Difficulty Cutting Stair Stringer Bottoms

3198 Views 6 Replies 6 Participants Last post by SeniorSitizen, Jan 27, 2016

AllanJ

Discussion Starter · Jan 24, 2016 (Edited)

I am rebuilding a short set of stairs (about 3 feet high) from a deck to a concrete walkway below.

Unfortunately the walkway is not perfectly level and I cannot figure out how to get the bottom of the stringer to rest squarely on the concrete.

The existing stairs has to remain in use so the rebuilding is being done piecemeal, with new stringers fitted underneath one at a time and then the treads replaced one at a time.

One idea I had was to have the bottom of the stringer curved and touch the walkway only at one point somewhere in the middle.

Another idea is to sister a block to the bottom of the stringer to make full contact with the concrete walkway.

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Fix'n it

· #2 · Jan 24, 2016

i used #3, for the same thing. its working just fine.

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ront02769

· #3 · Jan 24, 2016

It would be nice if the bottom rested prefect lay flat and level on q perfectly flat and level slab...but in my experience that is not what normally happens. I would just cut your stringers and stick them in there and stop worrying about it. Since you are doing it bit by bit (why? Is is like a 3 hour job max to tear down and rebuild and much easier), and assuming that the old stairs have not fallen down, just pull a stringer and use it as a pattern for the one replacing it. Ron

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TimPa

· #4 · Jan 25, 2016

In these cases, I leave an adequate amount on the bottom of the treads (say 1") then temp attach them at the top, but 1" high. make sure stringers are level to each other and plumb, some rigging support is required here. then I use a 1" thick board spacer on the ground to scribe the new surface on the stringer.

this will need to be done in the location of the new stairs

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BigJim

· #5 · Jan 25, 2016

Continue the line where the tread sits, on to the back of the stringer then measure the front of the stringer from tread line to ground then measure from the tread line in the back to the ground and mark new stringer and cut it the same as the one there.

Or block off that side of the stairs where you are taking the stringer out so people couldn't walk on that side. Take the stringer out then use it as a template.

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AllanJ

Discussion Starter · #6 · Jan 27, 2016

Thanks for the ideas.

Unfortunately using the old stringers as patterns is not going to be practical since they have rotted somewhat at the bottom.

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SeniorSitizen

· #7 · Jan 27, 2016

TimPa said:
In these cases, I leave an adequate amount on the bottom of the treads (say 1") then temp attach them at the top, but 1" high. make sure stringers are level to each other and plumb, some rigging support is required here. then I use a 1" thick board spacer on the ground to scribe the new surface on the stringer.

this will need to be done in the location of the new stairs

And I might attempt to scribe this irregular surface with a compass on each stringer.

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Difficulty Cutting Stair Stringer Bottoms

AllanJ

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