Hi:
I was hoping to get some advise on building a mortise and tenon open staircase. Matt over at Fine woodworking suggested I seek out Andy Engel here at FineHomebuilding.
I have 3 inch by 12 inch yellow cedar material for construction of these stairs. The total run is 150 inches. The stair width is 37.5 inches. The total rise from finished floor to finished floor is 109.5 inches. The run of 150 ends at a wall and in the house plan for these stairs their is a landing 37.5 inches by 37.5 inches against the wall with 12 more treads leading to second floor. Overhead of this landing there is a finished ceiling that extends 44.5 inches from this same wall. Clearance is 95.5 inches from finished floor to this ceiling in this spot.
In our area building codes allows for a maximum of 7 and 7/8 inch rise and minimum 9 and 1/4 inch tread.
thanks chewey
Replies
What exactly are you asking? Riser heights?
The run of 150 ends at a wall
Does that mean that the top step is butt up against a wall?
"Put your creed in your deed." Emerson
"When asked if you can do something, tell'em "Why certainly I can", then get busy and find a way to do it." T. Roosevelt
Hey Chewy!
Years ago there was a shop made device in F/H that had a rotating router jig integrated into it and it worked great! And I mean great! I made the jig with no problems and built a couple of mortise & Tenon stairs sets with it. I don't recall exactly when it was published or which issue but I built mine in 1993/94 so that sorta brackets the time frame. But I assure you you will like it. It is fast and accurate. (As a sidebar; I got to going so fast and furious with mine that I made two "rights" before I realized I needed a right stringer and a left stringer!!! I laugh now but it cost me another thirty bucks for to replace the 2x12x14' that I ruined! And I did not have a spare thirty bucks in those days! LOL!) Anyway, I'll do a little diging around and see if I can find it for you. Or perhaps someone else remembers. But I do swear by it. It was a brilliant idea whoever came up with it.
KD6
The laughing all stops when the concrete truck shows up.
Thanks look forward to hearing from you. chewey
Ha!
Chewy!
I found it! It is in the F/H builders library. (Which is a hard bound series of books put out by F/H way back when.) It is in the book on "Building floors, walls and stairs". Pages 40-43. ISBN 0-942391-12-8.
Hope this helps.
KD06
Hi Knightdiamond:
How do I access this info. I'm very new to this website. Did a search but came up empty. thanks again chewey
Hi Chewy,
The info is in a book. Hardcover type. Years ago F/H put out a book series called "Builders Library". I bought it. Quite frankly it is a pretty good resource. Kinda like a hardbound greatest hits of F/H. But the jig was in there. I posted the ISBN for you. I have no idea if you will be able to get it. I never hear of anyone who has it or uses it. (Other than me of course) But the jig is really functionable. Makes perfect M7T stairs. You still gotta do the math though! BTW- I attached my landing to the stringers with lag bolts from the back side and a shelf. Hope that helps!
KD06
Hi Knightdiamond:
Thanks for all the info, most helpful. chewey
You are welcome Chewey.
Curleys Sept 85 issue reference is the exact article I was talking about! (I looked it up and it is "thee" very same one). Kudos to Curley and good luck to you!
KD
I'm looking at "The Stairbuilders handbook" and something don't compute.
Counting the landing as a tread, I get 13 treads, and the total run is only 10'5 15/16" to get a total run of 150" or 12'6'' you would have 16 treads at 11 1/16" that is a 30 degree12' incline.
Where as the first scenario is 38 53' , kinda steep.
Inbetween, you have 15 treads with an incline of 32 54' which is a better angle, but then the run is 13' 3''.
Something don't wash.
Edited 8/3/2007 3:07 pm ET by Sphere
Hi Sphere:
I know it will be a tight squeeze to make this work with building code specs but assume since it was from a plan it should have room. The bottom tread which is against the wall is a landing with a width and length (by code) has to be 37.5 x 37.5 the remaining run for the rest of the 12 treads is then 112.5 inches. Each tread works out to 9.3 inches which passes our code and the rise is about 7 7/8 a little less which also passes our code. 14 risers and 13 treads. I think it should work just need a little more of a plan on how to do the landing and stringers. chewey
zounds like you've got it!
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
Can you post a picture or scan of the relevant portion of the plans. Where the two stairs, the landing, and the wall meet.SamT
Hi sam
No sorry not that good with computer. chewey
I see 14 riers with 13 treads,oner of which is that landing. So with 12 treads, they are each doing a run of 9.3333 so the tread size is over that according to how much lip.Say 7-13/16" rise over a 9-1/4" run, not a bbad set of stairs
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
I don't know beans about M&T stairs, but can help with layout.
BTW, Andy has only rarely come into BT the past year or so since he took over as editor of decks magazine with Hanley Woods.
your riser height will be 7-13/16"
It is not real clear to me what you are asking either. I have to go meet somebody and will try to check this out and maybe do a drawing later if nobody else gets you first.
Welcome to the
Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime.
where ...
Excellence is its own reward!
Hi Piffin:
I need a little guidance on how the stringers and the landing would join together . How would you build the landing, and how would the stringers with the remain treads attach? Thanks for the riser height that makes sense, now. chewey.
In typical framing, I would frame the landing to run back inn under the stairs and teat it like any floor the stringers land on.but this exposed stringers and M&T stuff means that your stringers are decorative so I assume they should show all the way down and notch into the landing. So that mens you needd to do some extensive scaled detail drawings to figure it all out
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
thanks chewey
You used to be able to buy just the articles from Taunton Press for a few bucks. They've changed the home page some but you can find an article on the topic. I have the CD with 600 of their best articles. What your asking is Sep. 1985. Check the archives at the home page
Hi Curley:
Thanks for the info. chewey