Staircase stringer advice

[wallace]

I would like to make a staircase to go from a spare room to my loft. At present I have to use some steps on the landing, which is not ideal. What width of stringer would I need. The length is 11'. Is it better to cut the position of the step and riser into the stringer or use a router to make grooves for the steps and riser?

 

[blackrodd]

I would check and see if a standard £100. flight would fit. there is a longer flight available another 3 treads, i think.
This could save you a lot of work and expence by going to Jewsons or travis porkins and check out the rise and going of the 2 standard flights. It always pays to keep within building regs as much as possible
Check the rise from the existing floor to the loft finished (or proposed finish floor level). and the going space available to you, get help if necessary, and work out you're options.
Should you need to make you're own it's probably best to router out the strings and fit treads and risers as you maywell find it a lot easier to make any fire precautions to the underside.
Youwould need much thicker and "beefy"strings to fit open treads.
Its pretty straight foreward, once you understand the few basic rules.
HTH Regards Rodders

 

[wallace]

Thanks Rodders, my rise is 108" and going is 90". The stairs will be able to sit on two walled supports within its length. what width of stringer would you recommend?

 

[Rob Platt]

Traditionally a stringer would be about 12" I normally make mine from 2 pieces 6x1 1/4 redwood biscuited together and then with a jig machine grooves for tread and riser and the wedges to keep it all nice and tight. also building regs require a maximum pitch of 42degrees for a habitable room. if this is purely as a loft access those may not apply . check with your local area building control officer to verify what the local regs are. all the best
rob

 

[blackrodd]

Thanks Rodders, my rise is 108" and going is 90". The stairs will be able to sit on two walled supports within its length. what width of stringer would you recommend?

Any chance of any more going available? If not you may be able to squeeze in a small flight, landing, and dog's leg, following under the roof's slope or even a set of winders.
String , minimum of 32mm 1"1/4 and usually what the vertical measure is on the riser+15mm waste,x about 12"
Regards Rodders

 

[Berncarpenter]

Hi Wallace
I use stairbox to work out my stairs easy and free plus you get to see your stair plan in 3D . As others have pointed out you dont have enough going for a stair that will comply and with stair box planner you can play around with the design adding winders and such as Rodders has suggested quite easily. Hope this helps Bern.

 

[chippy1970]

I'm a carpenter by trade and I wouldn't bother making a straight flight. I bought one from jewsons a couple of weeks back cheaper than the materials would cost me. Its made well and I'm happy with it.

Sent from my Hudl HT7S3 using Tapatalk

 

[Preston]

Same here, I buy readymade from screwfix and adapt them, far cheaper and a lot less hassle.

 

[Berncarpenter]

Same here, I buy readymade from screwfix and adapt them, far cheaper and a lot less hassle.

How do you adapt a ready made stair when all the treads and risers need to remain equal ? It either fits the opening or it doesn't .Knocking walls down or opening up landing space seems a lot more hassle than making a stair that will fit the space .

Cheers Bern

 

[Preston]

Sorry if I didn’t make it clear, I meant making the stairs narrower, or adding treads and risers or cutting and taking out. Even changing the angle of the stairs but then you have to change the angle of every step. Still less hustle and cheaper than making from new. That’s what I have been doing anyway.

 

[chippy1970]

Same here, I buy readymade from screwfix and adapt them, far cheaper and a lot less hassle.

How do you adapt a ready made stair when all the treads and risers need to remain equal ? It either fits the opening or it doesn't .Knocking walls down or opening up landing space seems a lot more hassle than making a stair that will fit the space .

Cheers Bern

Bern

Depends on the situation really in my case the stairs fit perfectly in between two walls. All I had to do to a standard straight flight was remove the first tread and riser and build a small starter landing. That was to move the stairs up and away from a landing window.

No hassle at all and the stairs cost me about £150 . Time I've messed about making them and paying for materials and my time its common sense to just buy them off the shelf.


Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk

 

[wallace]

Thanks for the advice, I am going to have a go at doing it myself

 

[Berncarpenter]

Thanks for the advice, I am going to have a go at doing it myself

Great love to see some of your restored Wadkins in action.The last stair i made was for a loft room and there was no way of getting it through the house and into place .Had to assemble it on the landing ,just something for you to think about

Preston & chippy I agree that a standard stair can be bought very cheaply and can see now that in some cases they could be altered to fit buy reducing the width or adding a landing ,but i would not wont to alter the pitch.

Cheers Bern.

 

[wallace]

Thanks Bern, I figured I have spent most of my time in the last two years making machines look pretty and working properly its now time to learn how to use them properly.