How to make a staircase out of brick. Why can't you make steps out of brick? Ordinary brick porch

The life of steps made of red brick is short, 2-3 years. This is the most optimistic forecast.

To verify this, you need to walk along the streets of your city and see what the collapsed porches are made of.

There are especially many of them in early spring, when the frosts have already passed, and the warmth necessary for repairs has not yet arrived.

The main reason is the freezing of water in the pores of the red brick.

How does water get under the tiles and saturate the brick?

  1. The first reason is filling the joints between ceramic tiles with cheap grout that is not intended for outdoor use.
  2. Absence at the base of the porch.
  3. The laying of ceramic tiles on the steps and landing is done without a slope. This leads to the formation of puddles on the steps after rain or melting snow. Snow that melts during the day becomes ice at night. Water, as you know, expands when it freezes.
  4. Installation on tile steps.
  5. No canopy over the porch.

In addition, the strength of the brick is lower than the strength of the cladding (adhesive + tiles). Only this can lead to the plaster or tile coming off:

Concrete steps are also vulnerable to the above factors.

But if the concrete strength meets the standard - M200 and the screed under the tiles is made according to , then the tiles on such a porch can last a long time. Everything will depend on the number of other negative factors that simultaneously fall on this porch.

In the bottom photo, the base of the porch was also made of red brick. But this was not enough for the builders. They also made a pit for water - so that it would certainly crumble.

ANOTHER BRICK PORCH.

Typically the first stage of construction goes like this:

What's interesting in this video?

  • The bricks I use for masonry are different. Mostly silicate, but there are red inserts. Various materials have different thermal expansion. After a year, cracks will appear around the red brick.
  • Sand-lime brick is a poor material for subsequent finishing. Plaster or screed can only be secured to it using a contact layer.

The fact that tile cladding in most cases does not protect the brick from getting wet can be seen from a short excerpt:

Brick absorbs water more strongly than screed, and its strength is 2-3 times less. When frozen, separation into plates occurs. In the first year of destruction, you can still fill the mesh, make waterproofing and slow down the process of destruction. After two or three winters there is no need to attach the net. The brick is destroyed when the dowels are driven in.

A porch made of foam blocks and expanded clay concrete is also short-lived.

Porch made of foam blocks.

You can find many photographs where red brick porches look decent for many years. These examples are confusing.

Such brick steps really exist for a long time, but they are made of clinker bricks:

CLINKER BRICK ON STEPS.

Clinker bricks are similar in properties to clinker tiles, which have been lying on garden paths for decades without damage.

It's all about structure. Clinker does not absorb water well. And having absorbed it, it easily gives it away. Real clinker bricks comply with the following standards:

  • DIN 1344 – Paving bricks, July 2002 (Germany).
  • DIN 18 503 – Road clinker, August 1981 (Germany).

The certificate of conformity guarantees that the hygroscopicity of the product is no more than 6% and the density is about 2.0 kg/dm3.

How is ordinary red brick different from clinker brick?

– the grade rarely exceeds M100. Most often M50, M75.

– presence of cracks and high porosity (a dull sound is heard when struck with a hammer).

Externally, such a brick can look very high quality. But this is still the same ordinary red brick:

In addition, it is necessary to take into account the special technology for constructing porches made of clinker bricks, which is similar to laying road clinker:

  • A drainage layer of fine crushed stone and sand with a grain size of 0/5 - 0/8 mm is laid at the base. The depth of the permeable soil layer is at least 1 m. This guarantees rapid drainage of water and insulation from moisture of the base.
  • The seams are quite wide and filled with drainage material. Filling can be from ready-made mixtures mixed with a small amount of water.
  • The clinker brick steps are not lined with anything. If such porches are faced with porcelain stoneware, then other processes will begin.

The technology for working with clinker also includes laying it on a mortar. It can be based on cement or lime binder. The solution for the underlying layer must be permeable to water.

What to do, then, with a porch made of ordinary brick?

It's better to take it apart. This way you can save money on future repairs.

But, if you don’t dare “blow up” it or the property is someone else’s and is rented (and you want to walk up decent steps every day), then you can fix the future cladding to the frame. This will not stop the destruction of the brick, but the tiles on such a porch can last ten years.

The solution may be something like the video below.

As a contrast to everything, here is a short excerpt from a video of what the base of a porch should be:

A brick porch is a durable and reliable structure. It is quite possible to build it with your own hands, without resorting to the help of professional builders.

The porch is considered one of the important and truly necessary elements of any residential building. They always try to build it from the same material from which the base of the building is made. Therefore, for brick or stone houses it is advisable to build a porch made of brick. At the same time, in principle, there is not much difference which products you will use.

Now there are many varieties of bricks - with different color shades and sizes. It will not be difficult at all to choose products that are ideal for appearance already in use basement level of the house. But the pros still recommend purchasing ceramic bricks. They say that this building material will ensure maximum durability of the structure you are building.

Ceramic bricks

If you do not want the constructed structure to begin to collapse within a couple of years, you should competently develop its design and draw up an appropriate drawing. There are several basic rules that must be followed when building a brick porch with your own hands. Here they are:

  1. The width of the porch should be 1.5–1.8 times the width of the door leading to the premises of a private house.
  2. The height of the site of the structure we are interested in is taken to be at least 0.15–0.2 m. In this case, precipitation will not fall on the porch in bad weather.
  3. The thickness of the platform should be about 0.1 m. Moreover, it should be filled with a high-quality concrete mixture. Note! It is necessary to make a concrete base. For these purposes, ordinary crushed stone is used. After pouring the mixture, you need to additionally cover the concrete with a 15-centimeter cement screed.
  4. To make it comfortable for you to climb onto the porch, it is important to make the correct slope of its steps. The recommended tilt value is 2.8–3.2°. With such a slope, we note that water flows down the steps without problems, without forming puddles on them.
  5. The steps on the porch are built in prefabricated parts (a special form is used) or according to a monolithic scheme (then you will have to make formwork from boards).
  6. The recommended length of steps is 12–15 cm.

After drawing up the drawing, proceed to purchase the materials necessary to complete the planned construction work– primer, sand, reinforcing bars, crushed stone, waterproofing, M400 cement, grouting paste. Also purchase tools - two spatulas (notched and plain), a rubber hammer for installing tiles, a shovel, a trowel, a building level, a container for mixing concrete.

Let's start with the most important thing. The depth of the foundation for the porch must be similar to the depth of the foundation of the house itself. It is important. Over time, the foundations of the building and porch will begin to settle. And do it in different ways. If you install foundations at different levels, cracks will begin to form between them, which will ultimately lead to the destruction of both buildings.

Laying the foundation for the porch

The layout of the foundation for a brick porch is as follows:

  1. Mark the geometric parameters of the foundation on the surface of the site. Perform the procedure with wooden pegs, using chalk to make the required marks.
  2. Dig a hole according to the markings you made.
  3. Form a mesh of metal reinforcing bars in the pit. Metal rods with a cross section of 1 cm are also installed on the sides of the foundation. They should protrude 10 centimeters above the top of the steps (check your drawing). Then fill everything with a solution of crushed stone, cement and sand. The proportions of these materials are 4 to 1 to 2.
  4. Wait for the mixture to harden. In summer, it usually takes 7–14 days for the solution to set. In cooler times of the year – 3–4 weeks.

After you are convinced that the base under the porch of a private house has hardened properly, you can continue work.

Bricks must be installed on a mixture of cement (1 part) and sand (4 parts). But first, it is advisable to take care of good protection of the future structure from moisture. Waterproofing can be made from roofing felt. This inexpensive material is guaranteed to protect the porch from the negative effects of water. Important! The waterproofing material must be laid on the foundation in two layers.

Now let's see how to make the simplest thing - the so-called one-sided porch for the house. In such a structure, the steps (all without exception) are built simultaneously with the brickwork. Due to this, the process goes quickly and without unnecessary problems. Note that in a one-sided design, the number of steps depends on the height of the base of the house. Moreover, it is always odd.

Single Sided Brick Porch for Home

The procedure for arranging a simple porch is given below:

  1. Stir the solution and start laying. Use a spatula to scoop up the mounting mixture and apply it (amply) to the bricks from the sides and bottom.
  2. Lay the first row, thereby forming the first step.
  3. Install the second line of bricks. They need to be pressed against the already laid products as tightly as possible.
  4. Create the 3rd and subsequent stages in the same way.
  5. Leave the completed structure for 3–7 days. During this time it should dry well.

Some home craftsmen simplify the described procedure. They lay 2-3 rows of bricks around the perimeter of the porch of the house and fill the resulting box with concrete mortar. The cost of such work will be much less (and the labor intensity of the operation will be reduced). But it’s not a fact that you will get an attractive design. Often brick porches are built using a different method - first their side walls are built, and then the steps are formed. We'll talk about this technology further.

If you don’t like the method of simultaneously arranging masonry and steps, you can do everything differently. The first stage of such work is the construction of side walls. The outline of the event is as follows:

  1. The very first brick is installed intact. But to improve the connection of individual products and to increase the strength of the entire structure, the next row should be started from three quarters.
  2. Be sure to leave a 10 mm seam between the rows of masonry.
  3. You form a straight platform at the top of the masonry being built, and below you lay out an area intended for installing porch steps.
  4. Then you need to do the brick jointing. Perform this operation at a time when the solution is still damp, but already slightly set.

You have built the walls for the porch. Now start pouring the steps. First you do it. A small nuance. The shape of the boards used should be similar to the configuration of the steps being built. Next, you form a platform - add earth to the base of the house and thoroughly compact it. Then you need to tilt the platform. It must correspond to the planned grade slope.

Making porch steps from brick

The next step is to reinforce the compacted soil with metal reinforcing bars. The operation is carried out in increments of 15 cm, using rods with a cross-section of about 6–7 mm.

Then everything is simple:

  • You set the concrete mixture to the required shape - place the boards in a special way.
  • Lay out the first step. It is advisable to reinforce it by welding the joint points. Then lay crushed stone and reinforcing mesh, pour crushed stone again (it should reach the level of the step height). Fill the structures with liquid cement mortar.
  • Lay out the second row of bricks - make the second and subsequent steps.

That's all the work. If desired, the surface of the steps can be covered with tiles, natural or artificial stone products.

You can experiment and use aerated concrete, slag or expanded clay concrete blocks. It is better not to use foam blocks and other cellular products for constructing a porch. You make a porch out of blocks like this: pour the foundation (by analogy with the foundation for brickwork), lay out the bottom platform according to the parameters of the porch, make the second row one block smaller, the third one another shorter, and so on.

Porch made of blocks

After creating the entire structure, cover it with tiles, porcelain stoneware or stone. Another way to create a structure from blocks:

  1. You make parapets from aerated concrete products.
  2. Treat the foundation with concrete mortar.
  3. When building the first stage, place it on its side.
  4. Coat the made step with concrete mortar, pour broken stones and bricks on top, and tamp it down.
  5. Build the remaining steps in the same way.

Choose your own method for building a porch!

Almost everyone a private house in front of the front door there is a platform with small canopy and steps, called a porch. This architectural structure protects from bad weather, facilitates access to front door and serves as home decoration. It can be made from a variety of various materials, but below is information on how to make a porch out of brick - a private house - with your own hands, because this is exactly what fake diamond It has sufficient strength and is easy to install.

Stage 1. Foundation

The construction of a brick porch should begin with the construction of the base. Moreover, if the installation of this auxiliary element of a residential building begins after the completion of the last one, it is important to firmly connect both foundations to each other.

The foundations must lie at the same depth and represent, as it were, one solid structure. In this case, when the soil shrinks, the process will occur in the same way for both the house and the porch.

If this rule is not followed, subsidence will occur separately, which is fraught with the appearance of cracks in the base of the structure and the complete destruction of the structure created with your own hands.


In rare cases, it is not possible to install a foundation on the same level as the house. Then you need to act according to the following scheme:

  • It is advisable to place the lower edge of the porch support in the ground below its freezing level;
  • at high occurrence groundwater, a trench can be dug to a depth of about 80 cm, but there is no need to firmly connect the foundations of the house and porch; it is enough to drive in a few pieces of reinforcement and fill them with concrete.

Now let's look in more detail at how to cast reliable foundation to attach a porch to a brick house:

  1. Digging a pit of the length and width you need. After completing the excavation work, the bottom of the pit is leveled and a crushed stone cushion 10 cm thick is poured, which is carefully compacted.

  1. Reinforcing mesh is installed. It needs to be made from reinforcing rods 10-12 mm thick, which should be twisted with wire into a mesh with a cell width of 20-25 cm.
  2. Concrete solution is prepared and the foundation slab is poured. The ratio of cement, sand and crushed stone is standard (1-2-5). Take care of the correct strength gain. During hardening, the surface of the concrete monolith must be moistened from time to time with water or covered with plastic film to prevent the rapid evaporation of moisture.

  1. After drying, several rows of brickwork are laid on top. You can use rubble brick, the price of which is low. The upper part must be carefully leveled using cement mortar.

Stage 2. Waterproofing

We continue to build a brick porch with our own hands. To prevent the foundation you have made from being destroyed by precipitation and groundwater, it must be thoroughly waterproofed.

Note!
Many novice builders completely in vain do not pay due attention to this stage.
However, waterproofing should never be neglected.
If the porch brick house not protected from water; moisture penetrating into the pores of building materials will quickly destroy the structure.


The work is carried out in two stages:

  1. Protection of horizontal surfaces. For this, the selected material (most often ordinary roofing felt is used, but you can choose something more effective and expensive) is laid on the constructed foundation. It is necessary to arrange two layers located perpendicular to each other.
  2. Treatment of vertical surfaces. If you are building a porch for a private house made of brick, the basement of the home is also subject to additional waterproofing. It is necessary to lay sheets of roofing material or waterproofing in those places where the structural elements of the extension will be adjacent to the wall.

Do the work carefully so that after construction is completed, the layer of roofing material does not protrude beyond the masonry, as this will spoil the visual perception of the facade of the house.

Stage 3. Selection of materials

Before you build steps for the porch, you need to decide on the type of artificial stone used.

Some inexperienced craftsmen think that for the construction of auxiliary buildings, including extensions to the front door, they can use low-quality Construction Materials. For example, remains from the construction of a house, waste from dismantling old buildings, defective elements, and so on.

This is strictly not recommended due to the low quality of the building materials mentioned above. The porch, despite its apparent insignificance, constantly experiences significant external loads, so its strength should be given increased attention.

The use of used or broken bricks can lead to the fact that the structure you erected will quickly collapse and you will have to start work from scratch.

The best choice for the job would be facing decorative brick. But you can also use high-quality rubble, which at the last stage of construction is covered with ceramic tiles.


Stage 4. Making steps

Having finished pouring the foundation and waterproofing it, purchasing necessary materials For further work, you can start making steps for the porch with your own hands from brick.

But before that, it is advisable to decide on their sizes:

  1. According to current building regulations, the width of the step should be 30 cm. Then the resulting staircase will be convenient for the average person to use. However, this may vary depending on the design of your porch.
  2. The standard height of each step is 15 cm. This is a masonry two bricks high.
  1. The number of steps depends on the height of the base of the house. Be that as it may, you need to calculate this parameter so that a person stands on the upper platform in front of the front door with the same foot with which he began climbing the stairs.
  2. Make sure you have a fairly spacious area in front of the entrance. Its area should be such that a person can open the door without going down the stairs. At a minimum, it is inconvenient, and at a maximum, dangerous.

It remains to tell you how to lay out the steps:

  1. The first row is laid directly on the waterproofing layer. The outer edge, as already mentioned, can be made from expensive facing bricks, and the inner part can be filled with rubble.

  1. When starting work on the next element, make sure that the previous one does not collapse. There is no need to be in too much of a hurry to finish the construction. Better monitor the quality of work: check the horizontal and vertical lines, carefully seal the seams in the brick, and so on.

  1. Some builders fill the surfaces of the steps with concrete, believing that this will protect the structure from moisture penetration. There is no need to do this. It is enough to carry out a thorough hydrophobic treatment at the last stage of construction or use a waterproof material for cladding.

Stage 5. Canopy

A small roof over the entrance to the house and the stairs is not only an attractive architectural move, but also protects the home and the porch itself from the adverse effects of the natural environment.

The following materials can be used to make a roof:

  1. Profiled metal sheets. Not the best best material, although quite inexpensive. The fact is that during rain, thin steel will make a lot of noise, which will not bring pleasure to the inhabitants of the cottage.
  2. Polycarbonate. This option is more popular. The roof made of two-layer plastic has an attractive appearance, low weight and ease of installation. In this regard, you will not need to construct powerful supports.

Advice!
The porch roof can be decorated with the same material that was used in the construction of the house.
So the extension to the entrance and the dwelling itself will form a single architectural ensemble.
Design your land plot You will benefit even more if you make a gazebo and carport in the same style.

Stage 6. Decoration

The final stage of construction is giving the self-built porch an attractive appearance.

In principle, if you used high-quality and expensive building materials - for example, decorative bricks - the structure itself will look great.

Otherwise, you will have to make additional efforts:

  1. In most cases, extensions to the front door are decorated with tiles. When covering steps, make sure that you use material with a non-slip surface, otherwise using the stairs will be dangerous.
  2. You can use other design options. Be sure to take into account the design of the facade of the house, otherwise the porch you built will look alien.
  3. Don’t be afraid to use additional accessories: wrought-iron railings, pots with fresh flowers, sculptures, figured balusters, and so on.

Conclusion

Now you have enough information on how to make a brick porch with your own hands. All that remains is to put the acquired knowledge into practice by designing the entrance to your own home at your own discretion. Having completed the work and gained the necessary experience, you can safely begin building more complex buildings: a garage, a bathhouse, a barn, and so on. More details about our topic can be found in the video in this article.

Happy owners of private houses are people who do not know peace, since the household constantly requires intervention. They are constantly looking for how to make their nest even more comfortable and beautiful.

Some people can afford to hire professional designers and builders, while others show ingenuity and perseverance by doing everything themselves. It is for such people that this article was written, in which we will try to build a brick porch with our own hands, which will undoubtedly make your home more attractive.

Having looked at the photo with which our article starts, and having seen how beautifully and well everything is done on it, many probably found in their memory pictures when a seemingly recently folded structure began to crack, as a result of which the cladding also suffered.

Such troubles arise when basic norms and requirements are violated during the construction process. This is especially true for the porch foundation. Let's take a closer look at these questions.

What should be the foundation for the porch?

Before we tell you how to make a porch out of brick, we will talk about the most important thing - the foundation.

In order not to get a result like in the picture above, it is important to remember that the quality and strength of the foundation determines the condition of not only the house, but also other buildings, to which the brick porch should be classified first of all, due to the solid weight it has. In addition, the porch is used in the most difficult conditions - with constant exposure to climatic precipitation and temperature changes.

Let's outline the basic requirements for the foundation:

  • There is an opinion among many craftsmen that the porch does not experience any significant loads, and therefore does not need capital foundation. They settle on a solution that lies at a depth of 30 - 40 centimeters, and sometimes they simply pour a reinforced slab, tying it to the foundation of the house.
  • What can you say about this? Nothing except that such builders do not know what they are doing. There is no need to invent your own foundation design, since it must completely correspond to the foundation on which the house stands and have almost the same depth.
  • Connecting two foundations is also not allowed for the reason that the foundations of the porch and the house experience completely different loads (at the house it is noticeably greater) and shrink differently. The result of such a connection will be cracking of the main foundation strip, which can lead to unpleasant consequences. Seasonal soil movements can also add problems.
  • But in some situations, architects recommend pouring strip foundation under the porch at the same time as the main one. This is influenced by soil types, average rainfall and the weight of the overall structure. Obtaining such data yourself is not an easy task, so entrust the design of your house to professionals.

A striking example! If construction takes place on sandy soil and the house is relatively light, then tying the foundations with an armored belt and making it monolithic will be one of the right decisions.

Things are completely different if the soil is clayey and the structure is heavy. During cold weather, the foundation of the porch is subjected to a great force of soil heaving, unlike the foundation of a house.

This is due to the fact that the freezing of the base of the porch is more significant due to the lack of a warm underground; the ground around the porch has high humidity (there is no drainage); the weight of the structure is significantly inferior to the house.

As a result, the porch can be freely raised while the house remains in place, and if they are tied together with rebar, cracking of the porch base will inevitably occur.

To eliminate this problem, an expansion joint is made at the junction of the two foundations, which compensates for the difference in shrinkage and seasonal soil fluctuations. It is made with a thickness of 20 mm and is filled with elastic materials: rubber, hard mineral wool.

The foundation for the porch is made in the same way as the main one, with the same depth.

Another problem is delamination facing tiles. Examples can be seen all over the place. The main reason lies in improper waterproofing, or its absence at all.

Concrete constantly draws moisture from the soil, which rises further along the bricks and accumulates under the tiles. When cold weather begins, the water freezes and squeezes out the lining.

Interesting to know! Water is the only substance on earth that, when cooled, first contracts and then begins to expand. This threshold is +4º Celsius.

To prevent this from happening, before laying the brick, a waterproofing layer is laid on the concrete base - usually roofing material. Additionally, try to insulate all places where water can penetrate under the tiles.

What a brick porch can surprise you with

Well, in addition, before we begin the story of how to make a porch with your own hands from brick, we will try to stir up your imagination by demonstrating some varieties of porches, verandas and terraces made of this unpretentious material.

A brick staircase, like any other, must have a railing if the number of steps exceeds two. In front of you original solution, in which the designer placed two brick cabinets equipped with antique lanterns.

Such a porch will decorate any home, whether it is made of wood, stone or any other material. The red clay brick contrasts beautifully against the white grout and light-colored façade of the house. The stone railings seamlessly merge into a wooden balustrade, painted in the manner of the main structure and equipped with figured balusters.

Another elegant solution, complemented by two columns that support a straight canopy. The color of the brick is selected in accordance with the clinker facing tiles and is yellow-brown. This solution harmoniously combines with black, forged, steel railings.

The main part of the building's facade is painted in a neutral light tone, which becomes invisible next to such a bright accent “spot”. Green vegetation on the sides completes the overall look.

A brick arch on the porch will add grotesqueness to the building, making it look like part of a Gothic cathedral. Such a massive porch will look good against the backdrop of an equally large house.

Arches with climbing plants growing around them look very advantageous - this will give an even greater sense of antiquity and importance to the structure.

When there is not enough space to place a full-fledged arch, and you really want to see such figures, include them in door and window openings, which will decorate the entrance ensemble of the house just as well. The same elements may also be contained in a closed porch, if provided for by the project.

A porch made of clinker bricks will always look great. With its help you can create the most intricate figures, as it comes in different sizes and shapes. This brick looks harmonious in combination with light-colored joints, which are best done with a special epoxy grout that is resistant not only to moisture, but also to dirt.

The price of such a porch will be noticeably higher, but the Italian, Spanish or English motifs created by it will soon make you forget about unnecessary expenses and just enjoy the beauty.

Steps can have any shape. Radial options look very attractive, the radius of which can be either small or very large, as in the photo above.

Pay attention to the lamps built into the risers - these are interesting solution, adding not only additional aesthetics, but also safety. This addition will be a great help if the main lighting lamp at the entrance to the house is out of order.

What else is remarkable about the red brick steps? They have a pleasant appearance even without additional finishing. Thus, you can make a good profit by saving on the material and work of the craftsman, and if you are used to doing everything with your own hands, then by saving your energy.

At this point, we will stop our research into the styles and forms of brickwork, and we will send unfed readers to watch the video in this article, where you can see many more interesting things.

Construction of a brick porch

Now, having been inspired and familiarized with the requirements for the foundation, you can begin laying out the steps. Making a porch out of brick is much easier than pouring it out of concrete, especially if you need to give the steps a curved shape. But, despite this, laying a brick porch will require effort, time, and accuracy in measurements and calculations.

Staircase with straight steps

Do it yourself - step by step

In order for the reader to better understand the information on how to build such a structure, we will describe the process in order. Let's consider a very ordinary platform, which has a descent on one side and is equipped with railings on the sides.

  • If one of the sides is adjacent to the wall of the house, then it will be very easy for you to mark the platform and steps, from which, in fact, construction begins.
  • Otherwise, you will have to transfer all the dimensions onto paper and perform remote calculations according to which the stairs will rise.

  • The width and height of the steps are calculated using the formula that can be seen in the photo above. It is convenient for a person to climb stairs when its height varies from 15 to 20 centimeters, and its width - from 25 to 33. These values ​​​​must be proportionally included in the formula so that two heights and one depth of the step fit into the step width (60 - 65 cm).
  • Maximum tilt angle flight of stairs should not exceed a value of 45º, otherwise movement along it will become dangerous, especially for small children and the elderly. The optimal tilt is 25 - 30º.
  • The size of the platform is made such that a person on it can open the door without hindrance. On average, its tire is 2 meters, and the depth varies depending on the width of the door leaf.
  • The distance between the bottom edge of the door and the surface of the platform together with the cladding should not be less than 5 cm. Such a gap guarantees the door opening even in winter time when soil movements are especially noticeable.

Based on the data obtained, we calculate the number of steps. It will be better if you get an odd number - this is due to the peculiarity of human coordination. This is done like this:

  • Divide the distance from the door to the ground surface by the average permissible tread height. For example, for us it is equal to 1m 20 cm. We count: 120: 15 = 8. In total we get 8 steps.
  • Now we multiply the resulting number by the average permissible depth: 8 * 30 = 240 cm. We have obtained the length of the flight of stairs.
  • Add the depth of the landing to it and you have a full porch length. If the resulting values ​​do not fit into the space allocated for the porch, then try repeating the calculations, reducing the depth and increasing the height, but without going beyond the permissible dimensions.

Now let's decide on the size of the brick for the steps. For low options, a single brick is perfect, since its height (spoon) is 65 mm.

The remaining distance will have to be adjusted due to the thickness of the seams. If the height of the step is close to 20 cm, then it is better to take a one-and-a-half brick with a height of 88 mm, leaving a centimeter for the seams between the bricks.

Backfill masonry, in order to save material, can be made from concrete blocks, as well as various broken material left over after the construction of the house.

After all the preparations, you can start:

  • Place a waterproofing layer of roofing felt on the foundation. If you don’t have one at hand, then take a thick polyethylene film.
  • Masonry begins with the first step. Place a layer of mortar on the waterproofing along the edges of the steps, and lay out the outermost bricks, leveling their position using building level. Double check the length and height with a tape measure.
  • Pull a thread along the upper outer edge between the installed elements, and add a row, guided by it.

  • Lay the second row of steps in the same manner, but changing the direction of the laying to create a link.
  • After the step is ready, proceed to the backfill masonry, making sure that its upper side is smooth and does not interfere with laying out the steps from above.
  • The sides and back of the porch rise at the same time as the steps. Pay close attention to the expansion joint, if one is planned.
  • We lay out all the steps one by one, carefully monitoring their size and level. The site remains empty - we will fill it with sand, leaving about 10 centimeters for concrete.
  • Before pouring sand, cover the floor with waterproofing to prevent water from entering from here.
  • Prepare concrete mortar for pouring. But before you pour it, make a bundle of construction reinforcement. If the brick is not subsequently faced, the level of the slab will need to be lowered to the required height.

Attention! The sand cushion plays the role of permanent formwork. Over time it will shrink naturally. To prevent the slab from sagging along with it, place supports on the brickwork.

Porch with radial steps

How to make a round porch? This of course requires experience and knowledge of some techniques. But no problem! We will try to explain everything as clearly as possible so that you can do everything yourself - the video will help you.

As always, we start with calculations - the length and height of the steps are determined similarly to the previous method. To accurately draw a circle along a given radius, make a homemade compass from metal profile or slats (you can take strong twine), centered on a peg. Chalk is used as a scribe.

The method of laying bricks changes greatly:

  1. To lay out the risers, it is recommended to lay the bricks with a spoon facing outward, if necessary, cutting the butt (short end) at the desired angle. If the radius is too small, it will be more difficult to make the rounding smooth.
  2. For the riser, the brick is turned with the butt facing outwards (a small release is possible) and laid on the edge. Why? Unlike the riser, the tread will always be visible, and the smaller rib width will make the rounding smoother. In addition, the strength of the structure, which experiences constant mechanical loads, increases.

Surface preparation is similar to the previous case, but before laying out the mortar, if you do not have a strict drawing, make a preliminary layout in order to accurately calculate the amount of brick and check the size of the seam. These measurements are important only for finishing masonry, therefore, if subsequent cladding is carried out, this step can be skipped.

  • The laying begins exactly from the center so that the trims along the edges have the same dimensions.
  • Having laid out the first step and backfill under the second, make a new marking, reducing the radius by the width of the step.
  • Double-check carefully - if everything is in place, then continue laying out.

The seams between the bricks are filled completely - according to the technology, they must withstand constant loads. The remaining actions are completely the same as those described above.

If you are planning to make several steps of an unusual curvilinear shape, then the technology for laying them out will be no different. The whole main difficulty lies in the precise marking of the place, for which you should spare no time.

We'll probably end here. We hope you are convinced that it is not so difficult to lay out brick steps for a porch with your own hands. As in any other business, perseverance, the desire to create and attention to detail are important here, without which high-quality work is impossible by definition.

The porch is an essential and necessary part of any home. As a rule, it is made from the same material as basement part Houses.

In most cases, it is laid out of brick, so it is better to make a porch for a brick house from a homogeneous material. Let's consider its manufacture. This material looks quite beautiful and, moreover, is practical for any structure.

Nowadays, there are many types of facing bricks of various shapes. There is a wide range of colors to suit every taste. Making a brick porch with your own hands is not as difficult as it seems at first glance.

There are many construction options (see). If desired, you can position the staircase frontally, on two or one side. In most cases, it is made of one flight, but if the base of the house is high enough, it is made of two flights.

Of course, it all starts with a drawing and markings.

  • To avoid water flowing in in bad weather, the height of the platform should be at least 15–20 cm.
  • The brick porch is mounted at least 1.5 times the width of the front door of the house.
  • The preferred thickness of the platform is about 10 cm made of concrete, which is laid on top of crushed stone.
  • Afterwards, the concrete is covered with a cement screed of about 15 cm.
  • The slope of the steps should be about 3 degrees to ensure unhindered water flow.
  • The width of the tread to the height of the riser corresponds to the width of a person’s step, which should make it possible to stand freely and provide stability in bad weather. The gap between the edges of two parallel steps is the offense. As a rule, it is about 170 mm. In most cases, the ratio of tread to riser width should be 1:2. For example: the riser height is 150mm, then the tread width is 300mm. True, such a staircase should have a slope of about 27*. That is, the ratio of riser and tread will determine the slope of the stairs.
  • The width of the march (length of the step) is taken to be 12–15 cm.
  • The step itself is made of monolithic concrete or prefabricated parts. The difference is that for monolithic steps additional formwork is made, prefabricated steps are made in a mold.

Please note: the outer porch of a brick house must be safe in bad weather conditions and not be subject to ground vibrations.

Tools:

  • Trough for preparing the solution.
  • Shovel.
  • Master OK.
  • Bulgarian.
  • Plumb

Materials:

  • Sand.
  • Cement.
  • Shelevka (the length is made according to the size of the step and the length of the porch)
  • Crushed stone.

Let's get started

Side walls of steps

Installation of the side walls occurs as follows:

  • Let's start with the markings. We clear the area in front of the door. We drive in pegs along the axis of the place where the walls should go. Carefully measure the diagonal.
  • Digging the ground for the foundation. If the soil is not very loose, a depth of one meter is sufficient. For soft foundations, the depth of the foundation should be at least 1.5 meters. The width should be 10 cm wider than the planned wall.

Attention: Do not neglect the quality of the foundation and protective waterproofing. Make a high-quality covering of the staircase and steps.


We make the solution like this: take cement grade 400. Mix it with sand in a ratio of 1:3. Stir until the mixture is completely homogeneous. Add water and mix the solution. Mix thoroughly to avoid the formation of lumps. The solution should lie on the trowel and not flow, but be sufficiently plastic.

  • The seam between the rows of masonry should be 1 cm.
  • At the top of the masonry we make a straight platform, below, we lay out the space for installing the steps themselves.

Be sure to use a plumb line when working; do not bend corners.

When the mortar dries (but remains damp), we joint the brickwork.

Attention: Do not forget to remove mortar build-up from the brick. (So ​​that you don’t have to beat it off after drying, which could damage the front part).

After the solution has dried, wipe the finished wall with a dry cloth.

Making steps

In order to fill the steps to the porch, we do the following work:


Attention: Make steps with extreme caution. While the solution has not hardened, it may be easy to damage the finished ones.


After the solution dries

We do the cladding

We will need to do a number of the following operations:

  • We completely clean the steps from debris and dirt.
  • We lay out the tiles in such a way that the passage of the seam and the symmetry of the location are clear. If cutting is required, then we apply marks and split it. Or we use a grinder with a stone cutting circle.
  • We make a solution of sand and cement 1:1. Apply it to the prepared surface in a layer of about 5 cm (we do this with a spatula).
  • According to the preliminary layout, we lay the tiles on the work surface. Apply light pressure and tap so that the empty spaces under the material are filled. We remove smudges.
  • Cover the surface with a damp, thick cloth or tarpaulin.
  • Let it dry. This process will last at least a day.
  • If the seams have not been completely filled, they should be treated with a solution.
  • After hardening, the seams are thoroughly wiped.

Attention: Vertical surfaces of seams are most susceptible to destruction. To prevent this, they should be treated with a special silicone filler.

In this design, railings made of metal will look most harmonious (see). The railings are welded to the embedded parts left in the landing and steps.

It will be extremely useful to make a porch for a brick house with special trays for draining water. They are mounted near the side rails. Can be done open or closed type(closed with special grilles designed for these purposes). They must carry water to the sewer system.

Making formwork

The porch is made of brick, with walls on both sides, equipped with concrete formwork, which protects it from falling under the foundation. Wastewater and protects against subsidence. Its height is about 7 cm.

  • Along the edges we retreat 50 centimeters from the wall of the porch and install a shelving.
  • We fill it with crushed stone and trample it down.
  • Spill liquid solution until completely filled.
  • Cover with a wet tarp for a day.

The DIY brick porch is ready for use. To reduce slipping during the cold season, the steps are covered with anti-slip materials. You can begin installing the visor (see).