Before building your outside steps, you should know what materials you will need to make them. Wood stringers are the most important part of the steps. They support the weight of the steps and should be proportional. You can buy precut stringers to make the job easier. Measure the length of the third leg and make a mark on the ground for the measurement. Once you have a mark, measure the distance from the corresponding hole on the third leg to the base of the stairs.
Proper proportional steps are necessary for safety
In private areas, outdoor stairs should be no more than four feet high, while a more public space may require stairs that are five feet high or larger. While wider steps may feel safer to people, the proportions of individual steps should be considered more than the overall width. In particular, risers should be at least six inches high for the most ergonomic function. However, the height of each step depends on local building codes.
A homeowner should search for evidence of original steps in a home to determine whether a home is built with stairs. The dominant material and type of construction are also factors to consider when planning the placement of the steps. When designing the steps, the proportion of the tread to riser should be proportional to the riser. This is a necessary safety feature because the wrong proportion of the steps can create a hazard for people who fall.
Wood stringers support the weight of the steps
The weight of outside steps placed on top of wooden stringers is a substantial portion of the structure. To ensure the stability of the structure, the stair stringers must be cut to the proper width and spacing. A good rule of thumb is to leave 3.5 inches of space between the stringers. This distance will give the stair its structural integrity. Wood stringers are usually made of yellow pine. A more durable choice would be hardwoods.
To build a staircase, you must use sturdy wood stringers to support the treads and vertical risers. Wood stringers should be spaced at least twelve inches apart to provide a firm structure. A 2×12 stringer with a wider throat will require fewer supports than a 2×10 stair with a 2.5-inch throat. A stringer with a longer span will require more supports than one with a narrower throat.
The IRC and IBC do not explicitly address the deflection of stair stringers. Although they do not include explicit deflection requirements, the IBC provides a list of applicable limits for stringers. Table 1604.3 lists various situations and limits. Stair stringers can be regarded as a structural member by the building code inspector. Even though they are strong, they cannot be made completely safe as they age.
Stair stringers are usually made of pressure treated wood. Pressure treatment protects the stair from pests and rot. Another type of wood used for outside stairs is engineered wood, which is made from a thin layer of hardwood bonded over a high-quality ply-wood. It offers additional stability and resists bowing and shrinking and is less expensive than solid hardwood. Solid hardwood may be more expensive, but they also increase the value of your home.
Precut stringers make the job easier
When building outside steps for a house, the use of precut stringers can make the project much easier. Traditionally, constructing steps meant cutting and measuring complicated angles and coping with angled cuts. Today, however, stringers can be purchased at a home center, precut at 16″ intervals. This makes the job much easier and saves you time. In addition, using precut stringers also means that you can adjust the height of the project around the prefabricated stairs.
When building stairs, stringers should be precut for stair treads. The first step involves cutting the stringers. You should make sure that the cut lines match exactly as the first step. You should cut rise lines along the stringer only if you need them to mount the stair angles. Once the first step has been cut, clamp it to another piece of stringer stock and make pencil cuts on the bottom. Using this template, cut additional stringers.
Once you have cut the stringers, you should mark them with a framing square. You will need to cut the stringers to the right length using a circular saw. Remember that you can use the stringer as a template to mark the boards. Then, hold the completed stringer in place to check its accuracy. Then, clamp the template stringer to the bottom edge of each board.
To attach the stringers, you will need an anchor board that is 2×4 inches in length. The anchor board should measure the width of the doorway, and subtract three inches for the stringers. Once you have measured the length, cut the anchor board to the desired length and drill the holes with a masonry bit. Once the stringers are secure, you can install the stringers with screws or angle brackets.
Calculate the length of the third leg
A common step for an exterior house is a stair. It is usually seven or eight inches wide. There are several methods for calculating the length of the third leg. Single board steps and double board steps are both great choices. Single board steps are essentially the same as double board steps, but they have an extra “nose” to shed water. Cut your treads from 2×12′ stock and position them about 3/8″ away from the vertical lumber. Make sure to use galvanized deck screws to secure them to the house.
First, measure the area where you want to install the steps. Drive stakes to mark the base of the bottom step. Once you know the area, you can compute the rise and run of each step individually. Round any fractions to the nearest whole number. Then, divide the total rise by seven inches. In this way, you can estimate the rise of the stair without any guesswork.
Measure the vertical distance from the second floor to the ground
To build a step that goes from the second floor to the ground, you need to measure the distance from the second floor to the ground. This measurement is also known as the stair run. The stair run is the horizontal distance between two levels. It is a convenient measurement that is easy to perform indoors. Simply measure the horizontal distance and divide it by the depth of the treads. Next, multiply the stair run by the number of steps in the staircase.
