Stairs

[Adrian Rees MW1LCR]

Hi all Well, we've fitted the wooden floring, as per one of my previous posts. Thanks for all the advice !

Now we want to install a new staircase.

I'd appreciate comments on the following:

1. I think the easiest way to go is to buy a ready made-to-measure staircase and install it. How difficult is it to install ?

1. If I made a staircase, how difficult is it to make?

Thanks

Adrian

[Jim Alexander]

didn't see you original post so idea of your dimensions. you might get some ideas from

A

[John Rumm]

"ready made to measure" seem to be the best of both worlds ;-)

Much depends on how "difficult" your stairs are. It it is a standard height, angle and a striaght run then a ready made kit may be the quickest and easiest.

Chances are however there is usually enough variation from "standard" to make having one made to measure, or making your own will be necessary to get the right fit.

What sort of flight are we talking about? (i.e. rise, going, width, winders, half landings etc)

If you take your time and plan carefully they are not that difficult to make.

I quite enjoyed doing mine:

will need a decent 1/2" router, a jigsaw and a few basic tools.

[Grimly Curmudgeon]

We were somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the drugs began to take hold. I remember "Adrian Rees MW1LCR" saying something like:

Easy enough if it's a straight run. Couple of gotchas, but measure carefully.

I made a set a couple of years ago, using Douglas fir for the sides and treads, the treads simply screwed and glued to 2x2 battens screwed and glued to the sides.

[meow2222]

Its easy if you pick an easy design, hard if you pick a hard design. What tools you need also depends on the design, for some you just need a saw and hammer,

NT

[Weatherlawyer]

You can get one made or buy something ready made that might just fit. If you can get one that is ready made and fits OK but getting someone to make a one off could work out rather expensive.

You might be better off making an open stair case with inch thick timber for the treads and at least inch and a quarter for the side pieces or strings. If you can cut housings for the treads well and good but you can get away with using supports as another poster has suggested.

Your measurements need to be spot on as any differences in the spacings will cause users to trip.

[auctions]

We have a good supplier in Oldham - decent quality and good prices. I've had both simple straight flights and winders made to measure by them. Installation is pretty straightforward.

If you'd like contact details email me.

Andrew

[meow2222]

Probably the simplest design would be a pair of 2x6s to support the whole thing, 1.5x7 or something similar for the treads, and triangles of 2x6 to enable toe treads to sit on the angled 2x6s. Redundancy with fixings is essential for safety. You can add any thin wood to make it closed instead of open.

NT