I’m new to stair building and have a project at the house that I need some advice on.
I’m making a Hickory (5/4 treads) and Cherry (risers) enclosed staircase that leads from our family room to the studio on the second floor. The total rise is 96″, the total run is about 120″ and the width is 37″. I’ve laid out the stairs in CAD and came up with all of my measurements that are in line with the code. The stringers will be 153″ long. Currently there is a construction grade (it isn’t even that good) stair that I will be totally pulling out and replacing.
On the right side of the stair the stringer will attach to a floor-to-ceiling 2 x 4 wall (the wall extends from the foundation, to the first floor, to the second floor). Therefore, I don’t think it will have a problem carrying the load. On the left side of the stair, the stringer does not have a load bearing wall to attach to. There is a 2 x 4 wall that hangs from the 2nd floor above – it ends at the bottom of the current construction grade stair stringer. Under that side of the stair is the garage and there is no way to extend the wall down to the floor. It needs to float like it currently is.
My questions are as follows:
1. I want to make the stringers out of 5/4 hickory – how should I do this given I can’t buy 153″ long hickory? What is the best way to accomplish this.
2. What options do I have on the left stringer? Should I try to put in a glue lam or other structural piece as a backing for the stringer?
3. What material do you use as a template for routing out the stringer to accept the risers and treads. I typically use 1/4″ plywood as a template and use my Porter-Cable router with a template guide when doing similar projects.
As always your help is greatly appreciated.
Replies
2) Probably either add a hanger rod (or two or three) from the floor/wall above (if it can carry the weight) or run a horizontal beam from about the midpoint of the stair through the right side wall and attach it to the wall and to some structure on the other side, several feet beyond the wall. (This latter scheme obviously only works if the right side wall has appropriate vacant space/structure on the other side.)
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If you can't get the length you need in hickory, perhaps you can fake it with another opened grained wood, maybe oak, instead of fas maybe a select grade.
Thanks for the advice. I now have a couple lumber sources looking into a long length of 5/4 hickory. I like the idea of using a hanger rod on the left stringer. The 2nd floor is supported at the stair well with a VERY large glue lam (it measures probably 6" x 20") that runs the length of the stair well.
Keep the ideas coming.
Keep in mind that you can conceal the rod in the suspended wall -- no need to have it visible.--------------
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You can join shorter lengths of hickory using a scarf joint at a 1 in 12 slope and epoxy. Make a router jig consisting of two ramps that rest on either side of the stock, and put a big base on the router. I've never done it with hickory, but have with oak. Done that way, I'd lose no sleep over supporting the stringer.Andy Engel
Senior editor, Fine Woodworking magazine
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I would add a centre stringer to stiffen things up. Then you won't need any fastening to either side wall. It can be regular framing 2x12 SPF. In fact, I'd consider making all three stringers out of 2x12 SPF and just laminate the two outer ones with hickory veneer.