stair stringers

[Bert Kemp]

I have to replace my back door steps from the ground to the top of the platform is 30"
Home depot has precut stringers that I can order . question how many step stringer do I need to get to the platform height.
I'm 30 miles from the nearest HD so I don't want to drive down to fine out they don't have what I need in stock and trying to get a knowledgeable answer from anyone over the phone well you know how that would go. Thanks for your help guys.

[Jay Jolliffe]

http://www.decks.com/calculators/stairs....

[Mel Fulks]

Do you mean they will make rise and run to order? Or just use "standard "pitch , only varying riser number? Most likely if they have anything in stock it is going to be 8 inch rise and 9 inch run ( code max. steepness), I would not use those,and would just make my own. If they order to your spec I would use maybe 7 1/2 rise and 10 inch run. That's more comfortable than standard ,but not drastically different that what is in other parts of your house.

[Tom M King]

Rise between 7 and 7-1/2 inches if possible, and total rise and run around 17-1/2". Figure step thickness in actual rise on the lowest step of a stringer.

[Bert Kemp]

I'm not a carpenter so I just figured the precut ones would work. Anyway I called a friend who knows how to cut them and he said to buy a 12' 2x12 and he'd cut them. He lives 70 miles from me so it might be a while till he gets down here but at least I know they'll fit right . thanks for the help here .

[Bill McNiel]

FWIW - My standard for designing stairs has always been 7.25" rise - 11.25" run (.75" overhang on each riser). Start with that as a goal and then adjust for actual total rise, in the OP's case that would work out to four 7.5" risers.

[Gary Yoder]

This would be a great time to broaden your skills! Could you just take off an old riser and trace it? If not, "normal" in the circles I've been in this what we shoot for... very simple.2-1-OF.jpg

[Tom M King]

If each tread overhangs, the overhang needs to match whatever the floor above is. You want to be able to lay a long straightedge down that touches every step nose, as well as the edge of the floor at the top. I see more done wrong than right.

[Bert Kemp]

there are no stringers there it was some type of box that was some how fashioned into stairs and its falling apart.
you can sure bet when my friend cuts them I'll have him teach me how. I'm sure I could figure it out but hate to maybe waste a 2x2 12 finding out

This would be a great time to broaden your skills! Could you just take off an old riser and trace it? If not, "normal" in the circles I've been in this what we shoot for... very simple.2-1-OF.jpg

[Tom M King]

windows4 009 (800x600).jpgAll you need is a framing square. There are gauges that clamp onto the square which work great, but you can get by with a straight strip of wood, and a couple of small C-clamps to clamp it to the square intersecting the measurements for rise and run, with the gauges or board on the outside of the measurements. Set the gauge/board very carefully, mark very carefully and precisely with a very sharp pencil, cut carefully, and they have to work. Make sure to take the thickness of the step treads off the bottom of the lowest rise.

Sometimes you have to be creative about how the top is attached to whatever you have at the top. Don't cut the top of the stringer until you have the attachment well planned, and cut it accordingly.

When installing the treads on outside steps, set the outter edges to a straight edge, starting at the bottom tread, with the straight edge going from that tread to the landing at the top. Figure the stringers to make this work. Sometimes the thickness of the flooring at the top is different than the tread thickness. That has to be figured in to marking the stringers.

The stringers in this picture were marked the same way, only routed out with a site build router gauge to make the Housed Stringers. It's easiest to get a perfect fit on interior steps with housed stringers. These steps are 25 years old. I know it's a bit off topic, but the same marking method applies.

[Tom M King]

These are the gauges I use, but for one set of stringers, I would just use the board and c-clamp method: http://www.toolbarn.com/starrett-111...ad=40667862494

[Jim Koepke]

An old friend who knew about these things told me the biggest mistake often made with stair stringers is not making all the steps equal. The first step and the last step should be the same as all the in between steps.

He explained many accidents on stairs could be attributed to an uneven rise at one end or the other on a run of stairs.

Many folks buy precut stringers and then trim one end to fit. Many years of moving furniture and appliances has made me careful in being aware of this.

jtk

[Jerome Stanek]

Even a 1/4 inch difference in the middle is really bad.

[Mel Fulks]

The gauges that Tom posted link to are better than the hex ones because you don't have to keep tweaking the adjustment. Relatively rare ,even in the biz , to see the "set it and forget it type".

[Tom M King]

I've had mine long enough that they've changed the design of the "knobs" to the ones pictured in that link. Mine have flat paddled thumb screws. You can set them to any fraction you want inside the 1/16th marks on the framing square, and that's what you'll get. I'm sure I bought them early on in my career.