Stair Design & Building Stairs

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Stair Design and Building Stairs: Meeting Codes

Are you building stairs and need help with the stair design and construction? This section covers the building codes related to stair design and then helps step-by-step with cutting and building stairs. Ever walk down a poor stair design where the steps were too steep or maybe there was an exceptionally big first or last step? It's dangerous. In this section on building stairs and railings, we'll show you how building stairs according to a few rules will ensure your stair design falls within everyone's comfort range.

In addition to building stairs with the correct tread and riser ratio, it's also important that your stair design meets guardrail and railing codes. Building stairs aside, there are many railing strength, size, and spacing requirements. As such, building stairs that work well also means that your stair and railing design incorporates building codes meant to keep small children from slipping through, and adults from toppling over.

Stair Design and Building Stairs: Making Them Strong

We often see people building stairs and railings that aren't properly reinforced. By code, your stair design must have guardrails that can resist a 200-pound load in any direction. What people often fail to realize when building stairs and railings is that it’s not enough to just do a great job attaching the railings and guardrails to the deck. It's also important to make sure the outer deck boards are tied back into the deck framing. A good stair design means both building stairs that fall within people's comfort range and building railings that are strong enough to keep everyone safe.

Stair Design and Building Stairs: Curb Appeal

Once you finish reading about building stairs, take a look at the railing and stair design picture page. We're always a bit disappointed when we see folks install the typical 2x2 vertical baluster railing. Building stairs is a lot more fun when you select a design that you know is going to look great. Take a look at the railing and stair design page and get creative with those railings!