Hi there. I’m replacing the risers and treads on an exposed exterior porch stair that’s about 9 steps high and 8′ wide. The treads are a full depth. What’s the best configuration? They were risers on treads with tons of caulk filling the tops and bottoms of the risers. Should I notch in the treads into the risers? Notch the risers into the treads? Any caulk or material to seal?
I’m going to paint the risers and clear seal the treads in a traditional Victorian way. I get lots of snow on these steps and i also don’t want them to be too slick. Any particular sealers suggested. I’m going to epoxy paint the risers like the adjacent porch.
Thanks!
Seth
John Cage
Replies
I would probably do the following:
cut the stringers out of PT lumber at a code compliant layout.
trim the case out, skirts and risers wih pine, pre- primed on all sides. Then paint it with the finished product before installing the final treads.
Then install the tread material. ( what will this be? BTW)
This way, every surface of the trim is painted first and drainage is vertical.
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Thanks for the advice on having all the painted surfaces vertical. So I should let mousture drain between the riser and the tread? I guess I will need PT lumber or would cedar/redwood do? I need to paint the stingers.
Of course, like everything at this old house, I start with a simple riser replacement and now I find that the newel post is totally rotten at the ground and the stringers are mushy and don't rest on anything substantial, just earth.
It looks like I need to install a new newel post and put footers in to have the stingers rest on. What's the proper attachment for a newel post to the ground and how should the stringers terminate at the ground. The first riser is currently a 1x material. I think this should increase to a 2x and be solidly attached and have the stringers run into it. The rail itself is in good shape. I'm debating how I should handle them. Remove and reinstall? Obviously I'll need to disattach them from the newel posts.
Would it be advisable to sister the stingers or use as a template and abandon for fresh material?
The newel posts are set into a notched flagstone step and I'll need to make the connection of whatever stair parts hit the ground work within the location of the flagstone so if I'm pouring a footer I'll have to make it work around that.
Thanks!!!!
Seth"Nothing is a
mistake. There is no win
and there is no fail . . . there is only
make."
John Cage
We usually don't have all that pavement and a fixed posthole to aim for. I see your post is mounted to the outside of the riser too whereas ours are contained within the corner formed by riser and stringer and secured by fastening to both. I would say you have a fairly decent pattern to go by just rebuilding pretty much as it came apart. That way you can still use some rainling parts for instance. It depends how bad they are of course.
To seat the stringers, I normally cut the base of them 1-1/2" shorter and mount them atop a 2x8 PT or whateversize works laying flay and it is placed on peastone to allow drainage and avoid rot.
If your stringers are punky, then yes use as pattern to replace.
For the treads we use a lot of 1x4 square stock, either clear vertical grain fir or Ipe`. I know there are areas wher esolid stockis prefered but that fights the nature of wood and water. Good to let it drain. If I were doing solid stock, I would use a composite like Trex or correctdek and glue up
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Did you mean to write 1x4 stock for treads? A big guy like myself would snap that in a heart beat when its new, never mind aged a bit.
yes.
I didn't say pine kindling though. I said Clear verticle grain fir or Ipe`. You wouldn't begin to notice any give in either at 16"OC. use something cheaper and yeah, you'd need 5/4" stock
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That's a good idea with ipe. Hadn't thought of using that. It's an old Victorian and I'd like to go with wood, not plastiwood, so ipe would be a good choice.
Do I read correct that just resting and attaching the stingers to PT and laying it on the ground is sufficient? I was thinking that footers would make certain that it doesn't go anywhere. Take a look at my drawing, if you will. Is this overkill?
Drawing is not to scale. The overall width of the finished treads is 7'-8". Are four stringers enough? That's what's there currently.
Thanks, again.
Seth"Nothing is a
mistake. There is no win
and there is no fail . . . there is only
make."
John Cage
If that whole thing is eight feet wide, as I seem to remember, then no, four stringers is not enough. I place them at 16" OC or closer.
You are effectively spanning something like six feet horizontally there. By the time you notch out the stringers, you have about a 2x4 or 2x5 to cary the load. Even if the stringers would handle that, you would be needing 2x12 for the treads to span that far betweeen stringers or Maverick would be bouncing around on them
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