Building Stairs...
 

Has anyone ever built a set of stairs here?

Im looking for a good material to use for the steps and kicplates...

Im using 2x10 's for the stringers, with an 8in rise over an 9in run.



Any advice would be helpfull.


~Fox.

I'd use 2x12 stringers.

My stairway at home is:

2x12 stringers
8in rise
2x12s as steps on a 9in run which means there is a 2 1/2 inch hangover with no kickplates.

I suggest go visit some friends or nieghbors and measure their steps and build them the size you feel comfortable with.

Indoor or outdoor? If they are indoor, just use 3/4" red oak for the treads. I think that the Depot sells oak treads with one side already bullnosed for you.

Since the kickplates aren't structural, you can use 1/4" luan. It's cheap and takes paint well. Seal the treads with a natural gloss sealer, and paint the kick white for a nice look.

I just saw an interesting article in an architechure periodical, that I think I'm gonna try next time I build stairs. The used plywood treads, but you could pick your material, and basically left an inlay space on the tread with about 2" of wood frame around it.

Then they glued carpet (or otherwise fastened) it into the inlayed areas.

This would provide the traction of a carpet stair, without the pain of vacuming carpet risers, carpet little corners, or stapling the stuff on in the first place.

Also if you got a bad spill on a tread, it would be simple to replace the carpet rectangle from just that one tread.

Check your local building codefor the max tread height and depth . It could be a 7" max. hight with a 9" min. depth for residential stairs. Would be bad if you did all the work rebuilding the stairs only to have to replace them if the city does a point of sale inspection when you sell the house.

I'd Like to thank everone for their ideas, im going for an exterior staircase, that only has to go up to a podium that is exactly 32in tall. I'd thought that i would use 2x10's for the stringers, and 2x10's for the treads.

After cutting out the stringers today, im probably going to use 2x12's for those. And after carefull consideration, i will not be doing any kickplates.

This platform has to move with the podium, and hence weight is a factor.


~Thanks for all your ideas.
Fox

I agree with cybermike. 2x12's will give you a firmer stair without any bounce...it all depends on how many steps you are planning.

You may consider using (2) 2x6's in lieu of the 2x12 for treads. The 2x12 will warp...

For the stronges stairs you have ever seen use plywood. Take 3 pieces of 3/4 and rip them in half lengthwise so you have 6 pieces 2' by 8'. Cut one of these in half. Lay two of the full length pieces end to end, cover them with subfloor adhesive or weldbond (good glue) lay a 4' by 2' piece at the end and an 8'piece in the middle and the other 4' pece at the other end so that the joints are offset by 4'. More glue. Lay on the other 2 8' pieces then screw thae crap out of the whole thing, flip it over and apply more screws from the other side. YOu will now have a glue lamb beam that is 2.25 inches thick and strong as hell. Now it gets tricky lay out your stairs so that when you make the cut you will end up with 2 stringers out of one cut. With a little forsight and planning it is not that hard but you gotta think before you cut. You will end up with seriously beefy stringers with no bounce. Even if your 400 pound mother in law comes over and falls down the stairs they will not bounce.