For example, if your new stair treads measure a new thickness of 1/2 inch, install 1/2-inch flooring at the top and bottom of the staircase. Install a Crossbrace. Tread Style & Design Wood Stair Treads. Replacing the treads of your stairs, which are the parts you step on, is a great way to revamp an old staircase. I'm going to do stained oak treads with painted oak risers, no questions there since I've done a few staircases in the past. Helping You to Do It Yourself! The latter will use less material and save money. Now of course, whoever cut the stringers totally fubar'd them. The total run is the overall horizontal distance traveled by the stringer. The bottom first step is 14" deep and from there on up they are 8" deep. Step 2. If your project includes stair-mounted handrails, make sure that you subtract 3” from each side to allow room for the handrail mountings. The treads are attached to the notches. I believe they started in ships. I prefer bare wood. Generally we solve the problem of low slope long run stairways by using all platforms - steps that are 36" in length or more in the direction of run of the stairs, or by using a combination of normally sized stair treads (say 11" deep treads with a 6" or 7" rise) along with intermediate stair platforms. For this calculation you are … From the pic, unless the mod's are putting it in the id, I would guess that it is the same person. Wiggle a flat crowbar into the line between the tread (the horizontal part of the step) and the riser (the vertical part of the step). icons to determine the best calculator to use for your stairs. Her articles and interviews have appeared in "The Wall Street Journal," Salon.com and several other publications, covering topics such as Federal Trade Commission policy and media regulations, blogging, home improvement and New York travel. There are two types of stringers: Open stringers, also called cut stringers, have notches for steps cut into them. The rear cut should be made with a slight under bevel for a better fit. Municipal codes and the National Building Code (NBC) regulate the construction and renovation of stairs, so your new treads must meet those requirements. In other words, the entire stair will be 105 inches tall and 140 inches deep. Miter the end ... 2. http://stairs4u.com/complete_article_list.htm - Click on this link to learn how to figure and calculate stair treads. Continue adding new treads to the existing treads until all the treads are covered. How to Build Free-Standing Stairs: In February 2019, our 80’ long suspension bridge took a big hit due to an ice-snow storm. The front of the oak stair treads is not just a straight edge. Plan to build deck stairs at least 3 feet wide for ease of traffic flow and safe use. Staircase Width: 36 Inches, Minimum. I.e. Check with your local codes department for exact specifications and the possibility of obtaining a building permit for the work. The total rise is a stairway’s overall change in height, … The carpet was old and dirty giving the entry a very dark and dated feel. Older, or poorly designed, steps can be too narrow, making them uncomfortable and unsafe to use. Set a miter saw blade at 45 degrees. Our standard treads are 1” thick by 11 ¼” deep in … The steps in a home I just bought are 8" deep. We’ll share our experience with the durability of painted stairs treads, and discuss the best type of paint to use for stair treads and stair risers. With a size 13" foot, that's an interesting climb! I started wondering if we could just add new treads and risers over the old. The stair calculator is used for calculating stair rise and run, stair angle, stringer length, step height, tread depth, and the number of steps required for a given run of stairs. Whether you’re refastening your tread to the riser or to one or more of the stringers, you go about it … A stair tread should be at least 9 inches deep. I used a mask while using the outdoor stain, opened all the windows and made sure my cats and children weren’t around. I want to know if there is a way to extend the steps to make them deeper. Code around here s 9" run. Measure the nosing depth of the new treads. Wood can present dangerous conditions if treads are worn or over-polished. Each of our stair treads measures 11&1/2″ deep and 36″ wide. Retro-fitting stair treads is the simplest solution for a DIY’er intent on installing hardwood treads over an existing flight of stairs. Continue adding new risers to the existing risers until all the risers are covered. There is no simple fix for steep stairs, complete remodeling is necessary. In a word, no there isn't a way to do this as a series of larger treads means you cover more horizontal distance as others have indicated. We did this project over a full weekend and two additional weeks nights following. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. This also helps your stain to better match your floor. “I live in an old house where the stairs are super steep and the treads are really narrow. New Stair Treads in No Time—Here’s How to Do It … By Matt Weber. To make an L-shaped stair you need 2 landings 42" x 42" leaving approximately room for 2 treads between them. In either case, the carpet should be low pile and attached flat to ensure all edges are held tightly against the wood. The post snapped about in half and the bri… If not, you can go right to measuring and removing the old treads. Carpet can add traction to wooden treads. Short answer: They will likely have to be rebuilt. Buy retro treads, stair treads, risers, and other stair parts for your staircase project, direct from the manufacturer. This is our stairs before. This dictates the riser height and tread depth. For best results, start replacing the treads at the top of the staircase. Spread construction glue evenly over the first riser. Drill three, evenly spaced pilot holes through the new tread and into the existing tread on the sides of the tread, approximately 1 inch away from the sides of the tread. 1. I'm going to do stained oak treads with painted oak risers, no questions there since I've done a few staircases in the past. If your new stair treads will rise higher than 1/8 inch from the existing stair tread height, you may need to adjust the height of the lower and upper floors at each end of the staircase. Measure the existing treads and cut new boards for each tread. This will protect the new treads from damage from power tools and nails as you work your way down. I do not have any structural reason to make the stringer deeper. When we moved into this house, almost two years ago, we knew immediately that we’d be replacing the carpet running down the stairs. Also to be a comfortable stair the risers should be from 6" to 8" and the treads 9-11". You could either add a runner to cover all steps or add individual carpet treads to each step. Apr 17, 2017 - Adding new treads to existing stair treads is a common remodeling technique. Then, you have to cut, glue, and nail in your new treads. A stair rise is the vertical distance from the top of one tread to the top of the next tread. Rubber Stair Mats. This is a two-step calculation. Come join the discussion about tools, projects, builds, styles, scales, reviews, accessories, classifieds, and more! Stair treads have the nosing built in, so it looks much better and is a lot less wasteful. From stair treads, stair railing and a complete selection of Stair Parts, Surewood-LNL has what you need to make your stairs beautiful. I find it hard to believe that there is no way to control the location of the tread on the stringer. For stair treads less than 9 inches deep, secure a new, deeper tread directly on top of the existing tread. My husband and I recently tore the carpet from our stairs and painted the wood underneath creating a fresh, clean, and modern look! We did this project over a full weekend and two additional weeks nights following. Do a test on the first tread of your back staircase to see if it will work for you before you cut all of them. The treads above come in two sizes – 9″ by 26″ and 9″ by 33″. Chisel off the nosing of the existing treads so that each tread does not protrude beyond the riser board. Determine the Size of Your Stair Runner. My stairs are a bit “sticky” and of course aged so they are worn. They … Having the right calculations before getting started can make the task a lot easier. Measure the length of the step. This is common in renovation procedures when the entire flooring and staircase system is restored as one. Run the router across the front of the stair tread. Making sure your wood stairs are as clean and dust free as possible before you begin staining will really help get the best finish possible. For decades, the National Building Code of Canada has suggested that stairs need to be a minimum of 21 centimetres (or 8 1/4 inches) when it comes to the treads. Longer run, means more steps, less rise. Since I didn’t want to cover the entire stair tread, we opted for the smaller size stair tread. In a word, no there isn't a way to do this as a series of larger treads means you cover more horizontal distance as others have indicated. My husband and I recently tore the carpet from our stairs and painted the wood underneath creating a fresh, clean, and modern look! Measure the existing treads and cut new boards for each tread. Rebecca Mecomber, a former radio broadcaster, has been a professional blogger and writer since 2006. Anti-slip floor finish is a liquid solution that you can apply directly to … Choose Premade Stair Treads. Use the nail punch to tap the head of the nail slightly below the surface of the wood. Counting the landings as treads (4), by the time you turn the corner to go down the long wall, you have only gained a grand total of 2" on the run of the stairs. thanks Push down on the crowbar to lever the tread up. For convenience and flexibility, this stair stringer calculator comes in two forms, the automatic and manual .Click on the [?] Measure the height and width of the existing risers. I’ve had more than one project where the carpenters told me, “I can save you a whole tread.” My answer is always an emphatic “No!” Saving space isn’t the goal; saving lives is. To make the stairs safer to climb and descend, you must reduce stair riser height and increase tread depth. Stair tread depth is more of an issue for descending, rather than ascending, stairs. I'm getting ready to install my final staircase (just temporary OSB currently) at my house that I've renovated and I have a question on the treads. Do you plan to have them rebuilt? A stair tread is the width (or depth) of a single stair run. If your stairs are carpeted, the first thing you’ll have to do is pull up the carpeting. Here is one of the best adhesives for solid wood and it is available at Lowes in a caulking tube. You do not need overly course paper, an 80 grit will do fine. Step 4 – tape the risers and sides If you are only staining the stair treads like us, you will need to use painter’s tape to tape off the risers and the side of the staircase so you don’t get any stain on them. “I live in an old house where the stairs are super steep and the treads are really narrow. Install a crossbrace directly beneath the joist to provide adequate surface for … To prevent the new tread from protruding beyond the 1 1/2-inch nosing required by codes, secure a new riser to each existing riser, too. Cut new boards for each new riser. The nosing is not a separate piece of wood; it is the short extension of the tread that hangs over the riser. All three of these methods make the surface of each stair rougher, add traction, and significantly reduce the risk of … The area of the stair treads I needed the stain for is minimal (I only used two small sample cans, that’s it, which ended up being around $7) Great durability of the product. Replacing stair treads may be necessary due to age or wear, or for esthetic reasons. Staircase risers should be adequately deep to allow a majority of your foot to have enough room to rest on the stair. You can alter the rise and run to some extent. Building codes regulate stair dimensions. A forum community dedicated to Do it yourself-ers and home improvement enthusiasts. How to Make Narrow Stairs Wider. So, I ended up channeling my inner Mandy Gubler to draw the stripes with a paint pen I decided I wanted 4 ” spacing between the stripes and used a yardstick to make all the marks and draw the lines with a silver Sharpie. Q: How do I trim my stair treads to fit my stairs? The bottom first step is 14" deep and from there on up they are 8" deep. I didn’t add another tread, but I had the stairs built wider, extending 5 inches to either side of the door, and with deeper 11¼-inch treads for safety. Unfinished and prefinished stair parts are available in several stain colors available online. This is the answer I needed for my almost 100 year old house with hardwood stair treads! Since the stair risers were laid out in sequence, it was easy to draw the lines keep the continuity. Mess the stringers up and you mess the whole stair up. High-quality prefinished stair treads are made of solid edge-glued wood—not a veneered or engineered material—and can be used to “cap” or reface an existing tread. If the depth is greater than 1 1/2 inches, you must add new risers to the staircase. If I had carpet on them, I’d be afraid of sliding. There are several different methods of stair construction and replacing the stair treads depends … With a size 13" foot, that's an interesting climb! Divide the height the stairs reach by 7 ½, the recommended height of risers in … When it comes to other materials, the thickness may differ. As an unexpected housewarming present, my artist daughter, Allison, decided to paint our plain old door and new stair. Lastly we did a row of 5 staples at the bottom of each riser, right above where the quarter round meets the stair tread (so nowhere are we actually nailing into the tread itself). An old maple tree above it snapped and came straight for one of the support posts, taking a few trees along with it. Place the new stair tread on the first tread. This dictates the riser height and tread depth. Building stairs for your deck is often considered “the most difficult part of” the construction project. Include the nosing of the tread in your measurement. Today, I’m showing you how I created a template to create the deeper stair treads that pie step landing required so you can do it yourself! The nosing section of the tread should extend at least 1 to 1 1/2 inches over the riser. Stair treads are the part of the stairs where you place your foot as you climb up or descend them. So if you have 12 treads and want them 2" wider, your stair has to become 24" longer. However, there are some easy methods to make you wood stairs less slippery. If the stair squeaks when you step anywhere along the front of the tread, then you can often solve the problem by re-attaching the tread to its riser where they come together. Municipal codes and the National Building Code (NBC) regulate the construction and renovation of stairs, so your new treads must meet those requirements. Step 5 - Sand Oak Stair Treads. The sum of two risers and one tread should be between 24 and 25". Aug 27, 2013 - How to Make Narrow Stairs Wider. Unfortunately there is no simple solution to your problem. If I had carpet on them, I’d be afraid of sliding. The steps in a home I just bought are 8" deep. Further, the tread measurement of every tread in a stairway should be as close as possible to identical. Stair treads are the part of the stairs where you place your foot as you climb up or descend them. For a typical staircase, the stair tread must measure 8 1/4 inches to 9 inches deep, measure 1 inch thick or more and have a maximum 1 1/2-inch-deep nosing. How To Make Your Wooden Stairs Safer Carpet. How to Build Free-Standing Stairs: In February 2019, our 80’ long suspension bridge took a big hit due to an ice-snow storm. Divide 105" in TOTAL STAIR HEIGHT by a reasonable step riser height of 7" - 105 / 7 = 15 - so you'd need 15 steps to climb UP that height at 7" per step up. Use a tape measure to calculate the distance, in inches, from the floor to the top of the new staircase. Replacing stair treads may be necessary due to age or wear, or for esthetic reasons. But stairs with deeper treads should be fine with carpet.” Some people remove the carpet that covers their stairs and find that the treads and risers are of rough construction or severely damaged by carpet tack strips and staples. With 14 10-inch treads, the total run of the stair will be 140 inches. Mess the stringers … Place the new stair riser board on the first riser. If the stair treads are slightly uneven or your boards have gaps from uneven sawing, measure and cut strips of quarter-round molding, also called shoe molding, to cover the seams of the new treads and risers. Before you begin building stairs, you’ll need to take measurements of the space. Carpet can add traction to wooden treads. Pry up the tread enough to fit a blade underneath. Yeah, they need to block that segment that they are coming from. The best way to make your hardwood stairs less slippery is to add traction by installing carpet, anti-slip adhesive stair treads, or applying a coat of anti-slip floor finish to the surface of each stair. icons to determine the best calculator to use for your stairs. The stair calculator is used for calculating stair rise and run, stair angle, stringer length, step height, tread depth, and the number of steps required for a given run of stairs. Now we can talk about the proper way to do stair treads. for a common 7/11 stair, the sum of two risers and one tread is 25" (7+7+11=25). In other words, you can't keep stair riser height within an acceptable range and traverse the horizontal run distance without deepening the stair treads. But Kirk doesn’t feel runners always make stairs safer. Rubber stair mats are similar to the familiar heavy, perforated, rubber doormats … I prefer bare wood. Making Stair Treads Deeper Step 1. Aug 3, 2015 - Adding new treads to existing stair treads is a common remodeling technique. Oh, and before we get into the pros and cons of painted stair treads, if painting your stairs is a project you’re seriously considering, then you should grab a free copy of the printable stair painting DIY guide. To simplify the process, we’ve created this deck stair calculator to help you determine the correct measurements needed to carry out your project. This is our stairs before. Adding new treads to existing stair treads is a common remodeling technique. The carpet was old and dirty giving the entry a very dark and dated feel. Tip: Make sure to consider the thickness of the floors when gathering this info. Start at the second step from the top since the top step is really more of a landing than a stair. Is there room at the bottom to make each run longer? Your local building codes may differ from the National Building Code regulations. Also, treads are made from a high grade of wood, so the color is consistent. The rise is the vertical measurement taken from one step level to the next.Standard rise is 175mm. For convenience and flexibility, this stair stringer calculator comes in two forms, the automatic and manual .Click on the [?] Its length is measured … The stair riser must measure 8 to 8 1/4 inches high. According to building codes, stair tread for wood stairs has to be anywhere from 1” to 1 ½” in thickness. It is now one of a kind in the neighborhood for both looks and safety. Consider the thickness of the board you will need. Do a full spread of glue and make sure you removed the old finish from the existing treads. Buy premade stair treads! By creating an account you agree to the Hunker, Inspectapedia: Building Code Guide to Stairways, Railings, Landing Construction & Stair Safety Inspections. Stair stringer treads: rise and going. http://www.google.ca/search?q=stair...hl=en&client=safari#biv=i|1;d|haQ1OnwqXyCSlM: http://www.google.ca/search?um=1&hl=en&newwindow=1&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=1DzhT83JMKrs2QXUt7W-Cw&ved=0CAcQBSgA&q=alternate+step+stairs&spell=1&biw=1350&bih=789, http://www.google.ca/search?um=1&hl...lternate+step+stairs&spell=1&biw=1350&bih=789, VerticalScope Inc., 111 Peter, Suite 901, Toronto, Ontario, M5V 2H1, Canada. This is because stair treads can be crafted from thick oak to think stainless steel. This is called the total rise. Drill three, evenly spaced pilot holes through the new riser and into the existing riser on the sides of the riser, approximately 1 inch away from the sides of the riser. StairSupplies™ offers beautiful treads that are handcrafted in our shop just for you. The are connected with a bolted bearing angle at each end. What is your height, and what is the distance that you have available to extend the stairs. Over 9100 different stair parts in dozens of wood species and sizes. Details on the DIY deep look crown molding is here>>> DIY Crown Molding. Don't make stair treads deeper than 9 inches because the staircase may become difficult for people to climb and can increase their risk of falling. No way around it. Divide the overall rise by the individual rise to get the number of stairs. Quick question. Hunker may earn compensation through affiliate links in this story. In all these cases, you may want or need to replace your stair treads. You could either add a runner to cover all steps or add individual carpet treads to each step. Just have never gotten around fixing them, due to they are within spec's at a point, with the exception when going from the landing to the first step down or up, depending on the direction. I want to know if there is a way to extend the steps to make them deeper. Staircase width refers to the side-to-side distance if you were … With just two 9-inch treads and three 8¼-inch risers, they’re plenty steep, a condition all too common in a world where builders pride themselves on how little space they can eat up with stairs. We then ran another 5 staples under the “lip” of each step against the top of the riser, which you may not need if your stairs have a more traditional profile.