In order to build a set of steps for a deck, you can use treated timber or pressure treated wood. You will need three-foot lengths of cedar to make one step. To begin, screw two five-foot pieces of lumber together using 1-inch stainless steel screws. These make up the sides of your first step.
Build a set of steps to add to your deck. First, measure the pitch of your deck and use that as a guide for the length of stair treads. Then mark the cutting line on each corner piece to indicate where to cut it. Cut off the corners at their marked lines, and then use them as templates for cutting small pieces from each step. Place one side piece on top of the other at one end of a board meant for steps
If you’re building a deck, then chances are you’ll need to build some steps. It’s not too difficult to do yourself, but it can be tricky if you don’t know where to start. That’s why I’m going to show you how to build a set of steps for a deck and make it easy for everyone involved! So let’s get started.
Decide how many steps you need.
Decide how many steps you need.
The number of steps you build depends on the height of your deck, the width of your deck, and its distance from other structures or objects. You should make sure that each step can be easily traversed by someone with no issues or concerns whatsoever. The last thing you want is someone tripping over themselves while they’re trying to get off your elevated patio area.
Start with a string and level to get the rise and run of your steps.
The first step to building stairs is making sure that you have the correct rise and run for your project. A rise is the vertical distance between consecutive steps, and a run is the horizontal distance.
To find these measurements, use a string with some weight tied to it (like a piece of rebar) and hold it level across your deck’s surface. Then, mark where you would like each step by poking holes in the ground with a nail or small stick. Next, measure how far apart they are from each other (this will be your rise). Then measure how far back each hole is from where you want that particular step to be built (this will be your run). You’ll want these measurements to match up exactly so that there aren’t any gaps between steps when people walk on them or sit down on them—and so they don’t trip over any unevenness!While stringing out a length of twine may seem like an antiquated way of getting accurate measurements for building stairs, this method really works well because it doesn’t require any expensive tools or fancy equipment—just some old clothesline!
Mark your elevated landing location on the joists.
Next, you’ll want to mark the location of your elevated landing on the floor joists.
You can do this by either marking both sides of each joist with a pencil or by marking one side of each joist with a permanent marker. Make sure that you draw lines on all four sides of each joist so there is no chance you could forget which side is considered “up.”
Cut the stringers.
- Circular saw.
- Miter saw.
- Jig saw.
Attach the stringers to the framing with heavy-duty joist hangers, making sure they match up with each other and are level.
(1) Use a framing square to check that both stringers are level.
(2) Use a framing level to make sure they’re plumb (perpendicular to the ground).
The whole point of this is to make sure that each stringer has been shaped correctly and will be placed in its respective spot on your deck.
Cut out 1-inch pieces of 2×6 material to make spacers that will keep your deck boards an even distance apart from one another, based on which width your product came in.
Cut out 1-inch pieces of 2×6 material to make spacers that will keep your deck boards an even distance apart from one another, based on which width your product came in.
- For example, if the decking is 4 feet wide and you want to make sure that each board is exactly 6 feet long (so you can use one piece for both sides), cut out eight spacers that are 4 inches long. The exact measurement doesn’t matter—as long as it is equal to the length of your decking plus 1 inch.
- If a shorter span of lumber was used for the stairs (for example, if the top spacer would be too narrow), simply cut another spacer that is only as wide as the stairs need it to be and place them below this first spacer so they form a T shape before attaching them with screws or nails into each step’s frame members along its entire length until all four steps are completed with no gaps between them or anything protruding into another area where there may be people walking around on their way down from above ground level onto lower levels below ground level at any given time throughout every day when sunlight shines down upon us all equally so we can see clearly what we’re doing here today
Screw the decking down one board at a time using two screws per joist for fastening.
- Screw the decking down one board at a time using two screws per joist for fastening.
Make sure the screws are long enough to penetrate into the joist and that there are no voids in between them. If you’re using composite lumber, there should be no need for additional fastening devices (other than nail gun nails). If you’re using lumber or treated wood, use 2″ galvanized decking screws with a Phillips head that is straight when viewed from above. The length of these screws should be just shy of reaching through both planks of wood without being too long so as not to come out on the bottom side; this will ensure maximum strength and durability. Generally speaking, 2-3″ between each screw is sufficient if your boards are less than 12″ wide; 4-5″ between each screw if they’re more than 12.
Learn how to build a set of steps for a deck
Before you can build a set of steps, you need to determine the rise and run of each step.
- To determine the rise, measure from the bottom of one step to top of another.
- To determine the run, measure between two points on one step (e.g., where it meets a handrail or deck railing).
Once you’ve determined your rise and run measurements, use those numbers to calculate how many steps there will be in total and how long each string needs to be.
Final words
We hope this guide is helpful if you’re planning to build a set of steps for a deck. Depending on how steep your slope is and how many steps you need, this can be an easier or more difficult project. Either way, we recommend following our instructions carefully and getting help from other people if possible—it’s always good to have extra hands when working with big pieces of wood.
