Home Improvement Stack Exchange
Home Improvement Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [stairs]

449 questions
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Is there a standard height and depth for stairs?

Is there a standard (or a standard range for) the height and depth of each step in a flight of stairs? If your answer refers to your building code, please say where you live.
Vebjorn Ljosa
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Is is safe to use LED strips that shine onto stair risers instead of directly onto treads?

I'm planning to mount LED strips under the treads of the outdoor wood staircase to our back yard. I'd like to avoid light shining into peoples' eyes while climbing stairs, so I'm considering mounting the LED strips in a 45-degree aluminum channel…
Justin Grant
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Is this stair rise to code?

Edited: I added a photo of the whole stairs, to see if it looks like it can be fixed or if you all think he needs to start over. We are currently having our front porch steps and railing rebuilt. The top step rests right under the porch, resulting…
Catport
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Should I make my two steps have the same rise or keep one closer to a typical height?

I have a 10-1/2" rise outside from my concrete patio to my deck. Should I put in one step at the halfway point or a shorter step with a 3" rise with the 2nd step being 7-1/2"?
R. Flower
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New home with gaps in stairs

The stairs in our home being built (production builder) is concerning. The gaps in risers and treads doesn't seem right. When seeing all other homes in same neighborhood under construction they do not have gaps and risers are plywood allowing a butt…
T.Tautfest
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How do you make outdoor wooden stairs less slippery in winter?

Outdoors, I have some wooden stairs leading up to my front door. The wooden stairs are covered in high-gloss wood preservative. In winter, snow and ice are deposited onto the stair-steps. The bottoms of my shoes slip and slide on the high gloss…
Samuel Muldoon
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How can I bend plywood around a stair riser?

I've been researching for some time how to cover a curved stair riser that had been previously tiled. I wasn't pleased with the look of the tile, so I removed it and sanded back the mastic before veneering. However, the veneer was too thin and it…
CcS
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How do I repair my stair bannister?

My stairs bannister are made of small wood posts nailed to the ramp. The whole thing have always been quite fragile. After 10 years, a couple posts came loose and most show a gap between the posts and ramp. I know how to use a screwdriver and screw,…
Jeffrey
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How can I build a custom stair case in a small space?

In my continuing pursuit of gutting this house and trying to better it; the snow has finally broken and its time to get back to work. We really, REALLY, want to use the attic space as storage / den / office space. We've finally come to the…
lsiunsuex
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Dwelling code imposition on landscape stairs

I just had a retaining wall and patio installed in my back yard. There is a stairway set in the retaining wall with nine steps. We just had what was supposed to be the final sign-off, and got a different inspector who is new to the town. She is…
Matt Auger
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Suitable ladder for reaching stair well above corner stairs

I want to hang a picture in our stairwell above the stairs, but the stairs curve directly beneath the stairwell where I want to hang the picture. What is the best way to reach the wall above the stairwell?
TonE
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Any US building codes about a door opening into a hallway near a stairway?

A while ago I changed a door out from my tiny bathroom so that it opens outside of the bathroom and into the hallway. It looks attractive and provides a great deal more room in the bathroom making it feel much bigger now. It was also a great deal…
maple_shaft
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How to support a turn in a staircase?

This is for a shed. I'm having problems finding enough support for either stringer and I can't find any close-up images of how this might be done. My only choice seems to be to pull the lower staircase back from the upper. Is there a way to make…
Corey Alix
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How should I add a rail on a carpeted stairway that's open on one side?

I'm buying a house with carpeted stairs leading into the basement. Attached is a picture of it. I have very little skill when it comes to home improvement. What's the easiest and most economical way to put a railing on these stairs? Is there a…
Jason Thompson
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Structurally required? I-beam support under stair opening header

The stair opening into my basement is framed like this: A partition wall (non-load bearing) sits on top of the header. A square duct runs parallel to the header, and on the other side of this duct is an I-beam (3" x 3") supported in the center by a…
jmvincent
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