Garden stairs are a good solution when you need to connect 2 zones of different height. Garden stairs made in a creative way add a decorative touch to your garden. It not only adds to the aesthetics of your garden log cabin surroundings, it’s also very practical.
Not Just for Slopes
A completely flat landscape is a rare thing to come across and usually areas with a slight or significant incline are quite frequent in one's garden. Sometimes a couple of garden stairs are enough to make a comfortable transition from a lower zone to a higher zone, while sometimes you may need more stairs; for example, when the house and the garden are situated on different levels.
Stairs of garden cabin can also be constructed on a completely flat surface. Making a few artificial slopes and a couple of stairs adds a new feature to your garden landscape.
Make It Convenient
It’s important to have the appropriate height and width stairs to make it easy to climb. All the stairs should be the same height and width. To avoid pools of water forming on the stairs after rain, it is recommended to make stairs with a slight inclination of 1-2% towards the front of the stairs.
The width of the stairs depends upon the design. Wider stairs are visually more attractive than stairs that are for example only a step wide. One of the advantages of wide stairs is that flowerpots can be placed on them which add a decorative touch to your stairs.
Garden stairs should not be very long. If the incline is quite steep it’s better to construct the stairs with several ‘relaxation zones’.
The most frequently asked question is how many stairs should there be? Some people decide to go for less stairs, 2-3 for example, to avoid the necessity of making any railings, while others believe that a couple of stairs would not be visible enough and opt for 4 and more stairs.
If there are 12-15 stairs, they should be broken up by a ‘relaxation zone’, while if the stairs are higher than 0.7m, it's highly recommended to construct railings.
The Best Material for Garden Stair Construction
Different types of material and their combinations can be used to make the garden stairs: stone, bricks, concrete slabs or plain concrete. The most important thing to remember is that the material should match the garden log cabin design and its environment.
To ensure the garden stairs are safe in all weathers, it is not recommended to make them from timber or small clinker in the darker places of the garden because these materials are less visible and can be slippery when wet. It is also recommended to avoid making very smooth garden stairs as they could be dangerous to climb after rain.
In places which tend to be in the shade and moist, it is recommended to make stairs from rough structure stone or concrete slabs with a special rough surface.
Lighting
It is also a very good idea to install lighting not only for aesthetical purposes but also because it is safer if the stairs are lit at night. The light should fall in such a way that the stairs are clearly visible and do not blend in with anything. The best lamps to use would be the ones which direct the light downwards, in order not to blind you and provide enough light to light up the stairs.
