Concrete balusters - massive, but attractive solutions

Want to decorate the facade of your country house? Concrete railings and balusters perfectly cope with this task. We will tell you about these constructions further.

Balusters are small decorative columns. Their task is to maintain the railing. Due to them, you can decorate not only the stairs, but also the verandas, the attic and even the roof.

Basic properties

Everything in this world has both positive and negative sides. Therefore, our instructions first tell about the pros and cons of the described elements.

Virtues

First you should tell about the positive properties, of which there are actually a lot:

• Very impressive resistance to mechanical stress..
• Low price.
• Ecological purity.
• Waste-free production.
• Does not require additional processing.

Tip: it is worth saying that if you wish, you can still carry out additional processing. For example, if you paint it with special compositions, you can significantly increase the lifespan.

• It has an excellent glossy surface, almost like a natural stone..

• Frost resistance.
• The ability to make a product of almost any shape.
• Water resistant.

disadvantages

You also can not ignore the negative sides:

• They are not as shock-resistant as natural stones (for example, granite).
• Due to the large weight they are difficult to install with your own hands
• Not such an attractive surface as natural counterparts.

Manufacturing

There are various methods of making concrete balusters. However, we consider the most simple of them.

Recommendations for making the form

To make a baluster, you must have a suitable shape. It can be made of foam, wood or clay.

In general, from virtually any available materials, but we consider the option with plaster.

• We take gypsum, 1/5 part lime and a small amount of citric acid.
• We make a disk from solution. However, its diameter should be slightly larger than the column itself.

• On the disc, you need to mark the space for share pieces. At these points on the back side, holes should be drilled to act as locks, ensuring assembly without any displacement.
• Now you need to divide the form into two equal parts. Then you will need to carefully assemble the first row (the sequence is shown in the image above). Do not forget to use a release agent.
• Then the empty space is filled with plaster solution.
• Further sectors need to be interconnected. To ensure maximum strength, it is recommended to cast the outer casing (using the same method). Do not forget to make handles for convenience, otherwise it will be quite problematic to pull out the workpiece.

However, you can buy ready-made molds for making concrete balusters. In this case, you will save a lot of time.

Preparation solution

As you understand, for such decorative elements it is necessary to prepare a special solution. Externally, it will resemble marble.

So, to make it you need the following:

• Cement (the higher the grade, the better).
• Plasticizer (additive that will increase the strength and elasticity of concrete).
• River sand.
• Water.
• Polyethylene.
• Matrix from polyurethane.
• Mixer.
• Dye (you can use multiple colors).
• Filler.

Manufacturing process

Now we proceed to the most important stage.

This procedure is performed as follows:

• Take the pre-prepared form.
• We prepare such a mixture: river sand (2 parts) + cement (1) + pebbles and a filler (the amount is determined at the discretion).
• Next to this composition add the dye - 1% of the total mass.

Tip: do not exceed the prescription by the amount of dye. If you add it too much, the product will get an uneven color.

• As a result, the mixture will turn out to be very similar to marble, that is, interspersed with other colors. If you identify yourself as lovers of extravagant solutions, you can pour several different dyes at once.
• Next, you need to gradually add water to the mixture. First, add 4/5 of the estimated amount, and pour plasticizer into the mass (1% of the total weight). After stirring the solution, waiting a minute, it is necessary to add the remaining part of the water.
• Pour the prepared solution into the mold and wait for it to dry completely. After several days (depending on the type of cement and weather conditions), the product can be delivered.

Tip: if you wish, you can make painting. Such a measure will not only improve the appearance, but also extend the service life.

• If you do not like something in your creation (for example, size), then there is a great solution. Modern cutting of reinforced concrete with diamond circles will make it easy to edit it.

Installation

Now consider how the installation of concrete balusters. Immediately, we note that this is a very simple operation. She will not require you to have any special knowledge and skills. The only thing needed is the presence of physical strength.

So, you need to do the following:

• Pour the solution onto the intended installation site, and fix the column in it.
• After complete drying, we make a markup for the installation site.
• Then we make diamond drilling holes in the concrete under the pins. They should be a little wider than the pins themselves.
• Next you need to pour the solution into the holes and install the baluster in place. We fix it in this position, after which we dub it with the help of a level. In the end, you want to remove the extra pieces of the solution.
• The same method will need to install the railing. (See also the article Steps from concrete: how to make.)

Posleslovie

At this point we will finish our narration, but if something remained unclear to you, then do not worry. In the presented video in this article you will find additional information on this topic. It will allow you to comprehend all the details.