Tips for Building Deck Stairs
Are the stairs to your deck getting worn out and broken, causing your visitors and family to stumble or tread very gingerly? You are thinking of getting your deck stairs replaced, but you are afraid that a professional carpenter will charge you a fortune for this task. You might want to learn a little carpentry yourself, and save yourself some money on this job.
It is not hard to build stairs for your deck with even minimal handyman skills. You can design a sturdy and stylish set of stairs that fit your needs exactly and not be limited by your carpenter’s suggestions. All you will need is a plan, some tools, and a little guidance along the way.
Be sure to take the time for proper planning and don’t just dive in. There are many places to find plans and blueprints, such as at the library or your home-improvement store. Be sure to choose a design that is robust and will fit in the available space that you have for stairs. If you need to, adjust the plan to fit your situation. Draw pictures and don’t keep it all in your head.
Here are some tips to help you with your staircase design.
- Where to locate the staircase. First of all, think about where you want the stairs to be. Now is your chance to change an awkward location to a better one, which is maybe less in the way and looks more pleasing. Make sure you are not blocking any common pathway, and make sure the location is accessible from the space around the deck.
- Size of one step. Start by figuring out the size needed for one step. Building codes will often determine the height of a step. You might want to increase the width of the step, if you plan on having more than one person at a time using the stairs. For a larger deck or a large family, this would be the best option.
- Number of steps. The hardest part is getting an equal numer of steps in the space you have. Start by measuring the slope of the deck from the deck to the base of the stairs. From this, you can figure out how many steps are needed. For example, if the distance is 48 inches, then you can make eight steps, including the base, with a distance of 6 inches between each step.
- Spacing between two steps. You also need to think about the spacing between steps before you begin building. A smaller space means the steps can be traversed more quickly, but the small space can also be easier for people to fall down. Your local building codes should be consulted for this also.
Hence, above mentioned steps will be of great help to you in building robust and useful staircase for your deck. You can also spruce up the looks of the stairs with some suitable add-ons, such as beautiful railings, matching paint, etc.
These tips will help you to build a strong and practical set of stairs for your deck. You can also add more style to your stairs with decorative railings, paint, stain, and so on. So what are you waiting for? Make new stairs for your deck your next project.