# Forum Home Renovation Stairs, Steps and Ramps  stairs for an outdoor decking, need assistance plesae.

## milanovic

Hi Guys 
I would like your assistance on the following.
My deck is in place and I now need to fix the stairs. 
The treads are 1200 x 240 x 45 Merbau
The stringers are the same 240 x 45 Merbau 
I have an area of 2900 x 2200 to play with.
The height from the top of the deck to the ground level is 2000mm. 
I plan on having an L-shaped stair-set with landing in the middle.
I was hoping for equal spacing between landing, ground and top of deck.  I dont know if I can accomplish this in the space I am using.  
I was looking to have the landing the same size as the tread width 1200mm x 1200mm. 
I have attached a diagram of my proposed design to assist. 
I want to know if I have calculated this correctly and if I am flush against the wall how far out will I come to the end of the deck?  i.e. will it protrude the 2900?  I want to keep it within the deck. 
Will it work within the space I have or do I need to reduce 1) the landing size 2 ) the tread width and the landing?
If the landing is not square, i.e. 1200x1000 does it matter?  Thanks guys.

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## ringtail

G'day mate. If you used 166.66 mm as the rise, you will need 12 rises - 11 treads. One of these treads is your landing. 5 treads down, @ 240mm go = 1200 mm, then the 1200mm landing =2400mm, then the change of direction for another 5 treads. It all should fit fine. You can reduce the distances more by going up to 181 mm rise but I reckon anything over 175 mm is too uncomfortable to walk up. (Max rise is 190). Doesnt matter if the landing is not square.

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## milanovic

Ringtail thanks for the advice and prompt response. 
Cheers

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## milanovic

Another couple of quick questions.
if i am trenching the treads into the stringers (routing them),
1.  how deep do i rout them?
2.  do i rout all the way through the stringer or is best to leave the timber at the front of the tread?
3.  do i need to secure each tread into place with screws/bolts from the side or are the metal rods at top and bottom going to be enough to hold it together?  if i need screws/bolts what size is recommended?  the treads and stringers are 240x45? 
Thanks Guys

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## ringtail

I rebate into the stringer about 15 mm 
Personal choice but I take the housing right out the back of the stringer so I can slide the treads in from the rear, and leave my margin line in tact at the front. I also run a bull nose bit over the top front edge of the tread so I only have to square up the bottom front edge of the trench after routing ( router leaves a radius in the corners). I reckon it might look a bit crap if you trench out through the front of the stringer. 
Yes you need to secure each tread. Some old school guys still use good old gal jolts. 75mm  x  3mm. I use 75 mm gal batten screws and hide the holes with plugs cut from waste stringer.

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## Wombat2

Thanks Ringtail for the above answer - I was just going to as the same question  :Wink:  One addition question - The threaded rod between stringers - I see it in a lot of external stairs but never mentioned in construction how toos. Is it necessary - what is it's purpose and where and how many are used?

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## ringtail

Purely there for safety. You should have one per flight, about mid length of the stringer but if you have 1 long flight I split it into thirds and have two rods. Basically, the rod just stops the two stringers from bowing out in the middle and possibly dropping the treads out of the rebates. As far as the " rules " go, I'm not 100 % sure, I cant remember reading anything in the BCA ( must check one day), but common sense works wonders too. Using long fixings is mandatory with stairs, for the obvious reason and thats why I use batten screws not nails. Nails can walk out of the timber over time, or just rust away.

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## stevoh741

Also make sure you seal your housings in your stringers real good, first place water will visit and want to hang around in....

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## ringtail

:What he said:  
Tru dat. Oil based primer and lots of it.

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