How to Build a Deck Stair

In replacing or building deck stairs an amount of patience is essential because this is one of the most challenging works in a do-it-yourself category. However, if you do not have what it takes to do this type of project you can always hire professionals in order to be sure of a satisfactory finished product.

In building deck stairs, a single mistake in calculation will lead to terrible mistakes. Miscalculations will wind you up in wasting wood and money without even finishing the project. Therefore it is really a must for you to calculate the right angles and measurements in building deck stairs.

Here are steps in building deck stairs:

Draw a plan basing on the landscape in order to determine the number of steps in building deck stairs. With this process you will be able to determine the calculations in building deck stairs and how long will the skirt and stringer material is needed. In estimating to where the stair will fall, a forty degree slope is needed to achieve perfect calculations. In order to determine the height of the stairs, rest a straight board on the deck then level over in that spot and measure it down to the ground. The result measurement will be the height of the stairs,”X”. Therefore, in this step of building deck stairs, it is possible that you will have to go through plenty of designs and plan and choose which you are most comfortable.

In finding the appropriate number of steps in building deck stairs, you need to divide”X” by 7 inches. In results where there is a remainder, round off the remainder to the nearest whole number. The result will give you the approximate risers to building deck stairs. The recommended height of risers is 6.5 inches to 8 inches. If the riser is too short, then re-divide “X” by 8.  In situations of uneven ground, find the number of treads in order to know the exact place to where the stairs will land. You just need to subtract 1 from the number of risers. After doing it, multiply by 10.25 inches, this is the ideal equation for materials with a width of two 2x6’s, in order to get the total run.

 In finding the exact height of the risers in building deck stairs, divide the height of the stairs by your estimated number of risers. If the riser height seems to be out of context, add or subtract the number of estimated risers and divide again. This equation sometimes changes the number of treads and the landing point of the stairs.

Draw a sketch in order to confirm the exact plan in your mind for building deck stairs. Then lay out the first stringer by using the exact tread and riser dimensions and your framing square. It is a must to plan a very solid base to where the stairs will land. The wood to be used as a base can either be a concrete slab or a treated 2x12 level end over a 6 inch gravel base.

Building deck stairs is no easy task, it is quite laborious and hard. However, nothing will beat the feeling of fulfillment if you have built it yourself.