How are stairs supported?
Stringers provide support to a staircase and there are many different varieties (see below for the different varieties). Stringer fascia is the finished surface that on a western style stringer is on the inside vertical surface of the stringer.
How do you build stairs in a house?
StepsMeasure the height of the area where you will install the stairs. ... Divide the total rise by the typical rise per step. ... Divide the total rise by the number of steps to get the actual rise per step. ... Establish the run of each step. ... Find the total run of the staircase. ... Decide if your stairs need landings.More items...
How do you build wood stairs?
1:052:21How To Build Stairs - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipAnd then tighten it off with a washer and bolt this will stop your stairs from warping or buckling.MoreAnd then tighten it off with a washer and bolt this will stop your stairs from warping or buckling. Okay it's the moment of truth it's time to position these stairs.
How are stairs designed?
As we know, a staircase consists basically of a series of steps, which in turn consist of a tread (the horizontal part, where the foot will rest) and a riser (the vertical part). Although it can vary in its design, each step must also have one or more landings, handrails, and a small nosing.
How deep are stairs in a house?
Standard Stair Tread Depth Requirements OSHA 1910.25(c)(3) requires standard stairs to have a minimum tread depth of 9.5 inches (24 cm). IBC 1011.5.
What are stairs made of in new houses?
Concrete is the commonly used material to construct a stairway. A plus point of using it is that it conveniently takes the shape you desire for your stairs.
What type of flooring is used for stairs?
Out of all the options on our list, carpet is by far the safest type of flooring for stairs. A carpeted staircase with short, dense fibers can do a lot for your home. The shorter fibers are more durable and can weather heavy foot traffic while still feeling soft and comfortable underfoot.
What wood do builders use for stairs?
Hardwoods: Oak, Cherry, and Maple are the most popular types of hardwoods. When stairs are made out of these materials, they are considered “finish grade”.
What is the best height for steps?
In the United States, the step height standard should be between 7 or 7 ¾ inches at the most, and no less than 4 inches. You should follow other measurements if given by local building codes.
What angle are stairs built at?
between 30 degrees and 45 degreesThe standard angle of a staircase depends on the use case and application for the stair. For most standard stairs, the stair angle varies between 30 degrees and 45 degrees. Egress stairs have a shallower angle around 30-35 degrees while industrial stairs have steeper angles ranging from 40 to 70 degrees.
What is the difference between a stair and a staircase?
“Stairs” is a generic term referring to a full flight (or a single group) of stairs between two floors. Staircases, on the other hand, can refer to one or more flights between floors.
What are the three main components of a staircase?
There are three main components to design when building a staircase – the treads, risers, and stringers.
How do you figure rise and run for stairs?
1:242:31Stairbuilding Rise and Run Calculations - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipWe have an overhang here call the nosing of an inch and 1/8. Which is measured from the front ofMoreWe have an overhang here call the nosing of an inch and 1/8. Which is measured from the front of this riser to the edge of this tread. So our run of 10 inches. Plus a nosing of 108.
How much does it cost to build stairs in a house?
To build a staircase, it costs the average homeowner $2,047. This project ranges from $957 and $3,281, based on a standard staircase of 10 to 13 steps. However, you could pay up to $10,000 for more extensive or custom projects.
What angle are stairs in a house?
For most standard stairs, the stair angle varies between 30 degrees and 45 degrees. Egress stairs have a shallower angle around 30-35 degrees while industrial stairs have steeper angles ranging from 40 to 70 degrees.
How do I calculate how many steps I need for stairs?
Measure from the very bottom of the stairs to the top of the space where the stairs will be, which is the rise. Subtract 6-7 feet from the total rise to account for headroom, then divide that number by 6 or 7 inches to get the total number of stairs you'll need to build.
Stair Building Essentials
At its most basic, a staircase consists of horizontal treads that you walk on, vertical risers that separate the treads, and stair stringers that hold the treads and the risers. Other items contribute to the staircase, but those are the three main elements that need to be planned and designed before the building begins.
Other Stair Elements
The upper part of the stairs is attached to a stair header. The stair header is part of the house, deck, or other structure receiving the stairs—technically, not part of the staircase. The header must be strong enough to support the top section of the staircase.
Codes and Permitting
Staircase, guard, and railing building code provide specifications while leaving some room for flexibility. Check with your local building permitting office for code that applies to your area and to your project. With few exceptions, obtaining a building permit is required when building stairs to ensure safety and code compliance.
When to Build Stairs
Indoor staircases can be built at any time of year. For outdoor staircases, it's safest to build in dry weather. Any pressure-treated wood that you cut for outdoor stairs must be treated with a copper solution before the wood comes into contact with water.
Safety Considerations
When installing stair treads, work while standing on the ground as much as possible. When you need to stand on stair treads to work on upper treads, make sure that the treads are already securely attached to the stringers.
Instructions
Lay the one-by-four on edge from the top of the header (the topmost point of the staircase) down to the ground at an angle. With the Speed Square, estimate a 40-degree angle from the top landing down to the ground and make a mark on the ground.
What is a mill made stair?
The first class is a mill-made stair, which is usually fabricated in a mill shop and shipped to the job site as a kit, ready for assembly and installation. The second class, a carpenter-built stair, is just that — a stair built on site by a carpenter. This type of fabrication is less expensive and allows the stair to be covered with carpet.
How many inches of tread on a stair?
The run of the stair will then be 15 treads at 10 inches per tread, or 150 inches of total run. To determine the actual total length of the stair, you must add the nosing of the bottom step and the thickness of the top riser. Example: Total tread run 150” + 1 1/4” nosing + 3/4” top riser = 152” total stair length.
How many treads are needed for a stairwell?
The answer you get (12.542) is the number of treads needed in the clear opening to make headroom. This would mean that you now have 2.45 treads that are located under the header. By multiplying 12.542 (number of treads in clear opening) by 10 inches (tread depth dimension) and adding 1 1/4 inch for the nosing and 3/4 inch for the top riser, you will achieve the stairwell length needed for the proper headroom. The result for our example is 127 7/16 inches for stairwell length. Most stairs that are located between two walls have a finished width of 36 inches. To accommodate this finished width you will need to make your rough opening 37 inches.
How much headroom is 80 inches?
This figure (12 1/2 inches) added to the desired headroom height of 80 inches will total 92 1/2 inches. Take this dimension and divide it by the riser height.
How to figure out how many risers are needed?
Assuming the distance from one finished floor to the other (total rise) measures 118 inches, find out the number of risers needed by dividing the total finish rise by 7.5. The resulting number equals the number of risers. Then divide that number into the total finish rise.
What is a mop board?
Mop board/skirt board: Piece of lumber placed next to a carriage stringer and used to provide trim along a wall.
Where to put glue blocks on a tread?
3. Glue blocks can be placed at the underside between the tread and riser intersection .
How to cut a riser?
1. take the board you are using for the riser and measure the angle to the bottom left corner and draw a line. 2. measure your rise height from the line in step 1 to the edge of the board and draw a line.
How many steps are needed to make a staircase?
The most important thing to remember in staircase construction is that each step, weather you have 3 steps or 100 steps, all MUST be the same size (Rise and Run on each step must be the same). This is espescially true in USA and Canada, its against building and fire code for steps to vary in size.
Can you build an outdoor staircase with no obstructions?
If you are building an outdoor staircase with no overhead obstructions its gonna be a lot easier, you need only decide on the angle of your stairs, measure and cut away. if you are building a staircase indoors you need to take into account the headroom.
How many inches should a staircase be?
The Rise plus the Run should equal approximately 17.5 inches. (Some designers prefer the formula Two Rise plus the Run should equal between 24 and 25 inches, but whichever formula you use, your staircase should probably have steps 7 inches or so high and treads 10 inches or so deep.)
How many treads are needed for a staircase?
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 inches should a 7-11 riser be?
These dimensions are a revision of earlier, briefly adopted standards that allowed a maximum of 7 inches on risers and a minimum of 11 inches for tread depths-sizing promoted by some safety experts following a 1985 study of accidents on stairs in the workplace. Despite the fact that the steeper stairs are acceptable to many codes, some experts believe they are prone to cause more accidents. Some builder organizations argue that these claims are yet to be proven and that 7-11 stairs take up more space and increase the costs of building them.
How deep should stair tread be?
Many codes demand a 9- to 10-inch tread depth (minimum) at a point 12 to 14 inches from the narrow side . You’ll also find restrictions on head-height clearance and railing construction and placement.
Why are spiral stairs so popular?
Of the many available pre-built and knock-down stair kits, spiral stairs are by far the most prevalent, no doubt because they’re relatively economical in cost and space usage and because they can provide alternative access away from the central “staircase core” of a house.
Why are stairs built?
Stairs are built according to basic rules and principles intended to make them safe to use . Because the location of railings and balusters, width and depth of tread, and height of risers affect the ease and safety of using a stair, these dimensions are regulated by building codes.
What is a staircase?
In most situations, a staircase is an integral part of a home’s design and style. Stairs may be steep or gradual, narrow or wide, purely functional or grand and showy. Some are built in place by woodworkers, finish carpenters, or stair makers.
How high can a riser be?
As a general rule of thumb, the International Code Council, administered by the Building Officials and Code Administration (BOCA), may allow maximum riser height of 7 3/4 inches and a minimum tread depth of 9 inches plus a 1-inch nosing where solid risers are utilized.
What shape are stairs?
Available space is key to determining a stair’s shape. Stairs may be spiral, straight, circular, or any of several other shapes.
What supports are needed for a stair stringer?
Nail 2x4 supports to both sides of the middle stair stringer flush with the bottom for extra support.
How to stop cuts on a notch?
Stop the cuts when you reach the corner of the notch and finish the cuts with a handsaw to prevent weakening the stringers.
How to figure out step height?
Divide “X” by seven inches (an approximate step height) and round off the remainder, up if it's .5 or more, or down if it's less than .5.
What to do after you cut stringers?
After you cut the stringers, use them as guides to position your landing.
How to lay out stairs?
Lay out the stairs by drawing on the outside of the square, sliding the square along until it meets the last mark to learn how to build steps.
Can you build deck stairs?
And you won't need any hard math to figure it out (though your calculations must be accurate!). These DIY steps will work for replacing an old set of stairs or building new ones. So grab your tools and let's start building!