How to Put New Steps on My Porch

Determining Your Riser Height

• 1

  Measure the height of your porch with a tape measure and write down the measurement in inches. Divide the measurement by 7 inches to determine the number of steps necessary. For example, a 28-inch-high porch divided by 7 inches requires a total of four steps.

• 2

  Divide your porch height by the number of steps necessary to determine the rise height. In the example, a 28-inch porch height divided by four steps requires 7-inches for each riser.

• 3

  Measure the width of the boards you are using for the steps. If using two 2-by-4 inch boards, add an extra 1/4 inch for the space between the board. So in this example, each step has a 8 1/4-inch tread.

• 4

  Place a carpenters square on a straight piece of 1-by-4-inch board. Position one end of the carpenters square at the 7-inch mark at the top edge of the board and the opposite end at the 8 1/4-inch mark. Clamp the carpenter's square to the board. The angle end of the carpenter's square is now a template for your riser cutting.

Cut and Install The Step Stringer

• 5

  Cut two 2-by-8-inch boards to a length of 33 inches with a circular saw. The total of all four step treads. Place the angle of the carpenter's square on the board, lining up the edge of the square with a corner. Trace the outline of the two sides of the carpenters square onto the board.

• 6

  Move the square down until the side of the square is at the end of the trace mark. Trace the square again. Continue down the length of the board and repeat for the other stringer. If your steps are more than 4 feet wide, add another stringer.

• 7

  Cut the tracing out with a circular saw. You should now have four “V” sections cut out of one side of each stringer.

• 8

  Mark the width of your steps onto the front face of the porch with a pencil. Attach floor joist brackets to the face the porch at your marks with 16d nails and a hammer. Slide the stringers into the the joist brackets and secure them with 16d nails through the mounting holes on the side of the bracket.

Attach Steps

• 9

  Place the first step on the first riser. If using two boards per step, place the first board against the rear of the riser. Position a level across the side of one stringer, and move the stringer as necessary until it is level. Attach the end of the step on the lever stringer with 16d nails and a hammer.

• 10

  Position the level against the side of the opposite stringer. Move the stringer as necessary until it is level. Secure the end of the step to the stringer.

• 11

  Rest your carpenter's square against the front of the step board, if installing two boards per step. Place the second step board on the stringer against the front of the carpenters square. Nail the step board into place and pull out the carpenter's square. This provides the space necessary between the two step boards to allow water run off between the boards.

• 12

  Continue installing the remaining steps in the same way as the first step. Check the levelness of the stringers each time to ensure each remains square. Paint or stain the new porch steps as desired.