Deck Stairs - Stairs Stringer Layout

Your editor of Ideas-For-Deck-Designs.com Layout your deck stairs stringers properly before cutting.

Marking and cutting the actual stairs layout or the stringers for deck stairs is the most important phase of building your stairs, now that you have determined the rise and run.

Large stairs with view of stringers Continuing with our stairs example of 8 rises of 6 3/4" and 10” runs, let’s mark it out on a stringer.

You need a framing square, a sharp soft lead pencil and a good eye – or two stair buttons which clamp on to the framing square at the exact points to ensure consistency when marking successive rises and runs.

The simplest stairs stringer layout uses notched stringers. But before you start marking the stringer here’s a tip.

In our example of 8 rises, you must subtract one rise to arrive at the number of actual notches to mark because the 8th rise is actually the top of the deck surface.

Using a Square For Stringers

First line on the stringer Use a 2x12 for a notched stringer and start drawing the bottom notch first by holding the square with the adjacent 6 3/4" and 10” points on the square over the exact edge of the stringer and continue until all 11 notches are marked.

Second line on the stair stringer To complete the top of the stairs stringer, continue drawing the line for the rise all the way from top edge to the back edge of the stringer.

Where the stringer will contact the deck rim joist This next diagream indicates where the stringer will actually contact the rim joist of the deck. To finish drawing the bottom of the stringer is a bit trickier.

From the point where the run of the last notch meets the edge of the stringer, draw one more notch.

Drawing the remaining notches in the stringer The bottom edge of this notch represents the top of the landing. Continue drawing the line for the rise all the way from the top edge to the back edge of the stringer also.

Attaching Stairs To The Deck

Stringer attached to the rim joist To attach notched stringers to a deck requires attaching some kind of backer board to the rim joist, increasing the width of the rim joist so the stringer has more material to contact.

Extending the backing behind the stringer This diagram illustrates the problem of using notched stringers for deck stairs. The stringer to deck attachment never really looks right.

It is necessary to build up and extended backer board. The stringers can be cut differently to attach more easily to the deck giving a more finished look.

A stringer with no notches The following diagram shows alternate stair stringer layouts that aren't notched and instead use tread cleats or metal brackets.

This is the easiest way for a beginner carpenter to build a nice looking set of deck stairs. The only part of the stringer that has to be cut is the top and bottom ends that attach to the deck rim joist and the landing.

Top of Deck Stairs - Stringers

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