How To Build Stairs

How To Build Stairs

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When building a stairs, you must think about the functionality which is its most important feature and therefore, safety must be taken into deep thought. The first thing to do before you start building the stairs you must determine the size of the stairwell and the headroom. Failing this, you risk having to destroy what you constructed and to endeavor to build it again. A stair normally consists of three parts, the riser, the stringer and the tread.
The stringer is the part that sustains the stairs. Some stairs have two stringers, one at both sides while some have only one. The riser is the height of an individual stair and the tread is the width of the stair.

Materials Required:
2 x 4 wood
Sheet of paper
Masking tape
2 12-foot wood for stringers
Joist hangers
3 nails
2 x 6 boards


Tools Necessary:
Carpenters level
Hammer
Calculator
Pencil
Framing square
Circular saw
Handsaw

Before you make the stairs do your calculations beforehand using a calculator and record the findings. Total rise is the vertical height from the landing of the stair to a point that is level with the top of the stair. To discover this, place a 2 x 4 on the deck of the stair and measure from the end of the 2 x 4 to the ground. Make sure that it is level by testing with a carpenters level.
Next you need to discover how many steps or risers the stairs will comprise. Divide the total rise by 7.25 as this is the average step height. Round off the outcome to the nearest whole number. For instance if the overall rise is 68, divide it by 7.25 which will give you 9.4 so you round off to 10. Therefore, you would need 10 steps to finish the staircase.
The last step of a staircase is either ground or the deck, hence you need one less tread than riser. In this instance where you have 10 risers you would only need 9 treads. To calculate the total run, multiply 9 by 11 inches (width of a typical step). This will result in 99 inches which is the overall run of the staircase.
The height of the risers needs to be determined. This is arrived at by dividing the overall rise by the overall risers. In this scenario it would be 68 divided by 10 which would give you 6.8 inches.
Instructions:
1.Use the framing square to lay out the stairs. Use masking tape to mark the long side at 11 inches and the short side at 7.25 inches.
2.Place the long side of the square on the end of the 12-foot wood and align the tape marks facing toward you. Mark the areas on the board using the pencil.
3.Slide the frame up to the top mark and mark again. Continue to the end of the wood.
4. Use circular saw to cut along the marks. Stop at the corner marks and finish cutting with a handsaw.
5.Try the stringer to make sure the measurements are accurate. If correct, use that stringer as a guide to cut the others
6.When finished cutting all the stringers fasten to the deck by using the joist hangers connected to the frame of the deck.
7.Use 3 nails and hammer to fasten the 2 x 6 boards (treads) in position starting from the base.

Tips:
Always select straight lumber for your 2 x 12 stringers.
It is best to sketch a plan to work from when making a staircase.
Consider installing a railing to prevent people from falling off the stairs.

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