Build Your Own Deck Stairs – After setting up our above ground pool, we wanted a way to easily get out of the house and into the pool. We built the deck at the very end of the build and didn’t include the stairs at that point. So here’s how I built 6 foot high deck stairs from pressure treated lumber.
First let me say that this is one of the biggest and most difficult projects I have tackled alone. Ten years ago I hardly touched tools and was afraid of most. My husband is great but he is also a busy man; My “favorite list” is so long that I can’t always ask him to do everything for me. So eventually I started learning how to use tools and building my confidence and experience. And now I’m tackling bigger and more difficult projects, like this staircase. Suffice it to say that you can do it too! If you’re afraid to use tools or tackle a project alone, just start. You will learn and build the confidence to tackle more and more!
Build Your Own Deck Stairs
There are so many stair calculators online that it’s really easy to calculate the dimensions for your patio steps. I used this one from My Carpentry which provides all the calculation. I knew I was going to use 2″ x 6″s for the treads, which would give them an 11″ step. A 1 inch overhang is good, so that gave me a profile run of 10 inches. If you have the overall height of the stair (which for me was 75″), this stair calculator will determine the overall run, step height, and top and bottom step heights.
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Using the measurements, mark the steps on your cheeks. The main measurements you need are the step height and the steps. You can use a square to mark the measurements with the slope and gradient you calculated. Now I used 2″ x 10″s for my stringers. But if you’re making deck steps that long, you should probably use 2″ x 12″s. My stairs are fine, but they would have been stronger if I’d used chunkier wood. I was trying to be cheap and save some money but it really wasn’t the right time.
Next, use a circular saw to cut out the stringers. Just be sure to cut and finish along the line before cutting through the whole stringer.
There was a small piece in the corner that I couldn’t quite cut with the skill saw, so I cleaned up the corners with our handy circular saw.
I decided to make the stairs 4 feet wide. That way I was able to use an eight foot long 2″ x 6″ for each tread. I cut each board in half with a miter saw.
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Next I laid out the stringers and nailed a tier up and down. We measured from corner to corner to ensure the entire deck step is square.
Once I nailed a few tiers, I slipped the third stringer underneath. I continued nailing the treads until they were all installed. I used an air frame nailer with galvanized nails and stuck 6 nails into each board.
Tony helped me get the stairs up onto the deck and we secured them to the stairs with nails and stair hangers. Make sure the stairs are level
Tony cut some 4″ by 4″ posts for me. He half-notched the bottoms so they could sit on top of the lowest step. I screwed the posts into the stringers, but cable bolts would be very strong as well. He cut the top of the posts at an angle (same angle calculated from measurements on www.mycarpentry.com)
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Next I used a 2″ by 4″ and screwed it to the top and bottom posts. The top needs to be cut at an angle, but the bottom has an overhang so it doesn’t need to be cut.
All spindle tips must be cut before they can be screwed to the railing. I cut the tips all at a 39 degree angle. I spaced them evenly along the railing and used a screw at the top and bottom to attach the spindles to the stringers.
Finally, the final step is to install the top rail. I cut one end of a 2″ by 6″ at an angle and left the other end flat. I glued and screwed the top rail to the top rail. Then I put some screws in the bottom rail and 2″ x 6″.
I also built a temporary deck/walkway leading from the base of the stairs to the pool. We are hoping to build a patio around the pool but I don’t know when that will be. The stairs and “deck” make it easy for the kids to get into the pool from the house and gives us a place to sit and watch and a place to put their shoes and towels down. Have you ever built a deck staircase? What was the biggest project you tackled alone?
Modern Diy Vertical Slatted Deck Skirting (sponsored By The Home Depot Canada)
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Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. Complete the look with composite stairs when composite decking and deck railings are installed. Building terrace stairs for composite decking is slightly different from building wooden stairs. How to create a series of compound steps.
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Composite decking and deck railings are already installed on this deck. See the steps in How to Build a Deck: Composite Decking and Railing. It is common to construct the frame from treated wood and use composite surface material, as with the decking and stairs on this patio.
Composite deck stairs are typically made from 2 x 12 pressure treated stringers spaced approximately 8 to 16 inches apart. They rest on a solid foundation and are attached to the deck with hangers. They have risers (also called toe kicks), steps and railings. Stairs should be at least 36 inches wide.
You can build your own custom stringers or get pre-cut ones from Lowe’s. Bespoke stringers allow you to customize the dimensions of a staircase in your home that feels most comfortable. Whatever you decide to do, always make sure you comply with building codes.
Determine the position of your lowest step. Place a long level or straight 2 x 4 on the patio and measure the height at the point where you want your steps to end. Use this measurement to determine the number and height of the risers.
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For example, if the height is 55 inches, divide that measurement by 7, the ideal height in inches for each step. Round to the nearest whole number to get the number of risers – in this case 8. Now divide 55 by 8 to get the actual height of the risers – in this case it’s 6-7/8 inches.
The stair treads are made of composite decking boards—two for each step—making the run for each step (the front-to-back distance) about 11 inches. On the back there are risers or toe kicks made of pressure-treated wood and composite panels without grooves.
Good to know You may want to check the height of steps or stairs that you are already familiar with, e.g. B. Interior stairs or porch steps to get a feeling for a comfortable height. If the originally planned height for each step is too short for comfort, reduce the number of risers by 1 and calculate again.
Good to Know You will often see decking boards listed as having a common (or nominal) measurement of 5/4 inch thickness. While you can give this measurement as 1-1/4 inch, the standard reference is 5/4 inch. Also note that the actual measurement of the thickness of a 5/4 inch board is typically 1 inch. Watch our Why is a 2×4 video