Instructions for building a staircase
Everybody loves to personalize their home, make it more to reflect our lives and personalities. We do this by decorating your home and most of all important structural objects or focal points. We also like to build things ourselves and the stairs are maybe one of the things that we can build by ourselves.
- First of all you will need to know the role and the name of each of the components. The stringers, for example, are the vertical parts of the staircase that support the treads. The treads are actually the steps and the risers are the spaces between them.
- Now you will need to measure the vertical height of the staircase from floor to floor. Then measure the horizontal length of the stairway from the bottom end of the staircase to the landing on the edge of the upper floor.
- Place a 2×4 inches plank on the edge of the upper level to calculate the total rise. Then measure from the bottom of the plank to the ground. To find the total number of stairs divide the total rise with a riser height. Usually the risers have 7 or 7 1/2 inches in height.
- Next you will need to calculate the total run of the staircase. The first step is usually the floor. Take this in consideration. The standard width of a tread is of around eleven inches.
- Lay out the stairs on the stringers by using a framing square. The rise and run calculations need to be made by marking the longer arm every eleven inches and the shorter by ten. Now use a saw to cut around the markings. Use the first stringer as a template. Use lag bolts to secure the stringers at the base of the floor and on the upper level. Secure them into the joists. For a better finish you can pre-drill each screw.
- Fit the treads to the stringers after you have cut them at the right size. Now all you need to do is finish the staircase by painting it or by adding a layer of varnish.