# Forum Home Renovation Stairs, Steps and Ramps  make your own internal stairs ??

## barney118

I love making sawdust but am I out of my league if I want to tackle the internal stairs. I am looking at a simple run of stairs 14 of, straight down rise of 2660mm (190).
I am reading a book on stairs at thinking of doing myself or part my self. the tricky part I am concerned about is the rebating on the stringers and this is something I am considering sub contracting out (if possible?). I have done before for external but a little leeway when not installing risers that are rebated into tread.
The wedge part has me worried.
Also I am searching for treads, I dont know if you can buy already made (syd) or I have to design myself and get the sawmill to mill. 
Then all I have to do is put them together, at the end of the day I am looking for some flexibility but trying to cut the costs to bare bones.
Advice welcome.

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## Dan574

You can buy the stringers pre made with slots rebated for the treads or ones with steel angle instead of rebates. 
bunnings sell small ones already premade, have a look and they will have longer sizes. 
The ones Ive seen are all external treated pine with open rises.   
It depends what style of stair your after I suppose but alot of companies will do it so you can put them together if you wish.

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## ringtail

I'd be changing the rise to 177 ( 15) or 166 ( 16 even better) . 190 mm rise is the absolute max, gives no margin for error and we be a bastard to walk up. If you have the room of course.

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## barney118

I have the room ringtail, It all depends on which direction I go, I have 3800mm between gyprock wall and upper floor, which opens into a room so no landing required, this means down stairs up against an outside wall opening into a room/ or a hallway yet to be worked out. If I go the opposite way I have to put a landing of 750mm for the std, I have a door opening to the side deck, and I enter into the middle of the lower storey into a big rumpus room. Or I bight the bullet and use a dog-leg newel half space landing landing making a bigger void above, which is not an issue. Either way removal of some wall down below in the centre of the house is non load bearing so If I have to remove not a problem. I am looking at it from access points rather than "room hop."

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## ringtail

Either way, if you can keep the stairs around the ideal which is 170 rise ( I like a little bit less) you will thank yourself every time you go up them. Anything over 180 ( unless you are a giant) is a PITA

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## barney118

Going down to the mm now, the top of the floorboard to slab under will be 2672mm so 16 steps (167mm) 15 (178mm) 17 (157mm). Time to do some calcs. Do I work off 250mm for treads or 240mm (including nosing). I did see some time ago you could buy the treads on ebay, will also check some timber suppliers, any suggestions in (syd area). Hopefully already routered for risers. 
I think I will go with a landing and a dog leg 180 deg see where this takes me. 
What do I use to match step treads? flooring? 
I have seen 2 types of construction of stringers, straight cut and tapered cut and use of wedges? this is where it gets tricky.

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## barney118

Quick 4 options looking into, go for 17 risers at 157mm, which option?
Looking at the access to the bottom 3 rooms. brick work currently under stairs can be removed if needed but need to resupport floor bearer which I could move depending on option here as the floorboards in the stair area are short 2130mm and the rear upper floor changes direction so I would have a 'patch of upper floor boards.
I already have an floor/room offset of 700mm between the 2 rooms so I either eliminate this by going for a stair option 3 or 4 move my floor bearer (replace joists doing this anyway) to stair trimmer.
Option 1 gives the best flow to downstairs rooms (go under stairs to home theartre) or option 2 means I have to zigzag to go into the rumpus either under the stairs, but opens into the home theartre room. Havent decided if putting a wall beween the rumpus and home theartre.
The study and home theartre can be interchanged, but I can entertain if I keep them together.

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## Gaza

are you having the timber as the finsh or putting carpet on them. 
if going for carpet i would get a set of pre made stairs from stair lok or genral stairs they are cheap as chips and do a site measure and all.

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## ringtail

dont forget to factor in the flooring on the slab as all rises must be equal

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## barney118

This designing is brain overload, have spoken to a couple of stair doods today and gave them my plans. Going for a timber stair no carpet, one has indicated $3-4k maple, I have to look up the mdf option and maybe flooring over the top I think it was Gazas post.
Now I have to think what to put on the slab? float floor/tiles/carpet, just keeps on getting harder.

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## Bloss

No need for brain overload - forum member 'blocklayer' has done t all for you: Stair Calculator - Layout Stair Stringer, Headroom Rise Run - Metric  :2thumbsup:

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