Building Stairs

Building stairs is a key carpentry technique. This tutorial will show you how to build stairs and calculate stair stringers. (Stair building is also part 5 (of 7) steps in the 10x10 deck example). Designing and cutting your own stringers for your stairs will guarantee that each step(tread) is the exact height(riser) and depth(run) for your structure. If these terms are new to you, don't worry. By the time you finish reading this tutorial, you will have all of the knowledge you need in order to design and build a perfect set of stairs.

Design Considerations
Use the stair section diagram below for reference. The mathematical relationship between the rise and run of each step is very important in stair design. One generally accepted rule for calculating step rise and run is: the sum of two risers and one tread should be between 24 and 25 inches. For example, if you have a step rise [F] of 7 1/4 inches, you could calculate your step tread [B] width by using the following formula: Riser + Riser + Tread = 25 Or 7.25 + 7.25 + 10.5 = 25 The result is a tread width [B] of 10.5 inches.

Calculating Rise and Run

To calculate the number and sizes of risers and treads (minus the nosing) for a given stair run, first divide the total rise [A] by 7. For example: if the total rise [A] of a deck or landing is 36.25", the result would be 5.17. Since the number of risers must be a whole number, pick the one closest to 5.17 (5) and divide it into the total rise: 36.25" / 5 = 7.25" Number of risers = 5 Riser Height: 7.25" The number of treads will always be one less than the number of risers. Previously, we calculated a tread width [B] of 10.5" for a set of stairs with a rise [F] of 7.25". Use the following formulas to calculate the total run: Number of treads: 4 Total run = 4 x 10.5" Total run = 42" The above stair run will have 5 risers at 7.25", and 4 treads at 10.5" wide and a total run of 42".

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Stair Section Diagram Now that the number of treads (4) and size of each tread (10.5 inches) as been determined, and the height (7.25 inches) of each step has been determined, we have the information that we need to begin laying out the stringers. You can also use the stair calculator to calculate the rise and run of each step, as well as some useful information related to stringer layout.

Laying Out Stringers

A very important part of building stairs is the layout of the stringers. The stringers should be cut from 2 x 12 framing lumber, #2 grade or better quality, free of knots. The images below show how a framing square is used to lay out the stringers [C], and a how the first stringer is used as a pattern for the remaining stringers [D]. This is very important, because if you layout each stringer separately, not only does it take more time, but the second or third stringer may not match up to the first if there are any variances in the shape of the board. Using the first stringer as the pattern for all of the remaining stringers will eliminate this potential stair building problem.

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[C] 2x12 Stair Stringer Material

[D] Stringer Pattern

Cutting Stringers
The tools that you will need for laying out and cutting stair stringers are: Framing Square Carpenter's Pencil Circular Saw Jigsaw or Handsaw

Now that you have the stringer laid out, you can make the primary cuts using a circular saw. To avoid over-cutting too much into the stringer with the circular saw, the last part of the cut can be made with a jig saw or a hand saw. This is an important part of building stairs - cutting too much into the stringer can compromise the stair structure.

[E] Circular Saw - Use a circular saw to start the cut. Cut up to the layout marks, but not beyond.

[F] Jig Saw - use a jig saw (or hand saw) to finish each cut.

[G] Finished Stringer You should now have all of the information that you need to design and cut stringers for your own stair building needs. Of course, these are just the basics of stair building. Building stairs with multiple landings and spiral stairs will take a considerable amount of design and planning.

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Here's a couple of pictures showing building stairs in action.

[H] View from the underside of a set of rough framed stairs.

[I] Side view of a set of rough framed stairs.

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Install Stair Railing

To install stair railing (using the following myCarpentry deck stair design), the stair stringers should already be installed, along with the risers and treads. If they aren't, see the building stairs section for easy to follow instructions. Railing should be required if your deck or porch is high enough off the ground so that stepping off of it might be a safety hazard. You should also check your local building code for deck heights requiring railing.

[A] - Typical Railing (Corner Isometric View) Stair railing requires at least one post at the foot of the stairs and one post at the top to receive the upper stair rail. Attach a 4" x 4" x 4' post to the outside end of each outer stringer. You can use a post anchor or hurricane straps to connect the bottom of the posts to the concrete footing. Don't worry about the length of the lower posts now. They will be cut to the appropriate length in a later step.

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[B] - Install Stair Railing - Stringer and Rail Post Framing Once the posts are attached at the base of the stringers and the concrete is poured, make sure that the posts are perfectly plumb before the concrete sets up. Once the concrete has cured, it will be safe to mark and cut the posts without fear of knocking them out of plumb. With both upper and lower posts attached, place a level (or other straight-edge) on the tips of the treads to determine the rail pitch. Make a small pencil mark (indicated as c on diagram [C]) on the front of each post where they intersect with the top of the straightedge. While the straight-edge is in position, measure the pitch angle with a speed square. On the front of the lower post, make a small mark at 32" from the top of the tread on the first step (indicated as d on diagram [C]) (this will be the height of the lower post). From that point, mark the angle of the stair pitch. Transfer the marks around the post and cut with a circular saw.

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[C] - Stair Rail Framing (Side View) Once the angle has been cut on the top of both lower posts, measure the distance between the first mark (c) made by the intersection of the straight-edge, and the lower point of the pitch cut (d). On the upper post, using this measurement, measure up from the straightedge mark made earlier and make another small mark. This will be the position of the bottom of the hand rail cap. Now that the upper and lower posts have been prepared, it is time to mark and cut the upper and lower picket rails. Using the same method used to mark the posts for the pitch-cut, cut a 2x4 at a length that exceeds the distance between the two posts. Hold the 2x4 up to the posts along the points of the treads and mark the pitch angle on the upper and lower sides. Using this board as a template, place it on another 2x4. Mark it and cut it the same length. These are the upper and lower picket rails. Attach the upper and lower picket rails to the posts as shown in diagram [D]. Layout for the pickets is the same method used on the standard deck rail sections (6" on center).

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[D] - Install Stair Railing - Stair Rail Section Complete Of course, there are many ways to install stair railing. The above method is one that I have used many times and always looks great!

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