most often used. You can immediately purchase products of the desired length (how to calculate it, we consider below). It is important to use sufficiently durable products for concrete, which will provide high rigidity of the balusters and their resistance to deformation effects.
Also need cement brand M500 and high-quality gravel. It is very important that the solution turned out as strong as possible, for this it is desirable to use plasticizers, they improve the plasticity of the solution and allow it to fill even the smallest fragments of the form, ensuring the perfect quality of products.

Remember! For the preparation of concrete, you can use a concrete mixer, and you can work by hand with a shovel and a convenient mixing vessel, because you need not a lot of solution.

Manufacturing features

Making balusters of concrete also has its own characteristics:

Since the instructions for working with the forms in the kit usually do not go, you need to know a few nuances: first of all they need to be cleaned of dirt, if the surface is clean, it is enough to lubricate it with silicone grease or oil refining, this will prevent adhesion of concrete and ensure easy removal after drying the product.

Anti-adhesive compositions prevent the solution from sticking to the form

Next, prepare the required amount of solution, with particular attention should be paid to thorough mixing until a completely homogeneous mass.
Then you should take care of the reinforcing element, most often it is a reinforcement with a diameter of 10 or more millimeters. At the same time, both from above and from below, metal fragments 4-5 centimeters long should stick out of the baluster. They are needed for further fastening of products, otherwise diamond drilling of holes in concrete may be necessary, which is quite difficult.
After filling the form with a solution, it must be left for about a day, after which it can be removed.

Note! The finished product after removing the form is not very durable. Therefore, it should be carefully put under a canopy for at least another two weeks.

Sometimes with poor-quality pouring of concrete steps, it may be necessary to cut reinforced concrete - the diamond circles do it the easiest way, but it is worth measuring everything very carefully, so that later no extra fit of the balusters is needed.

After drying, you can begin the installation of products, if the design of the stairs is metal, then electric welding is used, if concrete, the balusters sit on glue or cement mortar.

After installation, the design is painted in the color you want

Conclusion

As you can see, you can make your own decorative elements for the stairs and at the same time save a significant amount. It is important to use quality components and follow all recommendations outlined in the review. The video in this article will help to understand some of the nuances even better.