Interior staircases should not only be functional and durable, but also aesthetically pleasing. Both features can be combined by choosing a good grade of wood. Which species will be the most suitable? What should guide you when making your decision? Here are some useful facts about different species of wood.
First of all, wood itself is a timeless material. It is used in various stages of finishing works. In the case of stairs, we can get an extremely favorable design. Additionally selection of suitable species and hardness of wood allow to make stairs made of this material extremely durable and can serve for many years
It is emphasized that the best species for making stairs are hard. This parameter is taken into account as one of the most important while choosing material for construction of interior stairs. The role of this parameter increases dramatically when they are placed in a very exploited place. Then, such parameters as resistance to abrasion and mechanical damage will be useful
As a rule quite popular species of wood are not suitable to create stairs. First of all it’s about coniferous trees – pine, fir, or spruce. In case of the last species, in addition to too much softness, we may have difficulties with varnishing and impregnation. In addition to conifers, you should also avoid birch and alder.
Well-chosen wood for stairs is not only the right hardness, but also the moisture content of the material. It is recommended that it does not exceed 10%. Ideally, it should be 8%.
Among different kinds of wood which are willingly used to make stairs in Poland, the first priority have of course native species. If we already know that using spruce, pine or birch is not a good idea, which species will perform much better in this role?
Obviously, stairs made of oak are the most valued. Their features and durability allow them to be used in main walkways without the risk of rapid deterioration. In addition, with aging they acquire an attractive and noble appearance. Unfortunately, the purchase of the material will be in this case much more expensive.
Ash is a cheaper material than oak, but has good parameters, especially in terms of resistance to moisture. In addition, we gain a pleasant color of wood and quite high resistance. Stairs from ash can be designed both in modern and classic style.
Wood from walnut tree darkens with age. At the same time it’s relatively cheap and quite hard, so it’s often chosen for internal stairs. The key to the longevity of such a solution is frequent protection of the surface with varnish
Stairs made of exotic wood will certainly cost us much more than those made of any of the native species. However, in return for higher cost of material we gain interesting appearance. Sometimes such stairs can be even treated as luxurious. It is especially appreciated that most types of exotic trees are much harder than those that grow in our country. Which of the imported species are recommended most often? We are talking especially about bangkirai, merbau, teak, ipe, wenge or cumaru.
>> See also: Glass stairs. An idea for an elegant interior design
There’s no denying that in the case of interior stairs at home, the final visual effect is also very important. You can immediately influence it by choosing a lighter or darker wood. Among the lighter species, especially maple, beech, ash and hewea are popular. However, if someone dreams of darker stairs, it is better to reach for acacia, mahogany, wenge, merbau or walnut.
