I have just completed my first project in Sketchup, a staircase, intended in block-granite.
What do you think about realizing such a staircase?
Tread depth 320mm, riser height 170mm. Same as the staircase we have today and it is good to walk on.
The staircase is entirely my own design, and I have not managed to find any pictures of anything similar to use as a model, so I'm wondering if the solution as such is good, or if there's something "crazy," or something to think about.
Looks like it could turn out really nice! Boring and economical as I am, I immediately start thinking about the price of having the staircase made in granite.
Looks like it could turn out really nice! Being boring and economical as I am, I directly wonder about the cost of having the stairs made in granite.
Thanks
Well, I do my best to bury my head in the sand on that point
Today's stairs are in stone, so we can reuse that for part of the staircase, but we still need to buy quite a lot.
Sketching myself on a staircase, albeit a simpler form but also in granite. Considering the cost and the somewhat heavy work with granite blocks, I'm sketching a staircase in EPS or XPS that will then be clad with granite. With EPS or XPS as a base, it should be excellent to use the thinnest stair cladding available on the market, t= 10 mm. The length of these "plates" is only 600 mm, but it is possible to order longer "plates" with a different delivery time. EPS can be purchased in the form of sheets and glued together or larger blocks can be ordered directly from, for example, Jackon in Täby. The optimal would be to order pre-cut parts from a company with a hot wire cutter.
You get quite a few joints in such a staircase, especially at the transition between tread and riser. And I suppose the boards aren't cross-hammered? Do you have a link to the ones you have in mind?
I've been thinking a lot about how to build the foundation for the staircase. The current one seems to be filled with some form of gravel, and I've been considering whether to use something like that, like 0/16, or to build with lecablocks. But EPS might be a stable, simple, and affordable alternative.
There are several others who import granite from China. If you ask around, you might find larger slabs that can be sent to a water jet cutter. This way, the number of seams might be reduced if you find they disrupt the appearance. I don't quite understand how the number of seams would be more specifically at the transition between treads and risers.
EPS is precisely such a material used for filling, taking larger loads, and being laid in the ground. The fact that it can then be covered with stone or plastered is also a positive aspect of the material. I haven't done an in-depth analysis of the most cost-effective solution for a staircase of the size you are modeling in SketchUp, but I would assume that using EPS could be such a material.
In addition to building a staircase in EPS and covering it with granite, I am considering building a garden wall out of EPS or XPS that is then plastered.
The guy helping us design our garden built a retaining wall in another garden with just EPS, which he then plastered. Should work perfectly, though I haven't seen it myself.
Here is an example from Flisby that you linked compared to stairs in block granite, which shows the difference with the joints.
Sure, I agree that the seams can be noticeable in a construction clad with smaller tiles. Perhaps the choice of grout and observing the steps from a greater distance would make the seams less prominent. Alternatively, finding or having tiles manufactured with larger dimensions could work. But indeed, solid granite is inevitably sturdy and attractive.
EPS as a retaining wall sounds interesting. I have sketched some solutions myself but haven't quite convinced myself that the strength would be sufficient considering the soil pressure. Of course, it depends on the actual soil pressure. You can choose a fill material that stays in place and holds together better than another. It would be great if you could share your contact.
When I think about it, I wonder if he built with leca first, and then EPS, whatever the purpose would be. Because as mentioned, a retaining wall made of EPS will need to be quite thick to hold.
The easiest way to build a retaining wall is probably to use concrete blocks like benders megastone, and who knows if it will be that much more expensive, all things considered.
Agree. For a retaining wall, it's probably easiest with the ready-made concrete stones. The cheapest option might be leca + plaster. But for the "regular" wall above ground, EPS could possibly be something to consider. Here, one must take into account the wind load and possibly snow that can be pressed up against the wall depending on the location. You could consider adding some form of reinforcement between the posts. Initially, I thought of cast posts or posts made from prefabricated concrete stones like Benders, and placing EPS boards between them to be plastered. But to return to the stairs, the choice is probably between a construction with joints and one without. Or it might be that joints in the steps themselves are not desired, while the sides might have these joints. By the way - I think your model looks really nice.
Yes, in my staircase there will be joints in the inner corners between the treads and risers and where the stones angle on the bottom steps, but I'm thinking of seamless joints with the stones set as tightly as possible. And since those joint surfaces will be sawn, they will be completely flat, so it should work well with a really tight joint, maybe you can even glue them, who knows.
