Comments on: Basement Stairs http://www.jasoncoleman.net/2006/05/01/basement-stairs/ All the makings of a real web site, plus my stuff. Sat, 11 Oct 2008 23:29:33 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6 By: Jason Coleman http://www.jasoncoleman.net/2006/05/01/basement-stairs/#comment-90598 Jason Coleman Tue, 11 Mar 2008 08:29:13 +0000 http://www.jasoncoleman.net/2006/05/01/basement-stairs/#comment-90598 Allen: The top of the stairs were attached with some Simpson hangers, which are available at most any hardware store. Consult some knowledgeable staff, the Simpson catalogs, and a local structural engineer if you have anything 'out of the ordinary.' Kathy/ Allen: Both of those sound like fairly major renovations, not just like-for-like replacement such as what I've described above. The best advice I can give you both is to befriend a carpenter & handyman and/or a structural engineer. As I make very clear elsewhere on this site: I do not provide any structural engineering services outside of my employer. Allen: The top of the stairs were attached with some Simpson hangers, which are available at most any hardware store. Consult some knowledgeable staff, the Simpson catalogs, and a local structural engineer if you have anything ‘out of the ordinary.’

Kathy/ Allen: Both of those sound like fairly major renovations, not just like-for-like replacement such as what I’ve described above. The best advice I can give you both is to befriend a carpenter & handyman and/or a structural engineer.

As I make very clear elsewhere on this site: I do not provide any structural engineering services outside of my employer.

]]> By: allen kent http://www.jasoncoleman.net/2006/05/01/basement-stairs/#comment-90594 allen kent Tue, 11 Mar 2008 02:46:18 +0000 http://www.jasoncoleman.net/2006/05/01/basement-stairs/#comment-90594 How do you attach the top of the stairs to your home How do you attach the top of the stairs to your home

]]> By: allen kent http://www.jasoncoleman.net/2006/05/01/basement-stairs/#comment-90593 allen kent Tue, 11 Mar 2008 02:42:27 +0000 http://www.jasoncoleman.net/2006/05/01/basement-stairs/#comment-90593 Since you had so much fun doing your I would love help. I have basement steps and want to flip the direction I think I can do it but it is nerve racking Since you had so much fun doing your I would love help. I have basement steps and want to flip the direction I think I can do it but it is nerve racking

]]> By: Kathy http://www.jasoncoleman.net/2006/05/01/basement-stairs/#comment-90338 Kathy Fri, 22 Feb 2008 18:01:39 +0000 http://www.jasoncoleman.net/2006/05/01/basement-stairs/#comment-90338 Hi, I am very impressed on you r handywork and precision. I am on total disability now and have had go go into a leg brace on my right leg. My basement stairs are currently 38 inches wide with a depth of 9.5 inches. I currently have to turn my whole body sideways to walk down or up because my foot with the brace will not fit on the step. I would like to make them deeper and was trying to find out if I could just build out from the current staircase. I have been quoted from one contractor for complete demolition and new staircase of $2200 which is of course just way beyond my current budget. Any helpful ideas you could offer me? Sincerely, Kathy Hi, I am very impressed on you r handywork and precision. I am on total disability now and have had go go into a leg brace on my right leg. My basement stairs are currently 38 inches wide with a depth of 9.5 inches. I currently have to turn my whole body sideways to walk down or up because my foot with the brace will not fit on the step. I would like to make them deeper and was trying to find out if I could just build out from the current staircase. I have been quoted from one contractor for complete demolition and new staircase of $2200 which is of course just way beyond my current budget. Any helpful ideas you could offer me?

Sincerely, Kathy

]]> By: Mike http://www.jasoncoleman.net/2006/05/01/basement-stairs/#comment-90154 Mike Sat, 26 Jan 2008 22:38:06 +0000 http://www.jasoncoleman.net/2006/05/01/basement-stairs/#comment-90154 I was just wondering what and how you connected the upper portion of your stringer too. I have a similar project coming up and it would be nice to know. By the way your stairs look great. I was just wondering what and how you connected the upper portion of your stringer too. I have a similar project coming up and it would be nice to know. By the way your stairs look great.

]]> By: Jason Coleman http://www.jasoncoleman.net/2006/05/01/basement-stairs/#comment-49318 Jason Coleman Mon, 16 Apr 2007 02:56:04 +0000 http://www.jasoncoleman.net/2006/05/01/basement-stairs/#comment-49318 Minnis: I'm sorry but I don't really understand exactly what you are describing there. However, if you are considering altering the structure of you home you should consult a local structural engineer or architect for advice. It's time and money well spent. Minnis: I’m sorry but I don’t really understand exactly what you are describing there. However, if you are considering altering the structure of you home you should consult a local structural engineer or architect for advice. It’s time and money well spent.

]]> By: Audrie http://www.jasoncoleman.net/2006/05/01/basement-stairs/#comment-49301 Audrie Sun, 15 Apr 2007 22:51:16 +0000 http://www.jasoncoleman.net/2006/05/01/basement-stairs/#comment-49301 Hello, We poured the floor with steel joyce and afterwards decided to use the basement. The joyce are horizontal 2ft apart so I want to cut one giving me 4ft for the well or opening from the basement to the first floor. Do you know how do I support or make up the stairs. Thanks Minnis Hello,

We poured the floor with steel joyce and afterwards decided to use the basement.

The joyce are horizontal 2ft apart so I want to cut one giving me 4ft for the well or opening from the basement to the first floor.

Do you know how do I support or make up the stairs.

Thanks
Minnis

]]> By: Jason Coleman http://www.jasoncoleman.net/2006/05/01/basement-stairs/#comment-7797 Jason Coleman Wed, 02 Aug 2006 22:06:54 +0000 http://www.jasoncoleman.net/2006/05/01/basement-stairs/#comment-7797 Well, Joe, I'm a structural engineer in my day job and my friend I mentioned is a handyman/ amateur carpenter. That, plus the fact that I work with two very smart structural engineer/ woodworkers helped to give me a bit of a leg up. However, all that being said, none of us had ever built any stairs before so it's not like we'd had loads of experience. I had been thinking about the layout for these for sometime, and really just designed them all on my own. Unfortunately, there's just not a lot of information out there for rough stair carpentry (as you've probably found). I'd say the best advice would be to use your existing stair stringers as templates, provided you can live with their rise/run. Cutting accurate stair templates is one of the toughest challenges in carpentry, or so I'm told. We skipped this all together and the project was a lot smoother as a result, I'd say. Also, <em>do not</em> over cut the stair treads on your stringers. Use a drill on the corners and a hand jig-saw to cut what you can't get with a circular saw. I see a lot of over-cut stringers in my line of work and all of those stairs are flimsier than they should be. Use as beefy (deep) of stringers as you can fit into your application (I used three 2"x12"'s for this staircase). Spend a little more money on these and you'll have a much stiffer staircase. Walking down a flight of stairs puts a fair amount of dynamic load into them and people are very sensitive to that. It's more of a comfort and performance thing than anything else, but it's really worth doing. Also, use pre-drilled deck screws to hold down the treads. They won't squeak so much over time. Plus, since we used three stringers instead of two, they allowed us to warp the treads ever so slightly to account for imperfections in the center stringer (imagine that the three points weren't perfectly in line, as they almost always are not). Good luck with your project! Once your done, and feel like posting some photos or a blog post of your own, feel free to drop a link back here. I'd love to see what you come up with. Well, Joe, I’m a structural engineer in my day job and my friend I mentioned is a handyman/ amateur carpenter. That, plus the fact that I work with two very smart structural engineer/ woodworkers helped to give me a bit of a leg up. However, all that being said, none of us had ever built any stairs before so it’s not like we’d had loads of experience. I had been thinking about the layout for these for sometime, and really just designed them all on my own. Unfortunately, there’s just not a lot of information out there for rough stair carpentry (as you’ve probably found).

I’d say the best advice would be to use your existing stair stringers as templates, provided you can live with their rise/run. Cutting accurate stair templates is one of the toughest challenges in carpentry, or so I’m told. We skipped this all together and the project was a lot smoother as a result, I’d say. Also, do not over cut the stair treads on your stringers. Use a drill on the corners and a hand jig-saw to cut what you can’t get with a circular saw. I see a lot of over-cut stringers in my line of work and all of those stairs are flimsier than they should be.

Use as beefy (deep) of stringers as you can fit into your application (I used three 2″x12″’s for this staircase). Spend a little more money on these and you’ll have a much stiffer staircase. Walking down a flight of stairs puts a fair amount of dynamic load into them and people are very sensitive to that. It’s more of a comfort and performance thing than anything else, but it’s really worth doing. Also, use pre-drilled deck screws to hold down the treads. They won’t squeak so much over time. Plus, since we used three stringers instead of two, they allowed us to warp the treads ever so slightly to account for imperfections in the center stringer (imagine that the three points weren’t perfectly in line, as they almost always are not).

Good luck with your project! Once your done, and feel like posting some photos or a blog post of your own, feel free to drop a link back here. I’d love to see what you come up with.

]]> By: Joe http://www.jasoncoleman.net/2006/05/01/basement-stairs/#comment-7783 Joe Wed, 02 Aug 2006 18:47:53 +0000 http://www.jasoncoleman.net/2006/05/01/basement-stairs/#comment-7783 I'm glad I came across this, this is exactly what I want to do in my house. I've been scouring the internet looking for examples, wondering if it's something that I could do myself, or not. I'm curious if you had any actual plans for this, or did you just figure it out on your own? I don't have a construction background but I'm fairly handy around the house. I do have friends who are more familiar with construction but haven't built stairs. Any advice? Thank you. I’m glad I came across this, this is exactly what I want to do in my house.
I’ve been scouring the internet looking for examples, wondering if it’s something that I could do myself, or not.
I’m curious if you had any actual plans for this, or did you just figure it out on your own?
I don’t have a construction background but I’m fairly handy around the house.
I do have friends who are more familiar with construction but haven’t built stairs.
Any advice?
Thank you.

]]> By: Maig http://www.jasoncoleman.net/2006/05/01/basement-stairs/#comment-4509 Maig Tue, 16 May 2006 02:45:39 +0000 http://www.jasoncoleman.net/2006/05/01/basement-stairs/#comment-4509 Looks great, Jason! Looks great, Jason!

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