Help with Stairs

[csilvia9]

Hi, I am building a set for Peter Pan and I need to build stairs to reach a 5' level. I checked the archives but did not see any how too's on stair construction. Does anyone have some good advice for building stairs? The type of stairs I need are for the pirate ship, so the can be a little on the steep side. If anyone can help me out please let me know.

[josh88]

Most decent set construction books have decent examples of how to do stairs. Are you trying to do a normal straight run staircase? One huge thing is to just make sure the rise and runs are all the same, if you alter one or two it will throw people off.

I don't know where I picked this up or if it's right but I tend to work around 18 inches. So if I have a 12 in step I make a 6 inch rise, adding up to 18 has always seemed pretty comfortable to me, unless you get to the extremes, a 3 inch step with a 15 rise obviously doesn't work.

You can by pre made stringers often for decks at the box stores. Or you can take a framing square and lay them out yourself and cut them from a 2x6 or 2x8. That's sort of the quick and dirty for basics. Give us specifically what you're looking for and see if we can help more


Sent from my iPod touch using Tapatalk

[Footer]

How to Build Stairs - Easy Steps Building Stairs - Popular Mechanics

There are more guides out there. It really depends on what kind of look you are going for. Most stairs that I build for scenery construction are usually done out of 2x12. 2x12 makes both good stringers and good treads. I usually try to do an 8" rise, but that can be adjusted. A good rule of thumb is to have your rise and run added together equal out to be around 18".

[derekleffew]

... The type of stairs I need are for the pirate ship, so the can be a little on the steep side. If anyone can help me out please let me know.

Sounds like what you want is a ship's ladder, which is just a steep, open-riser stair. See Section 10 of www.benteague.com/features/stairs.pdf . If building this type, ignore the rest of this post.

...I don't know where I picked this up or if it's right but I tend to work around 18 inches. So if I have a 12 in step I make a 6 inch rise, adding up to 18 has always seemed pretty comfortable to me, unless you get to the extremes, a 3 inch step with a 15 rise obviously doesn't work.

From Stair Builders Handbook - Chapter One :

By this "Rule of 17-1/2" most any combination of rise and run will have a comfortable "feel" so long as the rise is not less than 6 inches or more than 8 inches per stair.

Also, The 17 1/2 Inch Stair Rule - Carpentry Construction Tips .

[josh88]

From Stair Builders Handbook - Chapter One :

Also, The 17 1/2 Inch Stair Rule - Carpentry Construction Tips .

There you go! I knew I'd read that before and I'm sure my first shop manager taught me, its just filed in that things I know work folder in my head.

[csilvia9]

Thanks for all the help everyone, the funny thing is I'm in a wheelchair and never thought about what would be a comfortable measurement for a rise.

[Van]

Personally, I love to stick to 8 Inch rises for onstage stairs. It makes so many heights easier to attain. I just have to remember then that Standard code in PDX is 7" or less for rise and 11" or wider for run. New codes also require a 1/2" bullnose or projection from the front of each step. The codes stuff is the hardest to keep up with.

[MPowers]

.....One huge thing is to just make sure the rise and runs are all the same, if you alter one or two it will throw people off.........

You are absolutely correct, 98% of the time. Any time a single step is different, the sudden change throws a person off even if they are aware of the different step and have climbed the same stair many times. The exception is when there is a need for a change such as forced perspective or where a limited height/space situation requires the stair to start up quickly to clear some passage or space, but is restricted in total height due to a low ceiling or on stage obstructions.

The acceptable ways to alter either the stair height (most important of the two) and/or the run are:
1. Forced perspective. Fake 3D to make the stair look larger and longer than it really is. Each step is slightly reduced in rise and/or run by the same amount. Note that both do not have to change. Example 1. Each rise in a 15 tread run is 1/4 inch less. The first is 8", the last is 6 1/8". Example 2. First step is 8" second is 1/16" less the second is 2/16" less, the third is 3/16 less .... and so on.
2. Landing change. A landing that requires at least two strides by the actor to cross allows you to change the rise run without a problem.

In all cases the change is constant and the same, i.e. each step is X" more then the one before, or each step is changed by X%, or each step change is equal to the previous change plus 1/x".

[josh88]

Agreed, and hopefully in those 2% you go well over that fact with the people using the stairs so they are aware and comfortable so they don't get tripped up. I know that I've had students do stairs just as a carpentry training exercise, and they get their measurements and cuts off. When you send them up their own stairs and they trip it starts to hit home that you need precision. Then I'll hurt their minds by showing them something with a forced perspective. It's a good exercise.


Sent from my iPod touch using Tapatalk

[mstaylor]

If you are building a standard stringer stair, remember to subtract the thickness of the tread material from the bottom and the thickness of the riser from the back of the top. What I do to lay out a stair is measure floor to floor and divide by the preferred rise. That will tell you two things, the number of steps and the remainder of the height layout. You take that number and divide it by the number of steps and add it to the riser height.
Many will tell you to use stair gauges to layout the steps. This works but a better method is to C clamp a board, piece of angle iron or even a two foot level to a 2 ft square. Line it to the rise and run, just like the gauges, the mark it out. It allows you to slide by the end of the stringer material and saves wasting a step.