Stair advice needed

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  • jdon
    Established Member
    • Feb 2010
    • 401
    • Snoqualmie, Wash.
    • BT3100

    #16
    Re: tread width- Could you attach an oak strip, say 2" wide, at both ends of each tread, to give a breadboard appearance? That way you could meet code, give a finished, even customized, look, and not have to deal with poor quality and expensive replacements.

    I'd think that with risers supporting the full width, the joint wouldn't have to be extraordinarily strong- pocket screws, biscuits, or even just glued could work. Being narrower and thicker than a panel, say, cross grain movement shouldn't be as great a concern.

    I sympathize with the size constraints of the room- any solution is a compromise. Good luck!

    Comment

    • Tom Slick
      Veteran Member
      • May 2005
      • 2913
      • Paso Robles, Calif, USA.
      • sears BT3 clone

      #17
      You need to find out what your local building code dictates. With my limited knowledge of stair building and code your original landing and stairs appear to be close to meeting code, your proposed stairs do not meet code. Landings must be at least 36" in the direction of travel. So if your original landing was 36" x 36" it meets code.



      Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work. - Thomas Edison

      Comment

      • JeffG78
        Established Member
        • Jan 2007
        • 385
        • Northville, Michigan - a Detroit suburb
        • BT3100

        #18
        Landings only need to be there if the door swings out towards the stairs. Every basement staircase falls into this category which is why basement doors always swing away from the staircase.

        This would fall into an interior door category per the link you provided so the exterior landing would not apply. Thanks for the link though. I had not seen any codes that mentioned exterior doorways.
        Last edited by JeffG78; 07-27-2014, 07:26 PM.

        Comment

        • mpc
          Senior Member
          • Feb 2005
          • 979
          • Cypress, CA, USA.
          • BT3000 orig 13amp model

          #19
          Are there any doors to the outside from this room? If so, I'd put the stairs on that side so both share the same wasted space. A landing with stairs along the house wall, rather than straight out the sliding door as you sketched, I think would look better. I'd make them even larger - and then make the area underneath the landing usable storage space. Stick a mini-fridge in there, a few shelves and/or a cupboard to store a few glasses, plates, maybe a dinky microwave, whatever... so this room becomes an eating nook. A couple electrical outlets for the coffee pot and a TV or radio perhaps?

          If getting plumbing to the area is possible, imagine this:
          make the landing with stairs going off one side (similar to what was there), I'd even make the steps turn 90 degrees in the corner of the room... the other side of the landing would then continue to the other wall and have a small sink/wet bar. Hang a flat-screen TV in the corner above the bar (basically between the wall of the patio room and the sliding patio door.)

          As for that exposed truss: cover it but include a shelf near the bottom edge to display nick-knacks. That way as folks come from the main house to this room they're eyeballing decorations that means something to them, not an odd wall space.

          mpc

          Comment

          • mpc
            Senior Member
            • Feb 2005
            • 979
            • Cypress, CA, USA.
            • BT3000 orig 13amp model

            #20
            ...or create a new floor for the whole patio room that is just one step down from the main house... if headroom allows...

            mpc

            Comment

            • LCHIEN
              Internet Fact Checker
              • Dec 2002
              • 20913
              • Katy, TX, USA.
              • BT3000 vintage 1999

              #21
              it might be useful to see a dimensioned plan view of the sun room... We really have no idea how narrow it is or how much room there is to the right of the door... and thus can't visualize the proportions.
              Loring in Katy, TX USA
              If your only tool is a hammer, you tend to treat all problems as if they were nails.
              BT3 FAQ - https://www.sawdustzone.org/forum/di...sked-questions

              Comment

              • Bill in Buena Park
                Veteran Member
                • Nov 2007
                • 1865
                • Buena Park, CA
                • CM 21829

                #22
                Is there enough room for a landing in front of the opening door, width of door + railing, then turn left to descend toward corner, 90 degree to right in the corner (with or without second landing) to end stairs by the window on that left wall?
                Bill in Buena Park

                Comment

                • Zip1
                  Forum Newbie
                  • Dec 2004
                  • 19
                  • Milwaukee, WI, USA.

                  #23
                  I would not want to have to walk forward from the house towards the "truss" you show on post #4. I'd instinctively want to duck below the truss as I descended the stairs.

                  Looks like you replaced the window (to the left as you exit the house) with a sliding door.

                  I'm back to capncarl's suggestion to reverse the direction of the stairs from original. I would have a square (30-32") landing just outside the door enclosed by railing and have the stairs begin next to the fixed glass panel of the door. This way, looking out the full width of the sliding door, you'd see level railing on the right half and descending railing on the left half, still giving a sense of security from falling. This would also have the advantage of a more direct traffic pattern from the new sliding door to outside.

                  If you made the square landing 30-32" and included railing within that dimension, and then boxed in your stringers (pix 5 post 1) you could likely re-use your original treads, since their width would be inside the boxed stringer.

                  Edit: Oops, is that new sliding door just propped up against the original window? Either way, I think this option saves the most space and would be the most attractive, both from inside and within the sun room.
                  Last edited by Zip1; 07-28-2014, 01:32 PM.

                  Comment

                  • Carpenter96
                    Established Member
                    • Aug 2011
                    • 178
                    • Barrie ON Canada
                    • BT 3000

                    #24
                    I agree with Tom Slick, find out about your local codes. Here in Ontario you have to divulge any non-conforming items in the house. If you go to the trouble of building stairs that do not meet code it may decrease your selling price. Is there an exit to the out side from the sunroom? If there is you have to put in stairs that are wider than you would like. I regularly teach stair building to carpenters and apprentices and the most important thing is to at least meet code. We teach good building practice, which far exceeds code. Are winder stairs allowed in your area? That could save some space. Some more to think about.

                    Regards Bob

                    Comment

                    • JSUPreston
                      Veteran Member
                      • Dec 2005
                      • 1189
                      • Montgomery, AL.
                      • Delta 36-979 w/Biesemyere fence kit making it a 36-982. Previous saw was BT3100-1.

                      #25
                      I think make the landing the depth it is now, but have the stairs on the opposite side of the original. Have the landing the width of the operating door, and have the first drop off where the fixed door is...assuming that it up to code.

                      Another observation...you have a beautiful 4 legged family member.
                      "It's a dog eat dog world out there, and I'm wearing Milk-Bone underwear."- Norm (from Cheers)

                      Eat beef-because the west wasn't won on salad.

                      Comment

                      • JimD
                        Veteran Member
                        • Feb 2003
                        • 4187
                        • Lexington, SC.

                        #26
                        You can get 36 inch treads from "stair parts now" (google it) for $30 (oak). They also have longer ones and other species. I haven't ordered from them, yet, but found them looking for balisters. I need a bunch because the spacing in our new (old) house are too far apart.

                        Comment

                        • tfischer
                          Veteran Member
                          • Jul 2003
                          • 2343
                          • Plymouth (Minneapolis), MN, USA.
                          • BT3100

                          #27
                          Maybe the pics are deceiving, but the red "proposed" stairs jutting out into the room look like they'd be a lot more disruptive than the original landing.

                          I'd go with the original design, but modify it so the "landing" is a step lower than the door. That would eliminate one step off the width of it.

                          If you're only doing this to sell the house, you just need to make it look good, and let the new owners worry about the practicalities of adding furniture

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