Do you have a starting point on the lower floor you want to work from . Starting point is 37" away from a wall for a landing at the bottom.
What is the height of the top of the subfloor from the concrete?

 

Yes, I am starting from a mezzanine (about 10 ft in the air) and going up to the top floor (almost 18 ft off the ground).

The bottom is easy ... just like any other steps .... it is the top that I am confused about.

I have made steps before ... just somehow never realized there was so many ways to tie into the top floor.

As I said, I started by thinking I was going to end so that when you stepped off the floor, you would step down onto the first step. Then I needed to figure out how to attach a nose piece to the top floor.

Then I started looking and see there are many ways to build steps ... some have half a tread level with the floor before you step down ...some a full tread ... and some done the way I was thinking./

Just want to see if there is a "best way" to build steps.

Mike

 

You can do it your way with the first step down from the top. Two ways to fasten the top of the stringers to the header: have a nailer face nailed to the header going from stringer to stringer, and nail into the side of that, or use this hanger.

 

WOW ... didn't even think of a hanger.

So how would you put the nose on the top step ... which is actually the floor? The floor is 3/4 OSB .. the treads are 1" ... I can't just split off the nose and screw it directly to the the OSB ... well maybe I can? Just does not seem like it would be strong enough.

 

The stringers go against the beam on step down and the is the reason you always have one more riser than treads.
If the beam is not tall enough for the stringer you add 3/4" plywood to the face to make it 12" high for the stringers.
When you do the subfloor and cut out for the stairs leave a few inches hanging over on that end to be trimmed later with all the decisions about stairs are made.

 

Thanks makes sense .....

Last question .... I was going to make the steps from step tread material (pine, 1" thick. 11 1/4" deep with a round nose on one side).

I have used 2 x 12's in the past ....

I see online some guys using 3/4" plywood.

The plywood would be a lot cheaper but would it hold up as steps?

What is best to use ....steps are 48" wide ... I figure on three stringers.

Mike

 

Will you be adding a finished floor upstairs over the subfloor?
4 stringers.

 

No, it is just an attic to just 3/4 osb.

4 strings?

Not one one each side and one in the middle?

Won't 1" lumber span 24"

 

Sure if you are adding risers with blocking under the tread behind a riser and you have wall on each side or under each side. Even then I think 4 are required