doug fir post for stairs on basement concrete

tcleve4911 · 02-15-2011, 09:34 PM

Sweet....sounds like a cool project

Post some before and during pics

Without pics, it didn't happen

chulett · 02-15-2011, 10:48 PM

lol will do..thursday is the big day! gonna put in posts..will take photos and post em here..I think I'll paint end with the poly and use the metal brackets..just talked to a friend who builds for a living and her agrees! might use the brackets that are 1" up and not secure em to the concrete.

I just hope the treads dont squeak when the green doug fir dries out!

elarreau · 02-16-2011, 03:13 PM

The 1" brackets are designed for a vertical post not a beam coming down on an angle and cut on an angle. The bracket may not be suitable for this application. I wouldn't recommend putting it directly on cement. You can use roofing or other materials as a barrier but I would want it secured to the cement some how. If there is an earthquake you don't want things to move. Angle nailing doesn't work in concrete. The nails don't penetrate and will just turn and come back up. You could bolt down a block of pressure treated with wedge anchors and then fasten the beam to the block but you would have to trim around it to hide the block. The picture looks really nice with no trim where the beams meet the flooring. Could you put a barrier (such as roofing material) down and then hide a wedge anchor under the post for the railing? So, looking at the picture there is a post for the railing at the bottom of the stairs. Before you install the post you could drill a hole and install a wedge anchor that is countersunk into the beam and then the post for the railing would hide the hole.

Are you using screws to attach things together? You are concerned about things squeaking when they dry. Could you attach things together with screws and then when everything is dry go back and tighten all the screws?

Good luck. Looks like a fun project.

Eli

rditz · 02-16-2011, 03:34 PM

will you be doing something similar to the picture with respect to the hand rail and posts?? if so, why couldn't you place you stringers on some barrier on the concrete, then bolt through them vertically straight down. then you can place the railing post in the hole created like a dowel. everything is hidden.

just thinking out loud.

will be an awesome looking staircase though.

rod

chulett · 02-16-2011, 08:50 PM

ok attached is a SMALL photo of the stairway hole! Pic is from the loft looking down into the basement

The doug fir posts are actually 6x8...The first job is to place a post under the corner seen in the pic to level the portion of floor that was left after the cutout.

Then 3 other posts will be placed to create the base for the basement landing.

the basic layout of the stairs will be as follows:

In the left upper hand of the photo there will be a small landing built..then the stringers and treads will be put together and connected from the landing to the upper landing that will in the middle of the "hole"

From there another set of stringers and tread will lead up to the loft from where the photo was taken...on cell phone..thats why photo is small!

Then an identical version will be built down into the basement.

So the 1 inch raised post base will be used on the 4 posts that will come up out of the basement. I found some 6" galvanized steel post bases at lowes I can use em on the 6x8" posts

Question is..I live in missouri, so not worrying about earthquakes..I hope! Do i really need to attach the post bases into the cement?

Steeler99 · 02-17-2011, 08:45 AM

Before you do this, I'm going to strongly recommend you check the seismic stats for your area, and locate ALL fault lines asap

elarreau · 02-17-2011, 12:31 PM

I would bolt the post bases down. rotohammer a hole and use a wedge anchor. It isn't that hard to do now and you won't be able to do it later if you decide you should have.

chulett · 02-17-2011, 08:56 PM

post bases bolted down..I gave it some thought, and after reading tonight on here..I am glad it did! used the simpson strongtie standoff 6x6 base worked great

Had to notch out some of the timber fame for the upper landing..that took a while..we cut the beam and it fits good! On to the completion of the landing will post photos

Like I said earlier the wood is green! Will screw everything and once the shrinkage occurs hope the treads wont squeak...but with open stringers and the treads notched into the stringer all should be fine

02-15-2011, 09:34 PM	#16
tcleve4911 old guy contractor Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Maine on Little Sebago Posts: 857	doug fir post for stairs on basement concrete Sweet....sounds like a cool project Post some before and during pics Without pics, it didn't happen

02-15-2011, 10:48 PM	#17
chulett Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Chillicothe Missouri Posts: 96	doug fir post for stairs on basement concrete lol will do..thursday is the big day! gonna put in posts..will take photos and post em here..I think I'll paint end with the poly and use the metal brackets..just talked to a friend who builds for a living and her agrees! might use the brackets that are 1" up and not secure em to the concrete. I just hope the treads dont squeak when the green doug fir dries out!

02-16-2011, 03:13 PM	#18
elarreau Newbie Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Mt Vernon, WA Posts: 19	doug fir post for stairs on basement concrete The 1" brackets are designed for a vertical post not a beam coming down on an angle and cut on an angle. The bracket may not be suitable for this application. I wouldn't recommend putting it directly on cement. You can use roofing or other materials as a barrier but I would want it secured to the cement some how. If there is an earthquake you don't want things to move. Angle nailing doesn't work in concrete. The nails don't penetrate and will just turn and come back up. You could bolt down a block of pressure treated with wedge anchors and then fasten the beam to the block but you would have to trim around it to hide the block. The picture looks really nice with no trim where the beams meet the flooring. Could you put a barrier (such as roofing material) down and then hide a wedge anchor under the post for the railing? So, looking at the picture there is a post for the railing at the bottom of the stairs. Before you install the post you could drill a hole and install a wedge anchor that is countersunk into the beam and then the post for the railing would hide the hole. Are you using screws to attach things together? You are concerned about things squeaking when they dry. Could you attach things together with screws and then when everything is dry go back and tighten all the screws? Good luck. Looks like a fun project. Eli

02-16-2011, 03:34 PM	#19
rditz Member Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Lindsay, Ontario, Canada Posts: 271	doug fir post for stairs on basement concrete will you be doing something similar to the picture with respect to the hand rail and posts?? if so, why couldn't you place you stringers on some barrier on the concrete, then bolt through them vertically straight down. then you can place the railing post in the hole created like a dowel. everything is hidden. just thinking out loud. will be an awesome looking staircase though. rod

02-16-2011, 08:50 PM	#20
chulett Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Chillicothe Missouri Posts: 96	doug fir post for stairs on basement concrete ok attached is a SMALL photo of the stairway hole! Pic is from the loft looking down into the basement The doug fir posts are actually 6x8...The first job is to place a post under the corner seen in the pic to level the portion of floor that was left after the cutout. Then 3 other posts will be placed to create the base for the basement landing. the basic layout of the stairs will be as follows: In the left upper hand of the photo there will be a small landing built..then the stringers and treads will be put together and connected from the landing to the upper landing that will in the middle of the "hole" From there another set of stringers and tread will lead up to the loft from where the photo was taken...on cell phone..thats why photo is small! Then an identical version will be built down into the basement. So the 1 inch raised post base will be used on the 4 posts that will come up out of the basement. I found some 6" galvanized steel post bases at lowes I can use em on the 6x8" posts Question is..I live in missouri, so not worrying about earthquakes..I hope! Do i really need to attach the post bases into the cement? Attached Images

doug fir post for stairs on basement concrete