Basement stairs do not have to look attractive but they should be strong and safe. Building basement stairs needs careful planning, the correct tools and the required skill. The whole process may look complicated but it is quite easy. Here is a step-by step guide on how to build basement stairs stringers:
The tools you will need include a hand saw, circular saw, carpenter’s square, tape measure, straightedge, 2 by 12 inch boards, tape or wood clamps
Directions
Take the measurements
First measure the height, that is from the landing where the top of the stairs will be to the floor and show the results in inches.
Divide this measurement by 7 to determine the number steps you will need and round what you will get to a whole number in case the number you get is not distributed evenly.
Re-divide the total run by the number of steps to get step rise.
Find the step run for the basement stairs. You can increase the step run slightly to create a deeper step.
To obtain the length of the stringer, apply Pythagorean theorem. The stringer is the hypotenuse and it is obtained by getting the square root of the sum of square of the total run and the total rise.
Cutting the Stringers
Stairs are made using stringers. They are 2 by 12 boards that are cut to accommodate specific measurements.
Lay flat a large carpenter’s square with the middle point facing away from you. Align the straightedge with the step run measurement on one leg of the square and with the step rise on the other end. Clamp or tape it in place in order to secure it. You will obtain a triangular shape that shows the results.
Align this triangular shape together with the edge of the 2 by 12 inch board and cut a few inches longer than the stringer length that is needed. Turn the square such that the rise measurement is close to the beard end in order to first create a rise. Then allow the bulk part of the square to rest on the stringer with the straightedge sliding along the stringer’s edge.
To outline the step rise, trace from the beginning corner of each stringer along the right leg that is created with the square then along the left leg that marks the step run. Slide the square downwards to the end of the run and repeat the process to create a zigzag pattern.
Using a circular saw, cut the stringer following the outline until you get to the inner portion of each step. To avoid cutting deeper than it is required, switch to a handsaw to cut the final inch.
Measure downwards from the first step on the stringer
We want to thank Discount Quality Stairs for this helpful information
Building Prefab Stair Video Link
