Haun_Larry_-_The_very_efficient_carpenter

Construction adhesive helps to prevent squeaks and makes more secure stair.

Treads and risers can be nailed to the stringers by hand, but it is much easier and faster to use a pneu­ matic nailer. The risers are nailed on first, and the treads sit on top of them. The first riser usually has to be ripped % in. narrower than the rest to com­ pensate for the dropped stringers (see p. 194). Start­ ing at the bottom, drive two 8d nails through the riser board into each stringer. Put the next riser in halfway up the stringer. If there is any crown in the

stringer, this middle riser will help straighten it out. Then go back to the bottom and begin working your

way up, nailing on all the risers before beginning

with the treads. If the stringers have been given a %-in. backcut, nail a lxl strip under the floor sheathing on the square face of the landing to maintain the backcut angle for the top riser (see the top drawing at right

Framing the Landings

L-shaped stair

Cripple wall

ThisL-shaped stair landing is supported on two sides by walls. The other two sides aresupported by cripple walls

built under the landing.

U-shaped stair

Joist hanger

Double joist

The U-shaped stair landing jOists run fromwall to wall and are nailed into the studs.

ing. Hang joists on metal hangers at 16 in. o.c. be­ tween these headers, and nail a double joist to their ends to bring the landing out to the required width. The stringers will be attached to this double joist. When the stairwell is not completely enclosed by walls, nail joists where possible and then build short cripple walls to support the other sides. A 2x fire stop may be required by code in each stud space where the joists and stringers are nailed to the walls. The stringers from the bottom floor to the middle landing are cut and installed just as they were for a regular straight-flight stairs (see pp. 194197). Fol­ lowing our example, you would cut six risers at 7% in. and hang them from the landing. The step up to the landing constitutes the seventh riser. The upper stringers are cut and secured a little differently. Since a total of eight risers is required, you need to cut only seven -the upper header joist will again serve as the eighth. At the bottom, how­ ever, instead of cutting the last riser square at 7% in. as on the lower set, continue to cut plumb down the 2x12. Then, at the tip, cut back level to leave a 1Yz-in. base, which will allow the stringer to sit in a joist hanger below the level of the landing (see the drawing at right). Allowing enough room between wall and stringer for drywall and skirtboard, hold the first riser of the first stringer 7% in. above the landing joists, and se­ cure the stringer to the landing with a 2x6 joist hanger. Attach the stringer at the upper landing as described on pp. 195-196. Hang the remaining stringers the same way. An alternative method is to make the middle landing about 1 ft. wider and then cut the upper stringers to rest directly on it. With the framing complete, youcanproceed to fin­ ish the risers and treads as described on pp. 198-199.

Metal strap

7% in.

Middle landing

Joist hanger

Cut base of stringer level.

size width of stair. For example, for a 30-in. wide stair, you would measure in from each corner 15% in. (30 x .52 = 15.6, or about 15% in.).

If the code calls for a winder tread with a width of at least 9 in. or 10 in. at the line of travel, you'll need a 40-in. square piece of plywood to make the landing for a 36-in. wide flight of stairs. Layout the stairs by calculating 40 in. x .52, then mark and snap lines on the plywood to layout the treads. Next, cut out a 4-in. square at the narrow point. This reduces the stair size to 36 in. and leaves suffi­ cient tread at the line of travel.

If you need to build stairs with a tread that is at least 6 in. wide at the narrow end, work with a ply­ wood square that is 10 in. larger than the actual width of the stairs. So, for 36-in. wide stairs, use a 46-in. plywood square. Snap a chalkline from cor­ ner to corner, measure in 2315;16 in. (46 x .52 = 23.92) and snap chalklines indicating the risers. Next cut out a 10-in. square at the narrow point. This reduces the stair size to 36 in. and leaves you with treads that are about 6 in. wide at the narrow­ est point.

Constructing the risers

After laying out the treads on the plywood square, cut one of the triangles off with a circular saw (this triangle will form the top step of the winder). The rise of each step in our example is 7Y4 in., so take some 2x8 stock and rip it down to 6Yz in. Once sheathed with %-in. plywood it will have a 7Y4-in. rise. Rip enough for all of the risers. This stock will form the actual riser of each step, as well as the "joists" that support successive steps.

To make the first winder box (the landing), cut the ripped stock and build a 36-in. square frame. Sheathe it with %-in. plywood and place it in the stairwell at the proper height and distance from the upper landing. Next, build a second joist frame and toenail it down on top of the landing. Sheathe this second winder box with the trapezoid cut from the plywood square. Then frame, sheathe and install the third box. That's all there is to it. The landing is now a three-step winder.

Stacking the Winder Boxes

Once the landing has been framed, the second box istoenailed toit,then the third box is toenailed on

top of the second.

The upper stringers are attached to the top winder with joist hangers.

I n stalling the stringers Now that the winder is complete, the straight-flight stringers can be attached. If, for example, the winder landing was built 29 in. from the floor, the stair stringers from the first floor to the landing will have three 7%-in. risers. Cut the stringers from 2x12s. They will be hung from the landing to make the fourth riser, as was done with the straight flight of stairs.

Cut the upper stringer square at the bottom, so it can slip into the joist hanger.

The stringers going up to the second floor are hung on the backside of the top winder box, just as on the landing of an L-shaped or U-shaped stair (see p. 203). Cut 1liz in. off the bottom tip of each stringer, so it will bear firmly on a joist hanger. After cutting out a stringer, it's always a good idea to check to see if it fits between the winder and the second floor. At times the treads may need to be a bit shorter or longer to run the exact distance between the two landings.