Stair Building 101

Components

• To understand basic stair building, you must understand the three components that comprise the anatomy of a staircase. Stringers are the sloped boards that support the weight of the staircase. They are most commonly made from 2x12s and are sometimes called the underdeck. Treads are the surface of the the step and vary in material depending on their size and the look of the step. Risers are the boards that are under the treads.Risers are an optional component but protect the stringers from weathering.

Calculations

• When you are planning your stairs, you will need to determine the rise and run of the stairway. First, determine the height, or rise, of the stairs. Divide this number by the desired height of each individual stair. Seven inches is a standard height. This will give you the number of steps. You may need to round down. The height multiplied by the number of steps will give you an exact measurement of the height of each step, or the distance between notches in your stringers. The horizontal distance, or run, is determined by multiplying the number of steps by the horizontal depth of the step.

Materials

• Use high-quality wood that is free of large knots or notches, such as a cedar, redwood, or pressure-treated wood. This will be easier to work with, and the stairs will be long-lasting. Bolts, decking screws, galvanized nails and hex bolts are hardware options used in building stairs. You should also assemble a toolkit to include a hammer, hand saw or jigsaw, circular saw, sawhorses, carpenter's square or framer's square with stair gauges to complete the task.

Tips

• Safety is your top priority when building stairs. Treads should be a minimum of four feet wide but wider is always better. Tall staircases should be divided into landings every eight stairs. Use a circular saw to trim away the notches on the stringers, but finish using either a jigsaw or handsaw for accurate notches. Check that the notches are level and use a plane to carve away high points.