# Forum Home Renovation Stairs, Steps and Ramps  Questions on Stair Construction

## Wombat2

We have butterfly steps up to the front of our high set house. There is some wood rot getting into various parts - hand rails x2 and one 5"x5" post - relatively easy to fix but the worst and hardest for access is the facia board around the 5 sides of a pentagon shaped landing half way. All five are totally gone and need replacing problem is the stair stingers actually have a tongue (if that's what you call it) passing through the facia to the frame of the landing - i.e.. rectangular holes have been cut on the centre line of the facia so the facia surrounds the stringer projection in one piece.  Questions and observations:  Why would it have been done this way and not fix the stringers to the front of the facia? It will be very difficult for one person or even 2 or 3 people to remove the stairs to replace the facia as it was originally done so..  Do I prop the stairs - cut off the tongue and fit a full facia between the stringer and frame and fix the stringer to the facia...or leave the stairs as is and cut a slot in the facia and slide it down over the stringer?  ( then maybe glue the cut out piece in up from the bottom)

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## ringtail

Do not cut the horn off the stairs, its there for strength and security. Could you imagine if the stairs were only hanging on the fascia, which is rotten. I'd just cut the fascia around the stringers and make it as neat and tidy as possible. Painter will fix it - lol

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