Buzz
Even simple porch stairs require careful planning and precise execution.
iStockphoto.com/Kimberly McBrideYou've created the ideal porch – strong with a beautiful railing and a wooden swing. But something's missing. You need stairs to descend from that lovely porch to the ground, so it's time to build porch stairs.
Building stairs can be a tough task, even for a simple porch staircase with just a few steps. While it's possible to do it yourself with thorough planning and design, only attempt to build porch stairs, or any stairs, if you have experience in carpentry and are confident in your skills. Always verify local codes and obtain necessary permits before starting the project.
In this article, we will explore how to build porch stairs, starting with the key step -- the design process. You may think stairs are simple -- what’s there to design? But this is the most vital part of the project. In fact, the design is so important that some carpenters use drafting software for this step. The actual construction is not that difficult, but precise measurements and calculations can trip you up. If math isn't your strong suit, you may want to leave this task to a professional. However, with the right planning, building your porch stairs shouldn’t be too challenging.
Now, grab your measuring tape and calculator, and try to recall some high school geometry as you move to the next page.
Designing Porch Stairs
We’ve all encountered poorly designed staircases. Narrow, steep basement stairs can make anyone nervous, and overly wide and flat marble steps in historic buildings can be frustrating. Trying to fit a staircase into a cramped or excessively long space results in stairs that feel awkward to use. You definitely want to avoid that with your own stairs. Luckily, building porch stairs doesn’t bring the same complications. You can design them to fit properly, rather than having to compromise, like when fitting stairs into tight basement spaces.
Designing a staircase isn’t about adding decorative flourishes or intricate details to the railings. It’s about determining the correct number of stairs.
Follow these steps to design your stairs:
- Measure the rise of your future staircase in inches (or centimeters), then divide by 7 inches (18 cm), the ideal step height, to calculate the number of steps.
- Divide your porch height (or total rise) by the number of steps to determine the height of each riser. Round to the nearest quarter inch (or quarter centimeter).
- The rise height dictates the run width. Use a chart like the one here to find your run width based on the step height [source: DoItYourself].
If you’ve made it through all that math and your head is still clear, let’s move on to the fun part -- actually building your porch stairs.
If your porch is 3 feet (1 meter) high, here’s how your calculations would look:
- Take 36 inches (91 cm) and divide by 7 inches (18 cm) to get 5.14 steps. Round to the nearest whole number, so your staircase will have five steps.
- Take 36 inches (91 cm) and divide by five steps to get 7.2 inches (18.2 cm), the actual riser height.
- Based on the chart, the 7 ¼ inch (18 ¼ cm) riser height means the run width should be 11 inches (28 cm).
Your porch will have five steps, each 7 ¼ inches (18 ¼ cm) high and 11 inches (28 cm) wide.
Building Porch Stairs
With the toughest part behind you, it's time to get to what you’ve been waiting for -- building the porch stairs.
Have you designed your steps? Check. Got your local building codes sorted? Check. Obtained all the necessary permits? Check. If so, you're ready to proceed with these essential steps:
- Place the stringers according to your measurements. (Stringers are the cut boards that will support your steps.)
- Secure the stringers with lag screws (large wood screws with square heads).
- Cut the risers based on your measurements and attach them using screws.
- Install the treads, securing them at both ends and in the middle [source: Hazelton].
You’ll probably want a railing for added support while using your new stairs. To start, install a post before placing the bottom tread. (Be prepared to trim the tread to fit around the post.) Afterward, add the railing. This can be a simple piece of lumber connecting the post to the top of your porch, but you might want to reinforce it by adding another piece closer to the stairs.
You can purchase pre-cut stringers from hardware stores, but that doesn’t mean everything is ready to go. You might still need to adjust them to perfectly fit your staircase, or level out the ground if it's uneven. [source: Hazelton].
