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I'm building deck stairs and I could use some advice on how to build stairs. Although I'm kinda handy, I need an easy to install product thats code compliant. Does anyone have any suggestions? I'm also on a budget.
How to build stairs
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37,499 Posts
With that little bit if info your likly to get a lot of guesses.
Need a whole lot more.
Pictures, drawings, run, rises, something more then a vage decription.
http://www.blocklayer.com/stairs/stairseng.aspx
Need a whole lot more.
Pictures, drawings, run, rises, something more then a vage decription.
http://www.blocklayer.com/stairs/stairseng.aspx
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5,124 Posts
Buy prefab stringers.
Build the deck around them.
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15 Posts
The best advice I can give you to- with the short description above, is a code compliant adjustable stair bracket product that I've used a lot for deck stairs but you can use them for interior stairs too. They're easy to install, and make nice looking, strong stairs. I've really been happy with them. Oh yeah, and they're not expensive.
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970 Posts
So...you own this ez stairs outfit? Funny how all your posts have that limk in it.
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15 Posts
It's just a product I use a lot and found a lot of benefit in- nothing more.
You forgot a tape measure and a level!:laughing:
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14,391 Posts
The stringers cut out of 2x10 the blue store sells don't meet code.
You couldn't have a rise more than about 6" to make a 2x10 comply.
They don't fit either, one step will be off for sure!
Check the books and videos. Library is free. You must understand how many steps it will have to know how far it's going to stick out. That goes to where the bottom landing will be, and so on and so forth. If you are just handy, this is not a project you can build safely. Handrail and balusters and their connections are especially important. Not splitting the connection points are also very important. Read up word by word on at least 3 instructional books because one book may not tell you everything you need to know.
You don't have to cut the stringers. Cleats can be bolted to the stringers for the treads to sit on. You can have 30" wide stairs with 2x treads with 2x12 stringers on each side. Any wider, Middle stringer should be cut. Rule is each step must be no higher than 7 1/2" high, and treads no narrower than 9 1/2".
You have to know what kinds of fasteners and how corrosion resistant they are in the treated wood.
By the way, if you give this job to a carpenter, do not allow coated nails in a nail gun for the final fastening. They have the least corrosion resistance. Main posts and stringers must have coated bolts rated for the treated wood or stainless.
You don't have to cut the stringers. Cleats can be bolted to the stringers for the treads to sit on. You can have 30" wide stairs with 2x treads with 2x12 stringers on each side. Any wider, Middle stringer should be cut. Rule is each step must be no higher than 7 1/2" high, and treads no narrower than 9 1/2".
You have to know what kinds of fasteners and how corrosion resistant they are in the treated wood.
By the way, if you give this job to a carpenter, do not allow coated nails in a nail gun for the final fastening. They have the least corrosion resistance. Main posts and stringers must have coated bolts rated for the treated wood or stainless.
you always use 2x12 for cut out stringers. Its actually very easy to figure out how to cut them out. You need to decide your rise and run. So measure from underside of deck board down to the ground. If the grade is different straight down verses where the stringer will actually sit out from the deck then take that into consideration. Then figure out how many rise you want to have. So lets say you have a 120" high deck. Figure out how many rise you would want. Object is to get the rise between 7 and 8 inches. So for this example lets say we want 7.5 inch per rise. That will mean you need a total of 16 risers. That means you have 16 treads as well. So then you need to figure out what you want your run to be. Doing figures I came up with a 9 inch tread which means your stringers would come out 12 feet. You can make 10 inch treads which would give you a 1 inch nose. You dont need full risers but code compliant is that you cant have more than a 3" space so you can do half risers. Butt them up under the tread and fasten them to the face of the stringer and underside of tread OR put them inside the stringers to keep your 1 inch overhang. Marking stringers out using a framing square is easy. If we are doing 7 1/2" per rise and 9" tread run you would set your framing square up so the markings on one blade at 7 1/2 and the other blade is set a 9. Start at the one end of the stringer and work your way down.
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Just rereading this...... Do yourself and everyone else in the house a big favor. Do not make dinky 9" treads. Go for more like 11" or 12".
Put a tape measure on your own foot. 9" usually just barely gets from your heel to the ball of your foot, or a bit farther if you have small feet. Give people some lumber to hit when they are traversing that stairway... not a postage stamp sized target.
Put a tape measure on your own foot. 9" usually just barely gets from your heel to the ball of your foot, or a bit farther if you have small feet. Give people some lumber to hit when they are traversing that stairway... not a postage stamp sized target.
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