To replace outdoor stair treads, remove old ones with a pry bar, ensuring not to damage the underlying stringers. Measure, cut, and install new weather-resistant treads using exterior-grade screws, finishing with a protective sealant or stain to extend their lifespan and enhance their appearance. There are three methods for installing outdoor stair treads: loose laying, double-sided tape adhesive, and glue. The installation process is simple and easy, but the hardest part is getting the old ones out. To install stair treads, place the nosing tread in position with the correct overhang, measure the gap between the treads, and subtract two times the standard decking gap. The stair treads should be at least 36 inches wide, with a maximum allowable stair rise of 7 ¾ inches and a minimum of 4 inches.
📹 Installing Deck Stair Treads
This video covers the basics of deck stair construction, covering lumber options, spacing, overhang distance, rot and corrosion …
📹 How to build stairs. Install stringers and treads
Hey all you home menders! a stairway to heaven..actually, all stairs are heaven when you need to get somewhere tall.
I’m about to tackle this project and it’ll be a first for me, so I have a few questions: 1) What should the stringers ideally be set on? (Ground/sidewalk edge?) 2) Do you need to have a gap between your boards for drainage? I saw another article where they mentioned that, but noticed that you didn’t. What’s best? 3) What should I use as a sealant/wood protector once everything is installed? Thank you!! Your article broke down the steps so easily!
Appreciate it man. You show us how a normal person is gonna get things done around the house: simple, effective and to the point. It gets annoying perusal these master carpenters try to explain to you how to build their 550 dollar 3 foot entryway staircase when you literally need 3 stringers, deck boards, and some screws and nails. I know the master craftsmen in here are salty but this is the way 99.9 percent of people are gonna tackle this job and theyll never have an issue anyway. If i wanted a 550 dollar entry stairs id hire a guy, but if im doing it myself this is the way its getting done. Good job buddy, us normal people appreciate it
Let me ask another question. I know you used a deck screw to hold the stringer in place. Then you put the hanger in place and said: “I’m going to slide it in and screw it off.” Then at about 2:45 in the article.. after using nails, it looks like you backed out the screws. So.. do you use any screws for attaching the hanger.. or only nails?
Excellent information! This is just what I needed before I tackle installing steps going into my house from my garage. By the way, if no one else commented about this, I didn’t see you wearing safety goggles while cutting wood with a circular saw. I’m sure that I don’t need to remind you how critical that is. Thanks for the great article!
What you get when you do things the “fast way”: 1) The stairs just land on dirt – So this will eventually settle and rot as well. 2) The handrail is supported by a single screw in the siding (that got bent) and will eventually allow water to penetrate behind the siding. 3) The concrete was never mixed properly – So the ‘fat guy’ he mentioned, will still definitely fall. I do like, however, the trick to tracing the stair profile at the depot!
I like how he simplifies jobs for homeowners but it wouldn’t pass inspection on stairs. Stairs have to have a top and bottom rail with ballasters and a 6″ ball can’t fit between bottom rail and step. I’m a contractor myself and he definitely did show a great way for homeowners to do steps themselves.
How do this guy not get more views!!!! I have learned so much from this website. I fixed my door problems, I fixed deck issues, i put in new floors throughout my house, I have basically fixed almost everything in my house that has broke or needed replacement just by searching through these articles for last few years….so I just want to say thank you Dustin you have saved me and my family so much money and have helped me tremendously in being a proud homeowner now for over 8 years.
Thank you so much for this. I have asked multiple people to build stairs off of my back door. I have asked 2 companies to come do it. They either look at it and don’t get me a quote, or don’t come to give the quote (I must be doing something wrong!! LOLOL!!). My dad said he would but he’s 72. My boyfriend said he would that was 3 years ago… But you just showed me how!! I am ON IT!!! Thank you for making this so simple. I get to save money AND the job will get done!!! Super grateful!
Nice job! 👍 couple things about nails, for the nails through the hanger to ledger board you want to use 3 1/2″ common nails (galvanized) and since you used double shear hangers you want to use 2 1/2″ common nails for the diagonal ones through the stringer into ledger. The 1 1/2″ joist hanger nails are for regular hangers where the nails go straight into the sides of the joists
Love Your articles. We have missed your new articles the past few weeks. It looks like there was a deck torn out and you put in temp stairs?? I was also wondering wouldn’t you normally end the bottom of exterior stairs onto a concrete or even some stepping stones to keep the wood from direct contact with dirt ground?
Well, Dustin, I’m afraid that there are a whole lot of problems with this set of stairs and if I were you I’d pull this article off the internet. Most codes require 36″ tread width.. Your railing is a joke. You certainly did not measure from the front of the stair tread. Calculating an angle for your post should not be done on a “most are 30 degrees” basis. That ledger board is not secure on the wall as witness the movement when you drive the screw for the hanger. There should be a footing for the stringers … they should not rest on the ground. Most codes require an opening not exceeding 4″ on the risers. Ditto the need for balusters sufficient that a 4″ sphere cannot pass through them. That requires a top and bottom rail. It looks like you are using a cement product meant for fence posts. I wouldn’t use it for this application (I wouldn’t use it for fence posts either, but that is another subject). No, Dustin, this may be quick, but crap on a cracker, man, it is ugly dangerous, and it is not going to last.
Nice job. I noticed that the joist hangers you used are set to 90 degrees. Angled joist hangers are available that would work better. When you connected the first joist hanger, the bottom of the connecting stringer was forced away from the head board so there is a gap. There should not be a gap that makes it less stable.
I lived in the same house for 20 years and went through 4 decks. They were all ground level. I just moved into a new house and my deck is on the second floor and there is no stairs. I had no clue how to build stairs because i never had to. Thanks for the help. The only thing i would do different is i would have poured the footings and used the post bracket that bolts to the ground for the 4×4. That way the wood would not be on the ground or under it. They rot out in about 5 years when they go underground.
I like to make a 90°cut on the back of my stringer where the joist hangers bottom meets the stringer so that there is full berring of the stringer on joist bracket! so you don’t have only the joist hangers bottom outter edge touching the back bottom of stringer if you cut a 1 3/8 in. cut ×1/8″in where the stringer starts going down hill in the back,and move your hanger up about 1″ the bottom of the hanger,it takes full bearing of the stairs and it looks cool also! great article, nice work! ✌🏻
Hmmmm… where to start? 1st rule of carpentry – never put anything behind a saw you dont need. I think that includes your thigh, d*ck and b*lls, etc. 2. That porch won’t last a month. This reminds me of that article of the guy who just shot himself, except your going to cut your leg and your johnson off. ViRaL?!
Maybe I’m missing something here. I’m not trying to find fault in anyone’s work. We build how we want to build. However, what is supporting the bottom of the stringers, especially the one in the center? Looks like they are resting solely on the ground. Doesn’t matter how well you support the posts. If this is the case it is defiantly not code compliant, I assure you of this. Failure is immanent! Nice job otherwise. =)
A couple comments. If it were my house I would have built out the top so there was maybe a 3 foot surface to stand on, rather than having the top step right against the door. That’s probably more important for a front door. Also, I know the stringers are PT but it looks like they’re resting right on the ground. Unless that’s concrete or something the surface can erode with rain, making the steps a bit unstable.
I could use yet another baseball analogy, but I won’t…on second thought, yes I will. Touch ’em all, Dustin you just knocked it out of the park! I actually understood all of the terminology you used! Go me! LOL (YouTube is still not sending me notifications. Any other subscribers having that problem?)
Christ. I done my stairs yesterday for my pool . I had to cut the strings with the dimensions I needed my self, I’m shocked how poor these ones look to have at an entrance to your house, no concrete base to stop sinking, handrail screwed to house no balistrates, this type be ok for an out house or shed entrance but not nice enough for home, but I enjoyed this
Two really quick questions! I am building a similar set of stairs (a little shorter) but they will be landing onto a patio (large concrete slab). I just wanted to ask; 1. Is there anything I need to do to the bottom of the stringers to land on the concrete (i.e. do I need to use any kind of “pad” or adhesive to fix the stringers in place)? 2. Should I be cutting the bottom of the stringers that land on the concrete slab to allow for a nice level stair set? Thank you for any help or advice you can provide!
Building Code where I am located requires a landing as deep as the width of the entry door at the top of the stairs. If there is a storm door installed on that entry door at the top of the steps, the door would open outward over the steps and you would have to open the door while halfway down the steps when coming up to the door and would have to hold the door while going down the steps until you clear the door to enable closing it. Much better and safer to have a landing when possible just the same. Code here also requires a handrail for anything over 3 steps.
This is how you build it wrong. First off the post goes on the other side. You need to actually mix that concrete at least a little and dont move the post at all until the concrete is hard or it will be loose.. Treads need to be leveled first then land on bricks or pavers, not dirt. There should be some blocking installed between stringers for strength and stability. The handrail shouldn’t smash the siding. First cut in a block, waterproof it then screw your rail to that. Also better to use screws for everything, no nails and fill all holes in hangar. You can do it right or do it again.
The nails you used to toe nail your joist hanger into your stringer is supposed to be a 12 penny nail. Most joist hangers have a stamp on it showing 2 nails in a “X” formation. That way your 12 penny nail goes into your joist and into your header. With joist hanger nails they just aren’t long enough. Something I learned from an old timer a few years ago. I didn’t know I was doing it wrong for the previous 12 years
I have a similar setup on my front porch except I have a cement landing at the bottom step. I was under the impression I had to fasten the stringers to a horizontal silplate that’s secured to the cement landing. Can I just install the stringers with the bottom side laying right on the cement landing ?