Deck Stairs

bajaboy1

First off thank you all for the help on my first deck. The info and professionalism from you all is greatly appreciated. I'm down to the stairs, so it's alll down hill from here. As you can see by the pic (not an updated pic though), my stairs will run the entire front of the deck and be 2 steps. I've decided to use the 5/4 x 6 decking for these, same as the decking. I will be boxing in the two steps. Question is how much, if any, overhang should the tread have over the riser?

Thanks again.

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Termite

Per the International Residential Code, you are required to have a minimum of a 3/4" nose that overhangs the riser. Install a 1x riser board first, and then butt the 5/4x6 treads (two pieces of course) up against it.

bajaboy1

I'll lay it out when I get home, but I guess that all lines up correct with a standard stringer, like ones purchased from HD?

Termite

Possible, but there's no such thing as a standard stringer. Stringers must be cut for the height of the deck, not bought off the shelf. If a box store stringer works out by having dimensional (and passes inspection) consistency, it will be luck. Normally you'll end up with a rise variance at the top or bottom with those.

My experience has been that the pre-cut stringers don't account for riser blocks as required by code.

It isn't hard to cut them, with some planning. If you want to tackle it yourself we can guide you through it. You just need some 2x12 and an L-shaped framing square.

bajaboy1

Yea, they will have to be custom. I have a variation of height from one end of the deck to the other of I think about 4"(at work, can't measure). I have one stringer that I was going to make others off of with the modification of the 4" as I go along. The higher end will just have a taller rise on the bottom step. What is the max height of a riser?

bajaboy1

Ok. If I use 5/4 x 6's, does this sound correct. I will have a 5 3/4" rise (size of the board) and an 11 1/2" tread (size of two boards). I just need to make my stringers to support these measurements, correct?
No, have a problem. I have a 5/4 x 6 up against the fascia to start with
(for a finished look). My first tread will go up against that one, leaving me a 4 3/4" rise. I guess I need to go under that first one up against the deck and back up against it on the next step down to keep the same rise? So confusing! Here's a pic of what I'm starting with. It will only have two steps with the rise under the second step to the ground getting taller as I go down the deck. What's the max height of a riser? Sorry for all the questions at once!

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bajaboy1

Deck board design.

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bajaboy1

My Billy fence. We live next to the beverly hillbillies! Built it from scratch. Ones at HD wern't tall enough, I needed it to go from the ground up, which was about 7 1/2'.

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bajaboy1

To thekctermite

I know you're thinking there isn't much room to attach the stringers under the 5/4 x 6. This Simpson connector should be ok, do ya think? Will be able to put 6 to 8 nails into the ledger.

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Termite

That'll work, but it won't look too good. I'd suggest using Simpson A35 (or similar) framing angles. They're essentially just 90* angles for making perpendicular connections. You can put them on the inside and you won't see them on the outside.

Don't use 5/4x6 for your risers. Too thick. It'll require too much seat cut in the stringers. Get some 1x material, or even better...Use 1/2" fence pickets. Just cut them to length. Very cheap!

Termite

That 5/4 fascia is going to cause some problems at the stairs. If it is serving as the top riser, you don't have the code-required 3/4" nosing. You'd have to add a nose, which might look rough. I'd lose the fascia at the stair location because it will complicate hanging the stringers and making the stairs dimensionally correct.

AtlanticWBConst.

Same thought, remove that fascia rim-joist bump out thingy, at the location of your stairs. Measure it, mark it, set your circular saw to depth and trim away to accomodate your stair stringer arrangement. Don't forget to have a proper footing or concrete pad for the ends of your stair stringers to set on.

__________________
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tigerbalm2424

Stringers are fun to cut! When I did mine the measure 3 times, cut once rule when out the window. I must have measured 20 times on each stringer and then took a couple minutes to step back visualize the cut. Somehow I laid them out right I only had to do 4 of them though

bajaboy1

That 5/4 fascia is going to cause some problems at the stairs. If it is serving as the top riser, you don't have the code-required 3/4" nosing. You'd have to add a nose, which might look rough. I'd lose the fascia at the stair location because it will complicate hanging the stringers and making the stairs dimensionally correct.

Confused. I added that 6" board across the fascia just to even up the sides of my deck boards, since most are coming at an angle. I couldn't find any 1 x that would cover that length of 14 ft. Why would I have to have the 3/4" coming off the top of that? It's just at the height of the deck and the stair will step down from that.

That'll work, but it won't look too good. I'd suggest using Simpson A35 (or similar) framing angles. They're essentially just 90* angles for making perpendicular connections. You can put them on the inside and you won't see them on the outside.

Not sure how you will see these if my two steps will be totally enclosed. Maybe on the ends, but I was going to cut out two extra pieces for the ends to cover up the work.

Same thought, remove that fascia rim-joist bump out thingy, at the location of your stairs. Measure it, mark it, set your circular saw to depth and trim away to accomodate your stair stringer arrangement.

Not sure what you're saying to cut away. The stringer would attach under the 5/4 x 6 board to start my first step.

Don't forget to have a proper footing or concrete pad for the ends of your stair stringers to set on.

Are you saying I have to have a concrete pad under this?

bajaboy1

I copied and pasted, but it didn't show up correct with your responses. Not sure how to do that.