Railings, handrails and handrails in stainless steel: overview, types and reviews

Stairs and fences are an important element of interiors for various purposes: private and public, as well as a visually and functionally significant part of the entrance areas, facades or even entire landscapes. In addition, that such structures are often decisive in the architectural image of the room or the whole building, they have special requirements for reliability and durability.

Stainless steel handrail or all fencing, made with the use of similar rolled metal of different cross-section and size, differ the highest aesthetic and constructive qualities.

Handrail as construction detail

Handrails of staircase marches, fencing of balconies or open interstore openings at the top usually end with a smooth, hand-grip bar or pipe-handrail. Where the march is confined to a wall, handrails are fixed, which are attached to the surface of the wall to facilitate climbing and descending the stairs.

In any case: whether the handrail is part of a fence or mounted as a separate element - it is subject to special requirements. He perceives the main load from a person walking on the steps or leaning on the top of the fence. Therefore, it must have high strength, reliable attachment to vertical supports or to the wall. In addition, the size and shape of the handrail should be comfortable for girth, and its surface should not create obstacles for the sliding of the hand. Handrail in stainless steel, like no other, meets these requirements.

Use of metal in the stair case

The use of metal for the manufacture of stairs and fences has a long history. Steel is used in the form of load-bearing elements of the structure - oblique oblique skewers, to which the steps are attached, or in the form of separate segments, allowing to assemble a march of any configuration. Without metal, it is impossible to assemble a ladder on the heels - one of the most popular types of structures today. A classic style staircase is often decorated with forged or cast fencing elements.

In order to keep the metal in the ladder for a long time, without losing its durability and a decent appearance, it is necessary to think over ways to protect it from the environment, especially if the use of metal structures in the open air is supposed. Today there are many different weatherproof paints and sputtering that do not lose high quality for a long time. But most often the need to periodically update the coverage remains, which leads to higher costs for the operation of such building elements. Handrails and rails made of stainless steel are devoid of such drawbacks.

Advantages of stainless steel

If a special alloying element is added to the iron during the smelting of steel, the resulting alloy acquires special qualities. If chromium is used as such additive and its quantity is 13 and more percent, the steel becomes resistant to corrosion and is called stainless. Such alloy retains the best structural qualities of steel - high strength and ductility, gaining new advantages - weather resistance and durability.

The ability to take almost any shape and excellent surface quality, which has been preserved for a very long time, has made molding from stainless steel the most popular material for the manufacture of stairs and fences. Handrails made of stainless steel, ladders in which a combination of this material with glass is used, are particularly in demand where there is heavy traffic and high traffic - in shopping centers, stadiums, swimming pools, cinemas, etc.

The use of various unified elements for the assembly of such elements, the development of technologies for processing and installation of enclosing and load-bearing structures made of stainless steel have made another important advantage of it: affordable cost. Handrails made of stainless steel, the price of which, in comparison with ferrous metal, looks high at first, in the future become the most economical option due to the simplicity and manufacturability of installation, convenience and durability.

Aesthetic virtues

When talking about architectural and design products made of stainless steel, metal structures with a polished surface are most often referred to. High-quality handrail made of stainless steel has an almost mirror-like ability of light reflection, which excludes even microscopic scratches and damages. This is achieved by various methods of polishing, from manual and mechanical to electrochemical and plasma ones. Their meaning is in the surface melting of metal, as a result of which everything is eliminated, even the most microscopic defects. In addition to expressive modern appearance, such a surface is very simple in cleaning and care.

The fence made of stainless steel with a mirror surface, thanks to the reflectivity, does not look bulky even with a high saturation with the metal elements of the structure.

Wherever aesthetic or functional considerations need to avoid excess gloss, apply matting, or satin. As a result of processing the metal surface with a jet of air containing sand, glass balls or other abrasive, a lot of tiny dots and scratches are obtained. It is important at the same time to choose such a depth of processing, so that there are no depressions capable of retaining dirt. Stainless steel handrail with a matte surface, gives a more pleasant tactile sensation - it is not so cold to the touch, which is especially important for handrails and handrails.

Types of handrails by location

The most demanded kind of handrail is located on the top of the staircase. Such a design can be attached to the side, to the longitudinal end of the march or to vertical balusters mounted on the edge of the tread. Such a handrail is especially often combined into a single element, passing through several floors, which especially increases the overall structural rigidity. The stainless steel fencing, whose handrail is a pipe with a diameter of 50 mm - is the most commonly used design for installation on balconies and along the edge of openings in the arrangement of large atriums. So often looks and protection of window and other openings.

Often a wall-mounted stainless steel handrail is used when the pipe is installed on special curved brackets coming out of the wall. Such a method of fastening makes it possible to provide a comfortable hand grip, reliable support for lifting and, what is more important, for descending the stairs. The usual height of such a handrail from the floor or surface of the steps is 900, the thickness is 50 mm. In public buildings, a children's handrail is also in demand, installed at an altitude of 0.5 m, not more than 40 mm thick.

Prefabricated fences

Modern steel fences are mounted in two main ways. The most economical option is assembling from prefabricated production kits. The handrail in this case is assembled from straight pipe segments of the desired diameter with a finished - polished or polished - surface. To mount the handrail into a single structure, connectors are used - double-sided tubular elements having a thickness equal to the inner diameter of the pipes. The connectors have a thickening, which fills the seam at the junction of the two segments of the handrail. By cutting the pipes are put, depending on the situation, stubs or curved bends connecting the handrails on different floors.

Connectors of a different type are couplings with overlapped edges, into the holes of which the handrail tubes of the required length are inserted. This type of connection is less comfortable, since the hand, when driving on the handrail, meets a small obstacle in the joints. To install the handrail, use special holders and pins, often with hinges, which allows you to expose the handrail at the right angle to the line of motion.

Stainless steel fencing kits include special mounting elements to fill the space between the vertical racks. It can be holders for railing - thin pipes of small diameter (usually 10-16 mm) or metal cables. If the fence is planned to be transparent, different types of glass holders are developed.

The connection of the accessories for the handrail or fencing is done with a special glue or with screws. More reliable, but more time consuming and expensive way - welded.

Welded connection

For handrails and fences of stainless steel of high class or complex design, welding with special electrodes or argon is used. The handrail, mounted in this way, is a rigid, sturdy construction that looks, in comparison with the team, more intact, without unnecessary fractionality.

For the structural strength and high aesthetics of the welded handrail, it is necessary to pay a higher price. It consists of the need to attract skilled labor and special equipment. It is necessary to more accurately cut the moldings and carefully work the joints with subsequent grinding and polishing of the welded joints.

Handrails for the disabled

Pipes of various sections and sizes of stainless steel are an indispensable material for providing comfort for the low-mobility groups of the population - disabled people, children and the elderly. Handrails for disabled stainless steel can be of different types and designs:

• Folding handrails for sanitary facilities (bathroom and toilet rooms), allowing comfortable and safe sitting and getting up.
• Stationary support railings near toilet bowls and bathtubs, supports at washstands, preventing relining on the sink.
• One- and two-level handrails on stairs and ramps to ensure safe lifting and lowering.
• Support wall rails in corridors and passageways.

Such equipment has special requirements for the strength of joints. The fixing of such interior elements should be provided only for bearing walls and ceilings.

Value for money, reviews

Handrails and handrails, assembled from individual components, are the most economical way to install stainless steel fencing. It is important to choose the right manufacturer of such accessories, as today the market is saturated with products that only imitate quality metal.

According to experts and users, the optimal steel grade for fencing is AISI 201 Prima: at a lower cost, its anticorrosive properties allow not to lose the product of its high functional and aesthetic qualities for a very long time. For pools and bath complexes, it is better to choose AISI 304 Super, which can successfully resist high temperature and humidity of the environment and contact with water.

The cost of finished handrails and fences depends on the manufacturer, volumes, design, installation methods. Handrail wall-mounted in stainless steel, the price for which starts from 1500 rubles per running meter, assembled from components of Chinese production - the most inexpensive option. Double wall handrail from a pipe with a diameter of 38 mm, with a 45 mm relative to the wall, with fastening on bent holders costs about 4000 rubles per meter.

Reviews that such elements of interior and exterior design are suitable only for shopping centers or large office spaces are inherent only to ordinary people. Among professional architects and designers, there is a belief that the potentialities of such material allow it to be successfully applied in residential premises, moreover, with great style diversity.