Which staircase is better: wooden or metal

A private house with more than one floor cannot do without stairs. And it needs to be planned at the design stage. The main requirements for the internal staircase: aesthetics, functionality, safety, durability. You can make such a ladder from various materials. And many owners choose between wood and metal. Which option should be preferred? To answer this question, you need to compare a number of parameters of one and the other material.

Strength

Of course, wood loses to metal here. But if you take hard wood, such as beech, maple, oak, they will have good strength and long life. You can also use larch, which is stronger than pine and spruce.

In the case of a tree, another problem arises: with time it loosens, and the joints of the stairs become loose. In this regard, the metal is more profitable, since its fastenings hold firmly and reliably (except for very soft aluminum).

Moisture resistance

Raw steel, like unprotected wood, is susceptible to the harmful effects of moisture. The tree needs to be protected by impregnation, paints and varnishes, and the metal is primed and painted. More resistant to the appearance of rust aluminum, chrome and stainless steel. Stairs made of such materials can be operated even on the street, if the installation was carried out without welding.

Durability

Good wooden stairs, specially treated from mold, fungus, rot and harmful insects can last a very long time. There are cases when wooden stairs in historical buildings have not changed for hundreds of years.

Of metal stairs, stainless steel and profiled steel products last the longest. But they also need treatment and care.

Resistance to external and mechanical influences

According to this indicator, the metal wins. It is more difficult to destroy or deform by mechanical action, while the tree quickly deteriorates from the effects of acids, alkalis, bumps and scratches.

Fire resistance

Everything is clear here: the tree is very flammable, even treatment with flame retardants will not give a guarantee against fire. In case of fire, the wooden staircase will completely burn out, and the metal may lose its appearance, but still survive. At the same time, the tree also emits dangerous smoke.

Processing difficulty

Wood is a soft material, so it’s easier to process. For a wooden staircase, you can cut out various figures and decorative elements yourself. A metal is better to cast or forge in the factory.

Environmental friendliness

Natural wood itself is absolutely environmentally safe material, but when processed with various impregnations and compounds, it can acquire harmful properties. Therefore, it is necessary to carefully choose protective primers and varnishes, using only products with natural components.

The convenience of use

In operation, a wooden staircase is more convenient, its steps are not so slippery and better absorb the sounds of steps. In addition, wooden railings are more pleasant to the touch. True, when the tree dries up, the steps of the stairs can creak.

Metal stairs have slippery steps and poor sound insulation. Also, metal railings tend to heat up very much in the heat and freeze in the cold season. This is why you can often find metal railings trimmed with wood.

Cost

This issue is no less important for many owners of private homes. A wooden staircase is most easily obtained from pine, and a metal one from profiles. But this applies to the simplest options. If you implement complex design projects, then most often metal will cost more than wood. Although it definitely cannot be said that a tree is cheaper. It also depends on the type of material, type of construction and the complexity of processing and installation.

Thus, it is impossible to clearly determine which staircase is best to choose: wooden or metal. For different houses and different tasks will be individual options. You can also combine these two materials by making a combined staircase in the house.