Table of Contents
Do deck stairs need to be anchored?
How to Anchor Deck Stairs to Concrete. Stair stringers should always land on a level and well-drained surface. With frost footings in place, you can use a concrete anchor, base plate and short post in order to create a solid ground connection. A 3′ x 3′ level landing area is required at the base of all staircases.
What do you put under deck stairs?
Generally, footings are concrete and poured into long cardboard tubes. These tubes go beneath load bearing points in your structure. On your deck, they support wooden posts that hold up beams. Footings are necessary because they negate the effects of frost heave.
Can deck stairs rest on pavers?
Stair landings must be at least as wide as the stair and at least 3 feet deep. On the other hand, solid, flat, and stable materials, such as concrete, flagstone, pavers, or brick, can be installed with a measurable slope and will not usually shift under the weight of an off-balance person completing a stairway descent.
How do I support deck stair stringers?
If your stringers are more than 10′ long, we recommend installing a rigid beam at mid-span to add support to the structure. The strength of stair stringers is considerably weakened by the cuts made to create the stair surfaces, and stairs must be.
How long can stairs be without support?
The minimum recommended size for a deck stair stringer is 2×12, which has a maximum recommended unsupported span of 6 feet. Often this maximum span is dangerously exceeded, resulting in overspanned stringers that will deflect and cause the connection at the deck to pull loose and fail.
What is the code for exterior stairs?
Exterior Stair Construction The rise of the stairs should be between 125 mm (5”) and 200 mm (8”). This is measured from top of a tread nosing to the top of the next tread nosing or landing. The run should be between 210 mm (8 ¼”) and 355mm (14”). Unit run is measured from face of nosing to face of nosing.
How many stringers do I need for deck stairs?
The number of stringers you need is a function of the width of the staircase and the tread material. Cut stringers can be spaced no more than 18 inches on center, so a 3-foot-wide staircase needs three stringers, and a set of slightly wider stairs (say 3 feet 6 inches) needs four stringers.
Can I use joist hangers for stair stringers?
This will reinforce the stair stringer to rim joist connection and distribute the stair weight more evenly onto the deck framing. Cut them to fit the space perpendicularly between the rim joist and the next interior joist. Use joist hangers to fasten the blocking.
How do you reinforce stair stringers?
One of the easiest methods of reinforcing your wood stair stringers is using 2×12 skirt boards along the outsides of your stairs. A skirt board is pretty much what it sounds like; triangular shaped wood that goes along the sides of your stair and hides all of the unsightly notched stringers and hardware.
Can I use 2×12 for stair treads?
It is acceptable and within building code guidelines to use either 2×10 or 2×12 dimensional lumber to create a set of stairs; however, a stair stringer should not be less than 3.5 inches wide at its narrowest point to provide adequate strength for the load the stairs will be supporting.
What is a stair skirt?
A skirt board on your stairs is a long, unbroken piece of trim just for your stairs. It either stands alone against the wall along the closed-end of your stairs, or you can run your regular baseboard along the top of it to create an unbroken line of trim from floor to floor.
Do stair stringers need support?
Yes, the stringers need to be supported along their length, but they can span a few feet too, depending on 1) the width of the stairs, 2) the number of stringers, and 3) size of riser board. 1) The wider the stair the more load will be transferred to the stringers.
What is the code for deck steps?
Stair rails on decks should be between 34 inches and 38 inches high, measured vertically from the nose of the tread to the top of the rail. Treads must be at least 10 inches deep, measuring from front to back. Stair treads must sustain a weight of at least 300 pounds in an area no more than four inches square.
How many stairs before you need a landing?
– A landing is required every 12′ of vertical stairway rise. – The landing should be at least as wide as the stairway that it serves.
How far can a stair stringer span?
Span of Stringers Stair stringers should not span more than 13 feet and 3 inches (4039 mm) for a closed stringer. Cut stringers should not span more than 6 feet (1829 mm). Refer to the American Wood Council’s 2018 Prescriptive Residential Wood Deck Construction Guide for stringer spans.
Do deck stairs require railings on both sides?
Do I Need Handrails On Both Sides of Deck Stairs? Nope. You don’t need a handrail on both sides, but you may need a railing if your deck is higher than 30″. Many contractors construct a combo handrail and stair rail system, installed on both sides, to cover all safety requirements.
Do I need a railing on my outdoor stairs?
The open side can be along the length or width of the stairway. This means that exterior stairs will require a guardrail and / or handrail along the open side.
Do exterior stairs need a landing?
Stairways must have a landing, top and bottom, equal to the width of stairs. The minimum dimension measured in the direction of travel shall equal to the width of the stairway, but need not exceed 48” where the stairway has a straight run.
