Ron's first HouseCall this week was in West Dennis, Massachusetts where Len and Suzanne Mediaville built their beautiful Cape Cod home over ten years ago. They just never got around to one final detail… stairs leading down from the deck to the back yard. When they heard that Ron was going to be in their area, they were eager to ask for his help.
The Mediavilles wanted to remove the section of the porch railing that was up against the side of the house, then build the stairs leading down to a landing made of pavers installed right onto the sand. After briefly discussing the project, they gathered up the necessary materials and went to work.
Click Here For a list of what
you will need in order to complete this project.
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1. Position stringers:
- For this project, Len bought pre-cut stringers. While the pre-cuts make the job easier, they require that the landing at the bottom of the stairs be at exactly the right height and perfectly level. In this case, they had to raise the landing, which was made of concrete pavers, by adding sand underneath.
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- In addition to raising the landing, they also needed to make an extension to the rim joist to attach the stringers at the right height. You can widen the rim joist by attaching a piece of 2x4 to a piece of 2x10. Then, attach that assembly to the rim joist with rust resistant screws.
- In addition to the screws, Ron reinforced the attachment of the extension with carriage bolts. Before installing the bolts, Ron was careful to mark the position of the stringers so that the bolt heads were not in the way of the stringer attachments. Ron used four stringers for this stairway.
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2. Attach stringers:
- Temporarily attach a joist hanger to the top of the first stringer, which will hold it in place while you drill the holes for the lag screws. With everything properly positioned, drill holes through the rim joist, and into the end of the stringer. Then remove the temporary joist hanger.
- Next, drill what is called a clearance hole, a larger hole, through the rim joist so that the large 6" hex-head lag screws can slip through that hole and then bite into the pilot hole in the stringer to form the permanent attachment. Each stringer is attached with two such screws with a socket wrench.
- Attach all four stringers as described above.
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3. Install risers:
- Measure and cut the risers to a uniform length and width to fit the pre-cut stringers using 2 X 12 pressure treated lumber.
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- To avoid rust and corrosion, use stainless steel screws and install the risers with a special square-head driver bit. This bit is usually placed in a magnetic bit holder, which in turn is inserted into the chuck of a power drill. These screws won't strip out at easily as phillips-head screws.
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4. Install treads
- Measure the treads to make sure that the overhang is the same on both sides again using a pressure treated 2x12, and built his treads to hang over about a half inch on each side.
- Draw a small line right down the center of the stringer and then attach the risers again using the stainless steel screws. Repeat the process for each one of the four stringers and for each tread except the bottom one.
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5. Cut away the old rail:
- Ron recommends using a reciprocating saw to cut away the old railing.
- Trim the remaining ends of the existing rail using a Japanese hand saw and then round the ends using a jig saw.
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6. Install post :
- Before attaching the final tread, install the 4x4 posts, which will be used as the bottom posts for the handrails.
- Use a clamp, to secure each post in place and make sure it is plumb, or vertical. Then drill two holes for 6" carriage bolts in the outside stringer, attach the bolts in place and tighten them with a socket wrench.
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- Before installing the final tread, you will need to notch the ends so that it can fit around the posts.
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7. Build Railing:
- The handrail is made of two pieces of lumber. One part of the handrail connects along the sides of the two posts and the other piece runs along the top. It is important to determine the exact angles to cut the ends of the railings so they are flush with the posts.
- Measure the distance on the posts from the tread to where the handrail will go. Do this for the lower and upper posts and mark the positions. Holding the rail in place, mark the angles where the rail extends past the post.
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- Use a bevel gauge to transfer the angle that you just drew on the railing to the power miter box. Swing the bed to the edge of the cut groove and line it up with the bevel gauge. With the angles set, make the cuts. The angles should be an exact match.
- Before you attach the railing, mark with a pencil and then make an angled cut at the top of the posts using the Japanese hand saw. Then, line up all the angles and clamp the handrail in place before attaching the stainless steel screws. After the screws are secure, you can remove the clamp.
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- The top of the handrail should overhang about 3/8 of an inch. Use a combination square to determine the overhang. Once the handrail is centered and clamped into place, attach it to the top of the railing once again using stainless steel screws.
- Measure and cut the lower railing support, again using the bevel gauge to get the exact angles. Clamp the rail in place and attach it with screws.
- Repeat for the railing against the house.
THE RESULTS
The Mediavilles may have waited ten years, but thanks to Ron and a little hard work of their own, they now have a beautiful staircase leading from their deck down to their backyard. It may have taken Ron a little more time than expected, some projects are like that, but it still took just a little over a day to complete.
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Before After
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