Stairs

[JLNorthGA]

I built some short stairs for a set. They've been in use for a few productions. Nothing much, just four treads.

SWMBO (our director) want's to reuse them yet again. Instead of just using them as a short set of stairs, which lead off stage, she would like for me to build a lower portion and turn 90 degrees with two triangular steps and have the existing stairs butt up to the lower portion. Naturally the old stairs will have to be supported with knee walls or something similar. Structurally it is easy to do. I would make a rectangular platform and set another smaller rectangular (or square) platform on top of the first. I would then build a small triangular platform and set that on top of the smaller platform. Voila - I then have three treads, two of which are triangular and which turn the corner. I can then build something on which to set the short flight of stairs. Then all I have to do is build escape stairs.

Does this sound reasonable? Does this sound like it would hold up for the rest of rehearsal and two weeks of performances? Or should I just make another set of stairs from scratch? Only the first step would be visible of the short stairs, the rest will be behind a flat.

 

[Footer]

Sounds fine to me. Your just building a few platforms and landing the stairs on said platform. Done that plenty of times. You seem to know what your doing in the set building area, if it feels good to ya go for it.

 

[lwinters630]

I agree just build a lower platform, about 3 foot by 3 foot or whatever width your stairs are. it should be one riser higher than your existing set of stairs. slide your existing set of stairs up to it and bolted it through. then add two pies shape stairs. 1 large triangle shape platform, with the second smaller triangle shape on top. build the next platform one riser higher than your pie shape stairs. I assume this is your upper hallway leading to your escape stairs. build and pulled your stairs to the upper platform. if you're platforms are 3 foot above the stage, then make sure you support with four by four legs through bolted together. keep all your risers the same height or within three eighths of an inch.

 

[MarshallPope]

Agreed with the above. Done similar things multiple times. I kind of wonder if just having the one triangular platform might make for an awkwardly large step, though. Without knowing any of your dimensions or how much vertical room you have to play with, I would probably see if I could eek out enough room for an extra step to turn the corner.

Also, lwinters - 4x4 legs? Seems like overkill to me.

 

[JLNorthGA]

if you're platforms are 3 foot above the stage, then make sure you support with four by four legs through bolted together. keep all your risers the same height or within three eighths of an inch.

I usually just build knee walls out of 2 x 4s. I figure if they can hold up the second story of a house, they can hold up a small set of stairs. If I'm going over 8', I'll sister some 2 x 4s together with #9 or #10 screws.