When planning to build steps it is important to consider the amount of traffic that will be placed on these structures and the materials available for you to use. Whether you are building and stairs for your own home or are working on a construction project, there are certain guidelines which must be followed in order to create a safe staircase that will provide years of service.
You may have noticed that there’s a new stairway over on the Project Gallery — hopefully you have! Someone is quite excited about it. I’m not going to say who, but I’ll give you a hint — it’s one of my favorite people in the whole world.
How to build a set of steps
Stairs are among the most common fixtures in any home, but they can also be one of the most challenging projects. A basic set of stairs is simply a straight line from one floor to another, but there are many different ways to create unique staircases that are both functional and aesthetically pleasing. If you’re looking for inspiration, here are some of our favorite ideas for DIY stairways.
Stair Stringers
The stringers (the horizontal pieces) are what support the steps. For straight runs of stairs, you’ll need to build them out of 2x12s or 2x10s. For more complex designs, like L-shaped or curved staircases, you might have to use plywood or OSB sheathing instead.
How To Build Stairs With Blocks
This is a great way to add a rustic touch to your home without going overboard on labor—and it’s an easy weekend project! All you need is a few blocks, some wood glue and some patience. Here’s how:
Stair stringers are the horizontal pieces of wood that support the steps. Build a stringer by making a series of cuts on a piece of 2×6 lumber. Cut the ends at a 45-degree angle and saw through the middle, leaving two halves. Then, cut down each side to create four stringer sections.
Steps are built with blocks, which are blocks of wood used to make stair treads. The easiest way to build stairs with blocks is to start with an existing set and then modify it so that it fits your needs.
Stairs come in different sizes and shapes, but they all have steps that move one way and landings that move the other way. The landing is where you can place your foot while ascending or descending the stairs.
Step 1: Determine the length of the stairs. You can do this by measuring the distance between the two points where you want your steps to begin and end. Measure from the top edge of one step to the top edge of another step, as shown in Figure A.
Figure A: Measuring how far apart your steps should be
Step 2: Cut two stringers to length, using a circular saw or miter saw. The length will depend on how tall you want your stairway to be. If you’re using pressure-treated lumber, cut each stringer about 20 inches longer than its finished length so that you can trim them after installation (see Figure B).
Figure B: Cutting pressure-treated lumber for stair stringers
Step 3: Install temporary supports under each stringer with L-shaped brackets so they won’t bow or sag while you’re working (see Figure C). The supports should be placed at regular intervals along the stringers’ lengths, depending on how much weight they’ll bear—typically every three feet or so.
1. Cut the stringers to length and mark them for cutting.
2. Cut the 2x6s to length at 45-degree angles with a circular saw or miter saw, cutting through one of the long edges of each board.
3. Lay out and cut the notches that will hold the steps in place on top of the stringer boards. Use a jigsaw to cut all four stringer boards at once so they are equal in length and angle.
If you want to build stairs, start by choosing the right size of stringers. The stringer is the long piece that supports the steps and risers.
Risers are the vertical pieces between steps and they’re usually made from two pieces of wood glued together. Stairway risers have to be at least seven inches high to allow for proper drainage, but if you need an ADA-compliant ramp, then make sure you meet those requirements.
To figure out how many steps your stairway needs, count the rise height (the distance between the treads) and multiply it by two (one for each step). Then multiply that number by the run length (the distance between the front and back posts). Divide the result by 36 inches (there are 36 inches per foot) to get your total number of feet required for your stairway.
Building stairs is a fun project that can be completed in just a few hours. If you’re just getting started, here’s how to build stairs with blocks.
A stair stringer is the wooden framework that supports the treads and risers of your stairs. It’s also sometimes called a stringer board. The stringer runs along either side of your staircase and connects the two risers. There are many ways to build stair stringers, but we’ll stick with one of the simplest methods here: using wooden blocks as spacers between each step.
Step 1: Determine how many steps you need and how wide they should be. Make sure they’re at least 36 inches apart if there will be space between them (such as when used as a hallway accent).
In this article, I’ll show you how to build a staircase with concrete blocks. The steps are built on top of the stringer, which is built on the ground and then raised when it’s time to pour the concrete.
Step 1: Cut the stringers
The first step is cutting your stringers. You’ll need five pieces of 2×12 lumber for each stairway: two at 12 feet long and three at 8 feet long. Lay out your stringers so they’re level (using a level) and spaced properly (measuring from the edge of your foundation). Make sure that they’re straight across from one another and that they line up with the inside edges of your stairway opening or flooring surface.
Step 2: Lay out your blocks
Next, mark where each block will go on each stringer. It’s important that you get them spaced evenly along each piece of wood; this will ensure that all of your steps have the same rise and run dimensions once you’ve poured your concrete steps. If you don’t have any experience with this kind of thing, use a calculator to figure out how many blocks will fit in between each stringer —
This is the most economical way to build stairs.
When building steps with blocks, you can use a step-block system or a wedge-block system. The latter is more common, as it’s easier to install, but both work well for most applications.
Step-Block Systems
This is the most common approach and involves using standard concrete blocks as risers and treads, butted together in a stair stringer. Step-block systems are easy to install, cost effective and durable. They’re also easy to customize, so if you want your stairs to have a different shape than the standard straight run, you can easily do that by cutting some of the blocks into different shapes.
Wedge-Block Systems
This method uses standard concrete blocks that have their sides cut at an angle — usually 45 degrees — so that they fit together tightly when stacked in place. Wedge-block systems are used primarily in commercial construction projects where durability is important and long-term maintenance costs need to be kept low.
Build stair stringer
The first step in building stairs is to build a stringer or platform to support them. A stringer is the top and bottom support of a set of stairs, and it’s usually made of wood. If you’re building a set of stairs in your home, you can use 2×6 lumber for the stringer. For outdoor steps, use pressure-treated lumber instead.
Step 1: Cut Lumber for Stringer
The size of your stair stringer will depend on the height and width of your steps. The easiest way to figure this out is to measure the distance from one step to another, then divide by two (one for each side). For example, if your treads are 12 inches wide and 18 inches long, then each stringer should be 36 inches long (12 x 18 / 2 = 36).
Cut two pieces of 2×6 lumber for each stringer using a circular saw with a carbide blade (this will make it easier to cut through wood). Use these measurements as guides when cutting lumber for stringers:
36″ long x 12″ wide x 3 1/2″ thick (for each side)
The first step in building a set of stairs is to find out what the code requirements are for your area. This will help determine how wide the stairway needs to be, how steep it can be and what materials you need to use.
Step 1: Choose a Stairway Design
There are many different types of stairways available for construction. If you are building a set of stairs from scratch, then you will have many options open to you. You can use wood or metal stringers as the support structure for the stairs. You can also choose between straight flights of stairs or curved flights of stairs. The type of material used for construction will depend on the design that you choose for your stairway and on what type of foundation will be needed for the new structure.
Step 2: Calculate How Many Pieces You Will Need
If you are building straight flights of stairs, then all you need is one piece that spans from one floor to another at an angle equal to 45 degrees (or 90 degrees if you want them vertical). However, if they are curved flights of stairs, then they will need more pieces and these pieces will need to be cut so that they fit together correctly. For example, if there are ten steps in your flight of curves then