Raised and multi level decks are the perfect opportunity to accentuate your home s best qualities and align your deck with the overall landscaping theme.
Making steps off deck.
The example shown here is a cascading stair case with a single level deck.
Planning the location of deck stairs is a critical first decision.
Cut lengths of 2x4 railings to span the distance from the lower posts to the existing deck railing as shown in the image.
A deck s stairway should be carefully planned so that all the stair rises the vertical height of the steps and all the tread depths the horizontal length of the step runs are equal.
The deck isn t that wide so the steps will be quite steep.
3 divide total rise by number of steps to find height of each riser.
If the bottom or top step is noticeably different in height or length from the other stairs it will be a tripping hazard.
It also has 2 inch x 6 inch risers or toe kicks on the back for a clean look.
Where will people naturally enter or leave the deck.
Start by removing shrubs and plants from the spot where the steps will be located which could be alongside the house a porch or a deck.
Attach the railings to the posts with 3 deck screws making sure the slope matches that of the stairs.
Building outdoor wooden steps requires a clear level area.
Next level the ground and build up low spots with fill dirt so the area slopes away from the house.
These 17 articles will also cover how to build stair landings and ada ramps.
We will teach you how to cut stair stringers to meet code for rise and run step limits.
Your deck is no doubt about to receive a great deal of foot traffic with warmer seasons descending making this the perfect time to make sure your deck steps are as safe as they are appealing.
2 use 4 foot level and tape measure to find the total rise of the staircase.
Building deck stairs are often the most challenging part of a diy deck project.
Attach posts to stringers using 4 deck screws making certain posts are plumb.
And you won t need any hard math to figure it out though your calculations must be accurate.
This deck will have treads made of 5 4 inch x 6 inch decking planks two for each step making the run for each step the distance front to back about 11 inches.
How to build deck stairs steps.
If you use the deck itself as the top riser as with this deck subtract one step.
But in this story we ll make it easy by showing you how to estimate step dimensions layout and cut stair stringers and assemble the stair parts.
This will make it much easier for you to know where the best location of your stairway should be.
Hi understand that the steps can t raise more than 8 but i have the challenge that i have to go from a deck to the next floor.
In this video this old house general contractor tom silva explains how to build deck stairs.