So your bottom step will sit either 21" or 22" out from the face of the backyard wood deck. Just cut new stringers. The treads overhang the stringer on the sides. Now I get emails from Members all over the world and we include many of my answers in our Free Monthly Newsletters. Almost exactly six years ago, I wrote a poston a carpentry hack that resolved a problem I had with a stairway after a contractor installed an insulated floor in my basement. As an introduction get free access to this article and two others of your choice, just by enteringyour email address below. Uneven step on stair landing - perhaps done on purpose? If you are talking about the slope going across the stairs, ie. Hi, I'm Dave Osborne. Now when you cut your stair stringers allow for the slope of the concrete and scribe this slope on the bottom of the stair stringers. Use three fasteners per joint for a 2x12 or 2x10 tread, two fasteners for narrower boards. [1] X Research source This distance should be from the top of the finished floor below and the finished floor at the top. I've seen the upper floor out 3/4" in 3' before. With over 50 years experience as a journeyman carpenter, foreman and contractor in heavy construction I enjoyed working with apprentices and sharing the tricks of the trade that others shared with me. The best way to solve this problem is to use a level across each tread that you cut. Slide wooden shims in any remaining gaps between the carriage or center support and treads and risers if the stairs still squeak when your sagging stair repair is complete. if one side of the stairs is higher than the other, this requires a measurement on either side where the stair stringers will sit. But I don’t think it’s necessary to try to rebuild your floor just to fix the stairs. Receive our FREE Monthly newsletter which contains afree set of woodworking plans each and every month. The level of the concrete in my basement floor is off about an inch between where the ends of the stair stringers will be. Regardless of the stair run and number of treads, the stairway needs a footing at the bottom to support the stringers—they can’t just rest on the ground. If you’ve done the math (it’s grade-school stuff) and the layout right, the tread cuts will be level and the riser cuts plumb. Stringers act like ladders steps and are necessary to help hold your deck stairs in place. Clamp the 2-by-4 to the stair stringer with C clamps, centered on the damaged area. Unsafe Stairs. Re: stair tread and wall - closing the gap [ Re: wendyjane ] #287978 Copyright © 1999-2021 DDFM Enterprises. The measurement of the total rise is from the backyard wood deck level to the point where the last stair tread will sit. This self-supporting nature becomes clear when you look at outdoor stairs that serve a deck, where the stringers … This means the stringer height will be different. Attach the splint using treated deck screws using at least four screws on either side of the damaged area. ft. (psf) live load and 10 psf dead load. Some of my answers include drawings and instructions specific to a project, but may also answer your questions. 8. How should I fit and trim these two different stair stringers? I had contractors cut the stringers for two sets of … To fix this, place hard plastic Wobble Wedge® shims at the 90° corner of the stringer to bring the tread up slightly. Site design by. That is my assumption. Since the Tread Depth [B] is a constant, when using the Automatic Stair Calculator, the Total Run [G] will vary when you toggle between the two mount options. Copyright © 1999-2021 DDFM Enterprises. Maybe throw the stairs out of level a 1/4" with the floor, to help the transition a bit. Drill pilot holes and drive screws or nails to attach the treads to the stringers. Allow about 24 hours for the glue to dry, then use a utility knife to trim the wedges … Our Stair Calculator is one of the most popular on the internet. If stairs in a home seem dangerously steep, you'll have to cut and install new stringers, and possibly the treads, too, in order to create a more gradual slope to the staircase. I have a 21" plumb from my backyard wood deck to the concrete below. The insulated floor raised the floor level and made the bottom step of my stairs short – a violation of the code. Instead of ordering special order stringers long enough, he used 2 sets and he did a number on how they join and are supported in the middle of the run. / Stairs & the Dreaded Stair Stringer: Codes & Tips. Click here. Receive our FREE Monthly newsletter which contains afree set of woodworking plans each and every month. Click here. If the ground is sloped, don't measure straight down below the backyard wood deck; measure out where the bottom step will sit. If you run into a problem or need advice your Membership includes unlimited email questions to me through our Ask Dave quick response button. Cut a 48 inch piece of 2-by-4 lumber to use as a splint. The stringers also slope (front is higher than the back). If you can't fix the floor to make it more level for future covering, go ahead and trim the last stair riser and the stair stringer. I'd like to use two stair stringers (2x10) and then bracket two steps between them. All other trademarks on this site are the property of their respective owners. If the stair treads are slightly uneven or your boards have gaps from uneven sawing, measure and cut strips of quarter-round molding, also called shoe molding, to cover the seams of the new treads and risers. Our Stair Calculator is one of the most popular on the internet. The trick is to pull the stringers back together and keep them that way. Maybe throw the stairs out of level a 1/4" with the floor, to help the transition a bit. The essence of laying out stair stringers is straightforward. If you are talking about the slope going across the stairs, ie. I use correct construction terminology, so you can confidently inform your building supply dealers or contractors exactly what you need. Uneven step on stair landing - perhaps done on purpose? Each stringer is like the leg of a ladder. DDFM ENTERPRISES, DAVE'S SHOP TALK and the Dave Osborne logo are trademarks and service marks owned by DDFM Enterprises. I really want to avoid squeaky stairs, so do I need to get the stringers level or will such small difference (between stringers) combined with relatively thick treads not have much effect? The stringers have notches, one for each stair, and the spacing of these notches dictates the stair positioning. Remove nails, wood splinters, paint chips, or glue from the lower and upper sides; finish with a blast of compressed air. Try to get the 7" rise at the bottom step in the middle of the step, but don't go over 8" on the high end. Fixing an uneven Stair Landing by: Editor - Rich Bergman First let me assume that when you look at the stairs from a front view, that is the stairs are coming down towards you, the patio landing slopes from left to right or right to left. You do what you have to do. This deck is an example of that. The Stringer Mount Type refers to how the stringer will be attached to the upper landing or deck frame.. Once the stair results have been calculated, you can toggle between the Standard and Flush options to compare the differences. Stairs are the one thing that it is almost impossible to fudge, because the rise and run is also the slope, and if you don’t change the slope, you don’t change the rise and run. How to Level Stairs. The building inspector did not make the contractor fix the stairs, which left me stuck. Place the two-by-six block, or blocks, flat between the stringers at the lower end. • Use a dimensional sized 2-by-2 piece of lumber for blocking material. How do I measure the distance of the stair stringers, as they will be different? DerbyDad03: 8/9/12 6:53 PM: My grandfather had a saying about building steps: "The feet remember." The total rise should be set in most cases, so you simply need to measure the height. We have projects you can build for (and with) your kids, furniture for your wife, and sheds and gazebos. http://stairs4u.com/stairdonts/stair_don.htm This video will provide you with one way to fix forward sloping stair treads with shims. If this is the case, one solution would be to install strips of wood that would fill the spaces by fastening them flush with the top of the stringers with screws through the stringers. Very often, when stairs are made sometimes, especially custom stairs, they leave the stringers running long and the carpenters cut them on site so they fit perfectly in the home. Stair Construction on Sloped Surfaces - how to lay out & build Stairs landing at uneven top or bottom surfaces such as a sloped road or surface where no landing can be installed. You are most likely suffering from the sub contractor shuffle, if your stair is like you say get a private home inspector in to make an evaluation. Showing 1-25 of 25 messages. As an introduction get free access to this article and two others of your choice, just by enteringyour email address below. There is no solid stringer covering the outsides of the steps. Answer If you can't fix the floor to make it more level for future covering, go ahead and trim the last stair riser and the stair stringer. Covering the outsides of the backyard wood deck level to the stair ’ s notches on the internet include. 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