How hard is it to build stairs for a deck?
Building stairs for your deck is often considered “the most difficult part of” the construction project. Having the right calculations before getting started can make the task a lot easier. To simplify the process, we’ve created this deck stair calculator to help you determine the correct measurements needed to carry out your project.
Do I need stair railings for my Stairs?
Deck stairs need railings if the top of the deck is more than 24” above grade. Some regions allow a 30” deck height before stair railings are required. Whether you require railings on both sides of the stairs will be determined on how the stairs themselves are situated.
Should I add stair footings to my deck stairs?
If your deck is anchored to the ground using footings, then do the same for your steps. Don’t risk having deck stairs that want to move in opposition to the rest of the structure. Even though deck stair footings add more labor time onto your project, view them as an opportunity to create greater aesthetic appeal for your steps.
Do I need a landing pad for my deck stairs?
Treads and risers are fixed to these stringers to create a stable structure for a set of stairs. 4 A landing pad is an optional part of your deck’s staircase. If your staircase is directly above a flat surface made of concrete or gravel, you may not need to construct a landing pad.
Do decks need to have stairs?
Whether your deck needs stairs is related to its height above the ground. Decks require stairs when higher than 7 ¾ in. above the ground. If your deck is lower than 7 ¾ in., it usually does not require stairs; however, some states have different local regulations and building codes.
How many stairs should my deck have?
To find the least number of steps for your deck, measure your deck height in inches at the stair location. Then divide by seven point eight seven five. You will get a whole or decimal number. Round down if it is a decimal and round up if it is a whole number.
How much would it cost to add stairs to a deck?
The most common installed cost of wood deck stairs is $115 to $210 per stair when professionally installed, or $440 to $1,350 for the most common deck stair projects. When decorative aluminum stringers or fiberglass or composite treads are used on decks, cost rises closer to $170 to $250 per stair.
How wide do stairs need to be on a deck?
Deck Stair Basics Deck stairs are typically made from 2 x 12 stringers spaced about 12 to 16 inches apart. They rest on a solid foundation and are attached to the deck with hangers. They have risers (also called toe kicks), treads and railings. The stairs should be at least 36 inches wide.
How many steps is a 5 foot high deck?
Using these measurements as a starting point to calculate actual step dimensions and how many stairs you'll need using the height of your deck. For example, if your deck is 5 feet (60 inches) from the yard, and you want steps at 7 inches maximum, divide 60 by 7 to get 8.57 stairs.
Do deck stairs need railings?
So whether you're constructing a residential composite deck, lumber deck or a deck made from other decking material, you're typically required to install a graspable secondary handrail on one side of the deck's stair railing when there are four or more stair risers present.
How do I add steps to an existing deck?
How To Add Stairs To Your Ground-level DeckStep One: Remove Railing. ... Step Two: Level Ground Surface. ... Step Three: Attach Stringers. ... Step Four: Attach Step Risers and Treads. ... Step Five: Add Integrated Lighting. ... Step Six: Add Integrated Planter Boxes. ... Step Seven: Stain and Seal.
Where do you put stairs on a deck?
Q: Where should I put deck stairs? A: In some cases, the necessary location of your deck stairs will be obvious. For example, if your deck's elevation is different from that of its connection to your home, you will need stairs from the house door up or down to the deck.
What is a floating staircase?
Floating stairs are designed to look like they're floating in mid-air without any structural support. They differ from traditional staircases in that a special mounting piece is engineered to support the staircase. The mount is then either attached to the wall or hidden underneath the stair treads.
How long can deck stairs be without a landing?
A solid landing, at least as wide as the stairs and at least 36 inches deep in the direction of travel, should be located at the top and bottom of each flight of stairs. A flight of stairs should not rise vertically more than 147 inches without a landing.
How tall can a deck be without a railing?
30"All decks greater than 30" above grade must have a guardrail. If you choose to install a guardrail on a deck lower than 30", you must still meet code requirements.
How many steps can you have without a railing?
The building code does not refer to the number of “steps” but it does require a handrail when there are two or more “risers”. For clarification, a “riser” is the vertical portion of a stair. The “tread” is the top of a step.
How do I figure out how many stairs I need?
The vertical distance between the floors to be linked by the staircase is the principal determinant of the riser and tread dimensions. You divide the height by 7 inches; if, say, the floor-to-floor distance is 8 feet, 10 inches (or 106 inches), then you'll need 15 treads (106 divided by 7 equals 15.14).
How many stringers do I need for 5 foot wide stairs?
Cut stringers should be spaced no more than 18 inches on center. For example, a 36-inch-wide stairway should have three stringers. If the stairway is wider than 36 inches, four stringers should be installed.
What is the standard rise and run for deck stairs?
The 2018 IBC building code for rise and run of stairs is a maximum 7" rise and minimum 11" run (tread depth). The OSHA standard for rise and run of stairs is maximum 9.5" rise and minimum 9.5" run (tread depth). The IBC maximum rise of a single stair flight is 12. '
How far apart should deck stair stringers be?
Stringers should be spaced no more than 36 inches apart from each other for maximum stair support, according to the International Association of Certified Home Inspectors.
What are the parts of a deck step?
The key components of a set of deck steps are: 1 Treads are horizontal boards that create the footing area for each step.
What are the components of a deck?
The key components of a set of deck steps are: 1 Treads are horizontal boards that create the footing area for each step. 2 Risers are boards that cover the vertical distance between stair treads. 3 Stringers are the boards that run diagonally on either side of a staircase.
What is a stringer on a staircase?
3 Stringers are the boards that run diagonally on either side of a staircase. Treads and risers are fixed to these stringers to create a stable structure for a set of stairs.
Is it hard to build stairs on a deck?
Building stairs for your deck is often considered “the most difficult part of” the construction project. Having the right calculations before getting started can make the task a lot easier.
How Long Should My Stair Stringers Be?
Learn how to measure the height of your deck and use our Decks.com Stairs Calculator to determine your stair stringer lengths.
Is it safe to have windows on deck stairs?
It can be dangerous to have windows near deck stairs. Learn about options that you can use to make these areas safer and code compliant.
Do you need to cut stair stringers for a low deck?
Learn how to build a set of box platforms to act as stairs for a low deck. You don't need to cut stair stringers.
What does everyone want in a deck?
Everyone wants the investment they put into their deck to last.
Do you need a set of stairs on a deck?
You many need a dedicated set of stairs or multiple sets to distinguish purpose areas on your deck. Doing so makes your space comfortable and easy to get around.
Do stairs have notched stringers?
Some stairs have notched stringers. You can see the cut outs in the stringer for each unit rise and run unless there is a fascia board that hides them.
Can you build stairs with spans?
As long as the materials and spans meet the code minimum requirements you can build your stairs with some creativity.
Do deck stairs have tread covers?
Are you stair treads worn out? Stair tread covers are an affordable solution for outdoor steps, particularly wood treads found on porches and deck stairs that have taken a beating from all the traffic.
What is deck stairs?
Your deck stairs are part of your overall deck structure. If your deck is anchored to the ground using footings, then do the same for your steps. Don’t risk having deck stairs that want to move in opposition to the rest of the structure.
When are Deck Stair Footings Not Necessary?
If you think that footings are a lot of work for your small flight of deck stairs, then you might be right. If you have less than 3 risers, then you do not need footings for your deck stairs.
What is a bearing block for stair stringers?
Your stair stringers will rest on your landing pad, but you should include a base plate. A bearing block is typically a 2×4 that connects your stringers. It requires you to cut a 2×4 profile at the end of each stringer so that your stairs are resting on that piece of wood. This block will rest on the footings or concrete pad.
What are the best steps to put on a patio?
Now that you know you need footings, what are your stairs going to sit on? Several options include: 1 Concrete landing pad 2 A wood box-type landing pad 3 Crushed stone 4 Patio Blocks
What type of bolts are used to attach stairs to footings?
Using anchor sleeve bolts, attach the stairs to the footings. Anchor sleeve bolts are special bolts designed for concrete and masonry. They require a hammer drill with a drill bit the same diameter as the bolt. You will want to use at least ½” diameter anchor sleeves, no less than 6” in length.
How many feet of footing for deck steps?
Typically, most North American building codes require all deck steps to terminate on a minimum 3×3 foot landing pad. If your backyard is extremely flat, the code will allow you to forgo a landing pad. Footings go beneath the landing pad. Generally, footings are concrete and poured into long cardboard tubes.
How long should a stringer be on a staircase?
A set of stairs with solid stringers should not run more than 13’ in length. Keep in mind this isn’t the length of the actual stringer, but the horizontal length from the start of the stairs to the beginning of the final riser. Stairs longer than 6’ in length should have intermediary support.
When Is a Deck Guardrail Not Needed?
Some decks are not required to have guardrails, provided those decks are no more than 30 inches above grade. If you see a deck that has no guardrails (also called a low-rise deck), this might be the reason: its height is below 30 inches.
Why are deck railings so stringent?
Building code requirements for exterior decking railings and stairways are especially stringent because decks fall into the category of critical health and safety matters. Many code requirements, while important, rarely touch upon life and death matters. By contrast, deck code is truly a matter of life and death and preventing serious injury.
How high should a deck guardrail be?
Deck guardrails (guards) should rise to at least 36 inches above the residential deck level. This is a minimum required height for residential structure—higher guards are acceptable. Commercial deck guardrails, such as those found at restaurants, bars, and at multifamily homes such as apartments or condos, are required to be 42 inches high, minimum.
What is a baluster on a deck?
Balusters: Balusters are small vertical in-fill posts running between the guardrail or railing, designed to prevent people, particularly children, from falling off the deck through the space below an angled stairway railing or the horizontal guardrail. Grade: Grade refers to the ground level directly adjoining the deck.
How high do low rise decks rise?
Low-rise decks: Also called ground-level or floating decks, low-rise decks do not rise more than 30 inches above the ground and thus are exempt from certain guardrail and baluster requirements. Another benefit is that low-rise decks often do not require a building permit.
How much force do guardrails need?
Guardrail strength requirements: The International Building Code mandates that guardrails must be able to sustain a 200-pound force at the mid-span between posts, without excessive deflective. 2.
How many people are injured on a deck?
In a four-year study, the Consumer Product Safety Commission found that close to 179,000 people were injured on decks and porches, with over 11 percent of those injuries being the result of structural failure or collapse. 1 . It pays to keep on top of the building code requirements for decks because the code is continually changing.
How Do You Install Deck Railings on Stairs?
Begin by laying out the position of your deck railings before you begin the installation process. Should the top rail post be placed at the rear of the thread, then be sure to align the bottom post in the same manner.
What You Need to Know When it Comes to Deck Railings?
I expect that you already have a permit (if required) to build your deck and once you have completed this project, you will contact your city or town office to have your beautiful new deck inspected.
What is the Difference Between a Handrail and a Stair Rail?
Of course, it is important to point out the difference between a handrail and stair rails.
How Many steps Until You Need a Railing?
The answer to how many steps before you need to install a railing will depend on two things: the height of the deck and the height of the steps.
Do You Need a Railing for Two Steps?
Two steps from a deck to the ground likely will not require a railing. Anything over 3 steps, however will, if it is higher than 1 meter in total. This will depend on both the height and depth (or diameter) of the steps.
How High Can a Platform be Without a Railing?
In most cases, you must have a railing if the platform of your deck is higher than 30” above grade. For safety reasons, I recommend you attach a railing to anything more than 15” above grade. If your deck is less than 15” from the ground, you likely do not need a handrail.
Can a 2×4 be Used as a Deck Railing?
A 2×4 is the most common wood material used for top and bottom deck rails. It is durable and can support up to a 6’ length, which is the maximum spacing for most rail posts. When balusters are attached, the railing becomes even stronger.
