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Short Summary
Main recommendation: Build the deck stairs by measuring the total rise and run, keeping each rise at about 8 inches or less, and cutting identical stringers from a framing square setup so every step is the same size. The video stresses solid construction (five stringers, skirting and blocking) and notes that local building code should be checked before building.
Key Points
- Stairs are presented as the most difficult deck element, and the video offers a shortcut of building stacked platform boxes, each smaller than the last, which uses more material but can be easier if math is a weak point.
- Rise (vertical height from the deck to the ground) and run (horizontal distance) must be measured first; the presenter's measurements were 39 inches of rise and 40 inches of run.
- Using an 8-inch maximum rise as a rule of thumb gave five risers and four treads, producing a near-45-degree, comfortable angle.
- Pre-made stair stringer kits from building stores can work if rise and run fit, but the presenter's kit was about an inch too short, so he built custom stringers.
- The step-depth rule given is: two times the run plus the rise should equal 27 inches (for a 5-inch rise, an 11-inch tread).
Details Worth Noting
- Concrete instructions:
- Measure rise: level a 6 ft level from the deck surface down to the ground and read the vertical height. Use 8 inches or less per riser as a rule of thumb.
- Divide total rise into equal risers (here 39 in ÷ 8 in gives five risers, so four treads). Use a rise of about 7 1/4 inches per step.
- Calculate tread depth with the 27 rule: 2 × rise + run = 27. Adjust the tread so the total run fits (about 10 inches per tread here, for a 40-inch run).
- Set framing square dials (rise 7 1/4 in, run just under 10 in) and mark each stringer so every stair is identical.
- Cut stringers with five stringers for a 6 ft wide staircase, using 2-inch lumber. Make the cut with a skill saw set to 2-inch depth, then finish inside cuts with a jigsaw for clean, square corners.
- Notch inside stringers where the 2x4 blocking goes to prevent twisting as wood dries.
- Install stringers with a slight inward lean (about 1 degree toward the stairs) for a bit of give if the deck moves, and to avoid throwing the user forward; check level within about 1/16 inch.
- Add a 2x6 riser across the front, block both sides as code requires, cut floorboards about an inch past each stringer, and close the sides with skirt boards and 2x4 back framing to keep animals out.
- Keep stairs at the spacing and angle described for comfort; the video mentions near-45-degree steps as comfortable.
- The presenter notes that code requirements vary by location, so the specifics should be verified locally.
- Nosing of about 1 1/4 inches is used to act like its own riser for a clean finish.
Bottom Line
Stair construction comes down to precise rise and run math, identical stringers, and solid blocking, all checked against local code.
