The most sustainable glue for wood?

[sinuslinus]

With slightly uneven glue surfaces and missing chips, I would have used PU glue. I glued a fairly "delicate" chair that had suffered "similar" damage in a rather heavily loaded part, and it still holds after many years.

Polyurethane glue needs high pressure and good fit for a strong joint. Without pressure, it just becomes a weak foam.

 

[Alfredo]

Polyurethane glue requires high pressure and a good fit for a strong joint.

Based on the pictures, I think there seems to be good potential to achieve high pressure with a bunch of clamps. Do you mean that wood glue would be better here due to the questionable fit?

 

[DanMicke]

I'm not being rude, but on this forum, we are honest to contribute with constructive progress. The staircase has aesthetically pleasing elements but is incorrectly constructed from a material technology perspective. If someone were to get injured from a step break, you risk a lawsuit for causing bodily harm. There are construction regulations you must follow, even if you live in Knohult and have your own inspiring ideas!

The rudeness lies rather in the fact that you chose a rather 'condescending' tone, which you do again by relating to Knohult. Posts with such elements are 'trolling' and do not belong in any forum. I have been on the Internet since the start, and forums with people to discuss things with are some of the most useful things available. The etiquette I prefer is to investigate the specific question posed. It doesn't prevent reflection on the topic. Regardless of building codes etc. (which I, by the way, respect as I make solutions for myself and have been in contact with through working in construction for several years), one can also realize that something works well even if one 'breaks' some 'law' about overhang etc. And believe me. This staircase poses no risk to anyone, except the risk inherent in a staircase that someone might misstep. I'm certainly not an idiot who suspects there might be a risk of a step cracking as people walk on it. Don't you think that after 15 years, I would start to worry? The accident that occurred involved an extreme force far exceeding 15 years of adult traffic, and my ambition is not for the staircase to withstand extreme weights that slam down. If I at any point perceived the slightest flex, I would immediately address and fix it. The thing is, I have enough judgment for that, and this staircase will live long in its current state but needs repair due to an accident. THAT is the intention of using the forum - to hear if anyone has experience to increase knowledge about glue in this case relevant to the question at hand. Okay, if someone wants to point out that according to theories, it's 'wrong,' but maybe one can also respect whether this is the case for this staircase without having set foot on it to perceive how stable it is. Because it is. There is an underlying urge to 'tell' others that they don't have the same level of knowledge as oneself, but it is disrespectful to dismiss others’ experiences - regardless of whether one has studied all building codes in the world.

I will not reflect further on the 'life-threatening' use of this staircase because I know it is safe. If something felt unsafe beyond that the steps I need to fix have the same durability as the rest of the staircase, I would understand that I made a mistake in the construction. But as mentioned, there are no reasons or experiences to worry about. So read my lips: I will keep this staircase as it is completely safe and stable, and if time later suggests otherwise, I will address it. Everyone is free to build stairs in accordance with all building regulations, full respect for that. Against this, I demand respect for my view that this staircase is 100% safe. I have enough experience and judgment to determine that.

Thus ends my discussion on the staircase's safety. I tested a solution (of course before completing) that seemed to work, and empirical 'research' shows that one can indeed have a stable staircase even if a few centimeters here or there deviate from certain norms. That I can stand at the edge of the steps and flex without anything flexing tells me this will hold for going up and down for many years to come.

I am very grateful for posts that give the opportunity to achieve the optimal result for repairing the steps (and replacing steps is in my thoughts if the gluing doesn’t work well). Forums tend to overflow with posts that do NOT deal with the subject in the title, and topics often derail because of it. Forum threads that stay on topic are the most useful.

Thank you for the respect shown!

 

[gbgustaf]

I would probably be a bit concerned about the structural integrity if I walked on those stairs carrying something heavy.
But I think it's significantly worse that it lacks a railing on the outside.

 

[DanMicke]

For those who

I would be a bit worried about the sturdiness if I walked on those stairs and carried something heavy. But I think it's significantly worse that it lacks a railing on the outside.

If one cannot hold onto a railing on the wall, I understand that it is frightening. I promise not to force anyone to walk on it. However, it has handled carrying heavy things like a bucket of cement or various cabinets. More than that, I have no need for.

Jeez, the criticism you get if you post a picture of something. I'm becoming more and more fond of my staircase that attracts so much attention.

 

[Thomas59]

Another person who, like Hobby Architect, struggles to handle comments that don't "fit" the OP's (original poster's) agenda.

The staircase clearly has flaws in its construction/design as there is no support underneath the outer part of the tread (the stair nose), which combined with the break lines the screw holes in the tread create and the fact that the step takes the load along the fibers, weakens the construction. The OP also does not (want to) understand where the flaw lies and instead focuses on criticizing the posts the OP doesn't like.

However, there are a number of simple ways to "repair" and at the same time reinforce the stair nose/tread, but the OP's touchy attitude makes me refrain from giving tips.

 

[Alfredo]

If one cannot manage to hold onto a railing on the wall, I understand that it is frightening.

The famous last words in a new rendition.

 

[Plupp 217177]

You are not getting "shit." You are receiving observations from a number of people who assess that what you built does not meet the standard. I think you are a bit too sensitive about the matter, which is also very common on the internet. The question raised is related to your original question, as I maintain that a normally built staircase would not have broken like that. So even if you want to glue it, you have to put up with other - actually relevant - viewpoints.

As I said, I think I can give those two bottom steps a stomp each to break the boards. You're completely fine with that, as we understand.

 

[DanMicke]

FYI for those of you interested in the repair, I am now going to do the following after considering what is relevant to me right now:

Dismantle the step. Separate so the largest possible surface is exposed for glue. Apply white wood glue over the broken surface. Fix with 4 clamps along the step. Weigh down from above against a flat surface. Have the patience to let it sit for a week. Assemble and test.

I have facade work going on, so I don't know when that will be, but I promise to come back to report the results, which I also consider good etiquette in a thread about a topic. It may take a couple of weeks, but such a post will come.

Otherwise, everyone continues to be upset about how bad I am at the construction, and apparently, one is "touchy" when wanting to point out that there’s no reason to redesign the entire staircase. But there's probably nothing to be done about it when there's a need to put some "building idiot" in their place. Fortunately, I know where I stand with myself and have experience with my own judgment, so if you want to debate further about it, it will be without my participation.

Great appreciation to those of you who delivered knowledge on the matter of my question

 

[Thomas59]

You are not getting "crap". You are receiving observations from a number of people who assess that what you have built does not measure up. I think you are a bit too sensitive on the issue, which is also very common on the internet. The question that arises is related to your original question, because I maintain that a normally built staircase would not have broken like that. So even if you want to glue it, you have to put up with other - actually relevant - opinions.

As I said, I think I can give those two steps at the bottom a stomp each to break the boards. You are completely fine with that, we understand.

Yes, considering the grain direction, the stress riser at the screw holes, the lack of support under the stair nose, and the thickness of the tread, it should suffice with a stomp to break the tread. The fact that the treads are not knot-free also contributes to the weakness in the construction.

However, TS is satisfied so that is good. The comments are mainly so that others considering building stairs do not make the same mistakes as TS.

 

[Cheesen]

Here is my self-built staircase that I like and hope to fix after the fatal incident that happened, and pictures of the crack. Hope it looks doable? [image] [image] [image]

Wood glue applied correctly and the joint will be stronger than the board.

 

[Thomas59]

FYI for those of you interested in the repair, I will now, after considering what is relevant to me right now, do the following:

Dismantle the step. Separate so the largest possible area is exposed for glue. Apply white wood glue over the broken surface. Fixate with 4 clamps along the step. Weigh down from above against a flat surface. Have the patience to let it sit for a week. Assemble and test.

I have facade work ongoing so I don't know when it will be done but promise to return to report the result which I also consider good etiquette in a thread on a subject. It might take a couple of weeks but such a post will come.

Otherwise, everyone continues to be upset about how terrible I am at construction, and 'touchy' is indeed what you are called when you want to point out that there is no reason to redesign the entire staircase. But there's probably nothing to do as one feels the need to put some 'construction idiot' in their place. Luckily, I know where I stand and have experience with my own judgment, so if you want to debate further on that, it will be without my participation.

Great appreciation for those of you who have provided knowledge on the matter regarding my question

"Everyone" is not upset and no one is trying to put you in your place. No one has suggested that you should tear down and redesign the entire staircase. No one has called you a "construction idiot" or even implied that you are one.

However, several have tried to help you understand what the flaws are in your staircase construction and that it probably contributed to it breaking, and how you can fix it. Your reaction, when you receive responses that you probably perceive as criticism of your construction, really reflects touchiness and you then begin to argue against claims that no one made (straw men in other words).

By the way, a properly constructed and dimensioned staircase should easily handle a 10kg dumbbell falling 3 meters.

 

[cpalm]

However, you are wrong about the flexibility. Just stood at the very end of the ladder and did some springing. They do NOT move.

Wood is only elastic in the direction of the grain and does not flex across the grain direction, so that's entirely correct, it is not expected to flex when you apply pressure to the step's edge. What happens is that it, potentially without warning, snaps abruptly when the load becomes too great.

 

[roli]

Here is my self-built staircase that I like and hope to fix after the disaster that happened and pictures of the crack. Hope it looks doable?

It might be difficult to get glue on the entire fracture surface. An attempt at repair can always be made, but it probably requires "breaking" the pieces apart completely, as some have pointed out, to get glue on the entire surface. However, with this kind of break, it might then be difficult to fit the pieces back together, as it looks like there are also loose longitudinal fibers in the break. So the best repair is a new step, in my opinion and according to several other posts, but before this, I would try a gluing attempt. Even though I think it will be difficult to make it look nice and to even succeed in getting the pieces fully back together. But there's nothing to lose by trying, because if you're going to replace the step, the old one needs to be removed anyway.

 

[DanMicke]

"Everyone" is not upset and no one is trying to put you in your place. No one has suggested you should tear down and reconstruct the entire staircase. Nor has anyone called you a "construction idiot" or even insinuated such a thing.

However, several have attempted to help you understand what are the shortcomings in your staircase construction and that it likely contributed to its breaking, as well as how you can repair it. Your reaction, when receiving answers that you likely interpret as criticism of your construction, is really marked by touchiness and you begin to argue against claims no one made (strawman arguments, in other words).

By the way, a correctly constructed and dimensioned staircase would easily withstand a 10kg dumbbell falling 3 meters.

Now I'm going against my own promise, but since you summarize what my 'problem' is, I'll summarize why you don't need to worry about it anymore:

1. I have construction experience and I studied all the documents on staircase construction and building advice I could find and am thus well aware that certain overhang is recommended, well aware that wood's fibers are weaker along its length. So everything that 'corrects' my construction in this thread I already knew. Still, I chose MY way to create a staircase that was both safe and matched the vision to blend well into its place.

2. The vision was a 'floating' straight staircase to the upper floor using the two 10 cm beams I had as stringers. The counter-regulations overhang was necessary to bevel in the stringer so I wouldn't stub my toes when walking on the staircase. I tested how the step felt and found it more than met my requirements. As I've stubbornly stated, there's no sign of flex even if I, weighing 90 kg, stand and 'swing' at the very edge of the step. I had no intention to create a step that could withstand a 10 kg dumbbell from a 3 m height as there was no need for it. I take full responsibility for my clumsy behavior that caused such an event and now take full responsibility for handling and repairing it. And by the way, any wooden staircase would be similarly damaged by such an impact that you'd have to replace parts regardless if it resulted in a break along the grain or a large hole in the step.

3. As I've used this staircase daily for so many years and never experienced it failing or flexing, I can conclude that despite not following building advice to the letter, I have a staircase I have been VERY satisfied with over the years, both aesthetically and as a completely safe one. A sturdy wall railing was a necessity and those using it need not worry about falling into the void.

4. So my question was NOT about how to achieve better construction but about some advice on glue choice in an attempt to restore the broken step. I will perform that and test. If it doesn't feel as stable as before, I'll make a new step. There are absolutely no reasons to change the staircase and I don't need to reduce the overhang as I already know it's sufficient.

5. If a thread respects that I have tested my staircase for 15 years and well know there is good margin upwards in strain before any step breaks, one must accept that experience trumps the theories one may have. I made a mistake, and it was having a dumbbell in the wrong place. I take responsibility for that and now I'll fix it. I asked a question about the method, and I already know everything those you consider to be helpful enough to inform me of. The problem has been that it wasn't enough for me to say the construction wasn't a problem for me. And I'm not sensitive beyond reacting to comments that can't avoid being condescending and you'll find such in the thread. And such comments exist in many threads. Implied is that I am a 'construction idiot' and I couldn't care less. Because as I said, I have my own judgment and I trust it.

SO everything has been said from my side. Live a good life!