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As one result of a recent remodel, I have a stairway in place with all the risers of the same dimension. Yet I need to raise the finished (original) floor, which is 2×6 T & G decking with too many gaps and too much flex. I want to cover this floor with, say, 1/2″ plywood before carpeting it. Before the project was begun, I told the contractor I intended to do this, but he denies it, even though he installed 3/4″ redwood at the thresholds of all the doors for just such an eventuality.
Still, I am faced with the problem.
Is there a relatively painless way out of this problem short of rebuilding the stairway? The stairway is to be carpeted. Stringers and risers and treads are all framed in, but there have been no embellishments except dryway applied to the underside of the carriage.
If I altered riser height by adding gradually diminishing thicknesses of tread, would that work? Is it likely that very small differences in riser height–say, 1/8″ or so–would cause someone to stumble? The other alternative I can think of is to add a consistent thickness to all the treads and to the upper floor, not a very appealing prospect.
Any ideas?
Thanks for your help.
Replies
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Adding to the tread is a good way to accomplish this. Calculate the new rise and adjust each tread accordingly. You do the math. 3/16" is an acceptable variation between risers. That is not 3/16" + or -, nor is it cumulative, but 3/16 maximum variation.
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Mike Mahan,
Thanks for your information.
Harry
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Harry:
I didn't get the entire picture of what you say you want to do but let me say this about stairs:
An 1/8" difference in risers will not be at all noticeable, much less make someone trip. Our CABO building code allows up to 3/8" difference from the smallest to the largest riser. The top and bottom riser may be up to 3/4" bigger than the smallest "common riser" on interior stairs. These dimensions do not include the thickness of the carpet (if any). Don't know what code is in effect for your area, since I don't know where you live.
In addition, if necessary, I feel sure you can safely stretch this 3/8" lower limit to 1/2" on the bottom riser particularly if the finished floor is to get a different floor covering than the stairs. This is routinely permitted on exterior stairs that terminate on concrete or masonry.
One other comment: the 3/4" material under the door thresholds is common practice and allows for finished floor material and also leaves room for the door to swing over a throw rug, or the like, just inside the door.
By the way: What's a "dryway"?
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Matt,
Thanks for that burst of light!
A "dryway" is a typo. It's one of those drywalls.
Harry
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HarryO,
Why not just add a 1/4" on top of the first tread?
This would make the first TWO risers 1/4" less than the rest.
No one is going to fall on their face over that.
Ken
*I really doubt it would be a problem as is on the bottom riser. If it were a 1/2" somewhere in the middle,you'd definatly notice, or possibly at the top. I think Kens idea would work fine.Chuck
*I think a 1/8" variation berween risers is unacceptable. I probably go overboard though. I know I have tripped going up, and been jarred coming down on stairs 1/8" off before. I think your original suggestion of graduating the thickness of the treads might be the best way.
*HarryOI've reread your post. Could you take time to clarify a few points?You say that the stairs are in place and that you PLANNED to add 1/2" plywood to the entire floor afterwards. To me, this means that you should have taken the calculated riser height, subtracted the thickness of one tread, and then added 1/2" for the dimension of your first "riser" when cutting the stringer, IF the stringers were to set directly on the 2x6 T&G floor. ( unless you put a 1/2" shim under the stringers to plan ahead for adding 1/2" plywood to the entire floor. ) But you say that the stairs are in place and that ALL risers are equal.This implies, that if you Don't add the 1/2" plywood, that the first riser would be 1/2" LARGER than the rest, in which case, my earlier post would not make any sense.Also, if this were to be the case, other factors would have to be taken into consideration, such as maximum riser height allowed by code.Give us more info.What is the total rise? What is the riser height you used? And most importantly, a detailted description of the first riser. Did you shim up 1/2" in advance under the stringers?My thinking is that you did, in which case, If you don't add the 1/2 inch ply to the entire floor, the first riser is 1/2" too high, and it may violate code. If it doesn't violate code, you might want to consider making the first tread 1/4" SMALLER in THICKNESS, instead of 1/4" higher, as I suggested in my first post.But once again, Please clarify for us.Ken
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Ken,
Your first assumption was correct.
To clarify my original posting: the stringers were set directly onto the T&G floor, ignoring my plan to raise the level of that floor by 1/2". All the risers were cut to the same height, and no shim was added in anticipation of raising the
floor level. So after the floor level is raised by 1/2", that distance will have to be distributed over the course of the stairs.
Thanks, Ken, et al., for your comments.
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As one result of a recent remodel, I have a stairway in place with all the risers of the same dimension. Yet I need to raise the finished (original) floor, which is 2x6 T & G decking with too many gaps and too much flex. I want to cover this floor with, say, 1/2" plywood before carpeting it. Before the project was begun, I told the contractor I intended to do this, but he denies it, even though he installed 3/4" redwood at the thresholds of all the doors for just such an eventuality.
Still, I am faced with the problem.
Is there a relatively painless way out of this problem short of rebuilding the stairway? The stairway is to be carpeted. Stringers and risers and treads are all framed in, but there have been no embellishments except dryway applied to the underside of the carriage.
If I altered riser height by adding gradually diminishing thicknesses of tread, would that work? Is it likely that very small differences in riser height--say, 1/8" or so--would cause someone to stumble? The other alternative I can think of is to add a consistent thickness to all the treads and to the upper floor, not a very appealing prospect.
Any ideas?
Thanks for your help.
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I'm not sure where these stairs are located or how they are attached. Just throwing out ideas. If the 1/2" really bothers you, maybe, maybe you could pull the nails along the stringer attached to the wall, shim the bottom of the stringers 1/2" and renail.
This is one of those areas where fixing one thing will mess up ten other things but it's one solution.
Raising the bottom end of the stringers only 1/2" shouldn't effect the pitch of the steps enough to even notice.