Ideas for Wooden Outside Stairs

Cascading Stairs

• Create cascading stairs for a home built on a slope. This treatment will make a sophisticated statement for wooden stairs for the entrance of a home or for stairs that lead to a patio or pool area. Make a width difference of at least 2 feet for each level to create the cascade effect, starting at ground level and continuing to the top landing level of the staircase.

  Another consideration for additional impact is to stain the outer 2 or 3 inches of the wood in a contrasting color to what you use as the main stain color. For example, use a maple stain for the major color and a redwood stain for a contrasting color along the edge of the stairs. The contrast will also serve as a safety feature by defining each stair, which can be quite beneficial and helpful for children and older family members and visitors.

Mixed Media

• Use a mixed media technique to give your stairs contemporary flair. Instead of using wood for balusters, use metal piping. Take the idea a step further, and design the balusters to run horizontally instead of vertically. Drill holes to thread heavy gauge wire horizontally between the piping, or use very thin piping. You may have seen this type of treatment in magazines featuring interior staircases for lofts and modern homes. The technique will work equally well for an exterior treatment so the home conveys the use of modern architectural techniques both indoors and outdoors.

Staircase Privacy Fencing

• If you are designing stairs for a backyard that is open and without fencing, use lattice to add a touch of privacy. Attach 2 x 6 lattice panels along the railings of the wooden stairs. You can stagger the panels every 2 or 3 feet or adjoin the panels to create one continuous panel. If you want to block out visibility on one side (such as a side that faces a street), just use the lattice on that side of the staircase. Stain the wood stairs and the lattice in the same color to make fencing match the stairs and to give the design a well-coordinated look.

Wooden Spiral Staircase

• Another design that gets more use indoors than outdoors is the spiral staircase. Buck the tradition. Create an outdoor wooden spiral staircase for your home. Of course, you must consider where you would use it safely and appropriately. One idea is to use a spiral to create an exit for an upstairs bedroom or home office used by adults. This look can blend well with a home that has a brick or wood exterior. The wood can be painted white for a color pop to contrast with a brick home or stained in a dark color such as walnut to contrast against a stucco home to give the home a European look.