Highlighting the stairs: features and varieties

If the house has two or more floors, then you can not do without installing stairs in this house. In most cases, the stairs are installed in places where there is no natural light. In order to achieve maximum illumination, many install additional lighting for the stairs.

The method of lighting the stairs is selected based on their type, because now there are many different designs of stairs. Interfloor passages are distinguished by type of construction, as well as by the material of their manufacture. First, we define what stairs can be according to the type of material. They are:

• stone;
• wooden;
• metal;
• plastic;
• glass

The main and most popular materials are stone and wood.Wood has long been used in Russia in the construction of stairs from the outside and inside. Stone is a more European material. Today, the stone itself is not used as often.

Most often it is used for cladding and decorating brick and concrete stairs. The situation with the tree has not changed, it is still used everywhere, and the stairs are made entirely of wood, or used for cladding steps from other materials.

If a staircase constructed of wood is planned to be provided with additional illumination, it is necessary to remember that wood belongs to the group of high flammability G4. To avoid fire, the entire network of electrical wires must be properly insulated. To provide additional security, you should select luminaires whose lamps do not heat up, and also give preference to low-voltage systems.

Metal stairs are not very popular now.One of the reasons is their great weight, as well as the high cost of material and installation work. In addition, the metal structure is considered quite traumatic due to the fact that the steps of metal are slippery. As a rule, the frame is made of metal and additionally modified with steps of glass, wood or high-strength plastic.

The most harmoniously on such stairs look outdoor lamps, such as a sconce or chandelier. If the construction is combined and, for example, it has plastic elements, then their flammability should also be remembered.

There are several types of stairs.

• Marching Structures of the march have the simplest design. Therefore, if there is a place in the house, they are most often given preference, installing it in their private homes. These stairs are very convenient to use and allow you to install various types of lighting.

• Screw. Usually they are installed in rooms with a small area to save space. The steps of the ladder are mounted on the rack spiral.Installing lights on such a staircase is quite simple. Light fixtures can be mounted on the center pillar, as well as on the ceiling with a downward direction. This allows you to install lights, even after installing the ladder itself, without damaging the finishes and design of the ladder as a whole.

• Stairs on the bridge. Such a ladder seems "weightless." Its construction looks like this: the steps are attached to the wall and to the racks, called the bolts, located between the steps. Such structures do not have risers, which allows natural light to flow. And also this modern solution allows you to save as much space as possible. Steps can be made of any material, and the frame, as a rule, metal.

It happens that the ladder can be installed to the wall, which has a window, then in addition to electrical appliances in daylight, the ladder is well illuminated by natural light. Night lights should not be very dynamic. It must be tailored to certain standards.

Illumination is an important element of the staircase décor, which carries with it both aesthetic beauty and ensures safe movement in the dark. Often, the lighting in the rooms and natural light is not enough to ensure the design of proper lighting. Then you need to install additional lighting stairs.

Lighting devices are of several types:

• sconce;
• LED Strip Light;
• spotlight;
• chandelier in the span;
• combined lighting.

Let us consider in more detail each type of devices.

Spot lighting is provided by a variety of lighting fixtures that are dotted. It looks very impressive. There are several ways to do it.

• Backlight mounted in the steps. For the installation of lighting in the stage holes are made and the wiring is displayed. Arrange light bulbs in different ways. You can install them one at each step or through one, you can install one lamp in the center or two at the edges. The heavy staircase design becomes visually “lighter” due to the glow.
• Lamp. If you do not want to spoil the facing of the steps, it is possible to purchase light spotlights. Usually they are placed on the side of the steps near the wall or under the railing point. Fix them either on a self-adhesive base, or on the bolts. In some models, you can adjust the direction of light due to the swivel head.

• Lanterns on the railing. Quite a spectacular lighting option. The lantern is mounted on balusters. Thanks to such an installation, steps, railings and the whole staircase structure are illuminated. Therefore, for sufficient illumination of the stairs, sometimes one or two lamps are enough.
• Wall lamps. The lamps hit the wall dotted along the entire length of the stairs. It looks very stylish and unusual.

Wall sconce is an even simpler lighting option that does not require special intervention in the wall covering. Lamps are attached to the wall and are connected to the power supply network.To ensure good illumination, it is enough to install several sconces, since they have a lot of power.

This type of backlight can turn on mechanically or automatically if you install a motion sensor. Usually, one switch is installed at the top and bottom to turn on and off all sconces simultaneously.

In order to install a wall lamp after repair is completed, it is necessary to ensure the presence of wire outlets in advance. If you do not take this into account in advance, you can lay the wiring on the wall or pierce the grooves. As an alternative to this, you can install fixtures that run on external batteries.

A chandelier in the span is the most spectacular and expensive way of lighting. Chandelier is ideal for multi-frame stairs. As a rule, such constructions are found in places of public use, such as hotels, theaters, and in historical places — palaces and large estates.

Externally, this chandelier is characterized by its massiveness and length. Its task is to illuminate the entire staircase entirely. It is suspended from the ceiling of the upper floor and descends along all the flights of stairs. Great for lighting spiral staircase.

LED strip is a flexible strip with a lot of energy-saving fixtures. Such devices are distinguished by a variety of colors. They are pretty easy to install at any place. They are fixed, as a rule, due to their sticky side if they are present or they are put on glue. Such lamps do not heat up, and therefore they are completely safe.

Two power supply units are attached to the tape, one converts electrical energy for lighting, the other serves for connection to the power grid. In addition, it is energy efficient. The amount of electricity consumed in this case is 12 or 24 volts. The number of working hours is about 50 thousand.

To achieve greater illumination or to select one or another variant of the backlight, depending on the conditions, sometimes a combined backlight is installed, combining, for example, point and wall.Such a kit is an interactive novelty of modernity.

When choosing a particular type of backlight, you need to take into account some features.

• Efficiency. It is important that energy is used as economically as possible, because it will be necessary to use the backlight often.
• Security. It is necessary to ensure safe movement at any time of the day. Sometimes it makes sense to provide autonomous lighting in the event of a power outage. For example, install a lamp that runs on battery or batteries.
• Especially electric lights play an important role if there is no natural light near the stairs, for example, a window.

• The selected lighting should be well combined with the design of the room and the style of the stairs.
• The backlight should be made calm, not annoying. It is recommended to exclude the bright light blinding directly in the eyes of a person while moving on the stairs.
• When choosing a backlight, you should consider how you want to install it - on your own or with the help of specialists.
• Having understood and selected the type of lighting, you should prepare the required tools and components necessary for the installation of the backlight.

Step-by-step instructions for installing the backlight with your own hands on the second floor are given on the example of installing the LED backlight. Installation of this type of lighting is quite simple and can be done by anyone, even to someone who has not previously encountered this.

As a rule, when purchasing equipment, installation instructions are attached to it, in which everything is simply and clearly described. The choice of tape depends on the design of your stairs. If the steps have a projection, then the tape is attached under it with its sticky side.

Before installation, the tape must be cut according to the dimensions of the steps. Then the segments are attached to the desired sections of the stairs with the help of a sticky side or glue.To protect the tape from external mechanical influences, you can use an aluminum profile. The place where it is planned to fix the tape, should be degreased beforehand.

Wiring is soldered to the cut strips or connectors for connecting lighting fixtures with a controller are attached. The use of connectors facilitates installation and reduces the amount of soldering. Next, perform the wiring. To ensure safety, the wiring should either be closed with special boxes, or mounted into the wall, or hidden behind the plinth. At the end, you need to connect the device to an AC regulator and to the network unit.

It is not always convenient to turn on the lights on the stairs independently by pressing the switch, and if the backlight is constantly on, it will “hit the wallet” strongly, reflected in the electricity bill. To solve these problems, you can install an automatic staircase lighting, which is triggered by a motion sensor. Thanks to the machine, you can achieve economical consumption of electricity, extend the service life of lighting fixtures, as well as ensure convenient movement on the stairs without additional efforts.

How to make LED lighting stairs with your own hands, see the following video.

Below are the main options for lighting for stairs.

• Ladder with LED light. In this example, the light is placed under each step throughout the entire staircase. You can choose any color of the backlight, and make the backlight automatically using a motion sensor. But you can also place the LED strip on the edges of the steps on both sides or vertically under each step.

• Spotlight staircase. The backlight can be installed opposite each step or after a certain gap in the wall. You can mount in the risers, one in the center or two bulbs on both sides. The switch is usually installed at the bottom and top of the stairs.
• As mentioned earlier, to achieve greater light, sometimes several lighting options on one staircase - combined lighting. For example, you can install a spotlight, mounted in the steps, and wall sconces between the spans.