How to Build a Staircase

We love making our house into a home. We want them to be unique and reflect our likes, dislikes and personalities. One of the ways we can make our houses tell the world who we are is to do some renovating and decorating ourselves instead of having a house built entirely by someone else. Building a staircase may not seem like putting our own stamp on a house, but it is. Staircases get us from one floor to another in the spot we want them and they look the way we wish. With some basic plans, we can add our town touches to the stairway.

Things You'll Need

• Lumber appropriate to the size of the steps.
• 1-inch by 12-inch treads
• 2-inch by 16-inch stringers
• Screws
• Drill
• Paint or varnish
• Tape measure
• Circular and hand saw
• Framing square

Instructions

1. Know your terminology. A stringer is the vertical part of the staircase that supports the treads. The treads are where you put your feet. The space between the treads is the riser.

2. Measure the vertical height of the staircase from the landing point to the height of the upper floor. Measure the horizontal length of the stairway from the bottom end of the staircase to the landing on the edge of the upper floor.

3. Calculate the total rise by placing a 2-inch by 4-inch plank on the edge of the upper level. Measure from the bottom of the plank to the ground. Find the total number of steps by dividing the total rise with a riser height, usually seven inches. Seven and 1/2-inches is also fine if it works out better. The number should be rounded up to the next greatest number. If the total rise is seventy inches, dividing it will give ten, equaling the number of steps required.

4. Calculate the total run of the staircase. Staircases normally have their first step as the floor, so the total treads should be one less than the riser. Calculate the exact rise by dividing the total riser height by the number of risers. The standard width of a tread is around eleven inches.

5. Use a framing square to lay out the stairs on the stringers. Mark the longer arm every eleven inches, and the shorter arm by ten inches. This will be the rise and run calculations. Once you have done the run and rise with the framing square, cut along the markings with a saw. A circular saw is perfect for the job, but you will need a hand saw to finalize the cutting. Once the first stringer is ready, use it as a template for the other stringer. Place the stringers at the base of the floor and the upper level and use lag bolts to secure them permanently through the stringer into the joist at the top. Pre-drill each screw for a better finish.

6. Cut the treads according to your calculations and fit them to the stringers. Screw the treads down into the stringers and your stairs are ready to be climbed. Finish them with paint or varnish as you wish.

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish