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Deck Stairs Made Simple - 11/1/2005 - Home Exterior Deck Porch Patio Sidewalk

Deck Stairs Made Simple

After I completed the main deck I built the Deck Stairs.

Note: For those of you that are just joining us you may want to go back and have a look at Deck Building Made Simple and then come back and join us we have a deck to finish!

Deck Stairs 2 Deck Stairs 1

I essentially used the same simple structural methods to build the stairs as I did when I built the main deck. I just built a series of very small decks at different elevations.

Ok, this may not make any sense so let me break it down. I could have gone down to the The Home Depot and picked up some precut stair stringers. You know what I am talking about, they are the precut stair sides that you nail your treads into and make a set of stairs. Our I could have just cut my own and nailed the thing together quickly.

I choose to do things a little different. I made the steps very large and easy to climb and kept the stairs attractive and simple. This allowed for extra space and it was easy to put together. Ok, how did I do it, here goes:

First, I measured the drop form the top of the grade to the top of the deck. I then divided it by what I consider to be comfortable step height. 7 to say, 10 inches is a good range.

Since the total drop was 30 inches I made three small decks with a 10 inch step up on each.

I then dug holes with a post hole digger and set four 4x4" posts in quickcrete for the middle section. The two top, or upper posts of the middle section were longer to provide support for the upper walkway decking and the lower were set at the level of the middle deck step. The reason I did not use elephant feet as I did with the main deck for support is they do not work well on an incline.

I then attached the lower deck stairs section to the deck and nailed the 2x4 deck boards down and trimmed the edge clean pooping a chalk line for my guide.

This is what the finished deck stairs look like now. (some months have past for the foliage to grow)

This method of constructing deck stairs is easy and provide a long lasting strong set of deck stairs. After completion of the deck stairs I installed deck railings on the deck and the stairs.

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