Hello everyone,
My wife and I recently purchased an old apartment that will undergo a complete renovation. Since it is a duplex, a masonry half-turn staircase will be installed.
Which type of stair covering is best suited for this: tiles or wood?
What is more cost-effective for an area of about 15 m2 (160 ft2)?
Is it possible to use wood only for the treads and simply plaster and paint the risers white?
When using tiles, is it possible to install them completely without grout joints — i.e., grout-free?
Thank you in advance for your suggestions!
My wife and I recently purchased an old apartment that will undergo a complete renovation. Since it is a duplex, a masonry half-turn staircase will be installed.
Which type of stair covering is best suited for this: tiles or wood?
What is more cost-effective for an area of about 15 m2 (160 ft2)?
Is it possible to use wood only for the treads and simply plaster and paint the risers white?
When using tiles, is it possible to install them completely without grout joints — i.e., grout-free?
Thank you in advance for your suggestions!
K
Knallkörper24 Jan 2017 15:33Hello,
we have just finished dealing with this topic. With tiled stairs, you will never get a clean edge at the front because the edge is always interrupted by grout lines. A stainless steel profile could provide a solution, but it is far less durable than the tile itself. Also, with tiles, you cannot create an overhang on the steps because they would break. Without an overhang, however, the edge doesn’t look very good either.
A continuous surface can be achieved with 3cm (1¼ inch) thick natural stone slabs, such as granite or marble. This looks great and lasts forever. The problem is that cutting the slabs for a half-turn staircase is a bit tricky, and the slabs are expensive.
The same applies to wood as to natural stone; it is less durable but has a warm, lively character. The price of wood and granite is similar, depending heavily on the quality of the wood. Installation costs for granite are higher because it is difficult to work with, and the large steps (especially in the corners of the turn) are very heavy.
You can either cover or plaster the risers with both materials. In the end, we chose granite.
we have just finished dealing with this topic. With tiled stairs, you will never get a clean edge at the front because the edge is always interrupted by grout lines. A stainless steel profile could provide a solution, but it is far less durable than the tile itself. Also, with tiles, you cannot create an overhang on the steps because they would break. Without an overhang, however, the edge doesn’t look very good either.
A continuous surface can be achieved with 3cm (1¼ inch) thick natural stone slabs, such as granite or marble. This looks great and lasts forever. The problem is that cutting the slabs for a half-turn staircase is a bit tricky, and the slabs are expensive.
The same applies to wood as to natural stone; it is less durable but has a warm, lively character. The price of wood and granite is similar, depending heavily on the quality of the wood. Installation costs for granite are higher because it is difficult to work with, and the large steps (especially in the corners of the turn) are very heavy.
You can either cover or plaster the risers with both materials. In the end, we chose granite.
If it is a staircase inside the apartment, rather than an access staircase, solid hardwood is also very durable. Beyond the general advantages of wood for the room, you have much more freedom in the design here. This includes color, overhang, thickness of the steps, profiling of the edge, and so on.
The risers for wooden steps can also be easily made from white-coated particleboard. This is very affordable and simple to produce.
The advantage is that the risers can be wiped clean with a damp cloth if they get dirty from frequent foot traffic.
The risers for wooden steps can also be easily made from white-coated particleboard. This is very affordable and simple to produce.
The advantage is that the risers can be wiped clean with a damp cloth if they get dirty from frequent foot traffic.
Similar topics