short stairs materials

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bluebaron

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Never build stairs before but knocking through wall on split level house and need to build a short run of three steps. I need to go up around 500mm and want to keep the dept as minimum as possible to avoid eating up floor space in the room.

Plan was to build a frame (4x2) and then use OSB (18MM) for the riser and treads, the top one would be more of a short landing. Then ill probably carpet the whole lot. I wasn't going to bother with a railing (assume at this height not required?)

Should I Overhang the treads or just build flush?

Any tips or advice before I start?

Thnaks
 
bluebaron said:
Any tips or advice before I start?
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Yes. Do the job properly, that is with housed stringers, etc. What you are proposing is nothing more than a DIY bodge job which will eventually creak (from experience of replacing several such "delights" - screwed frames always end up creaking) - so OK for a temporary flight on a building site or for short term use, but that's all

bluebaron said:
Plan was to build a frame (4x2) and then use OSB (18MM) for the riser and treads, the top one would be more of a short landing. Then ill probably carpet the whole lot. I wasn't going to bother with a railing (assume at this height not required?)
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TBH OSB is a carp material for making stairs, partly because it isn't exactly flat and you cannot form a step bull-nose properly in it (carpets generally require a bull nose - on square edge risers they seem to wear out faster). 18mm is also very thin for stairs - 22mm MR-MDF is really the bare minimum, 25mm or 28mm even better. The risers need only be 6mm plywood (not MDF as more rigidity is required than MDF can give).

AFAIK a handrail is still a legal requirement, even at this height

bluebaron said:
Should I Overhang the treads or just build flush?
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Stairs, even cast concrete ones, are always given an overhang - it makes walking the stairs easier and safer and reduces trip risk. That's why we do it

If your approach were a good one every joiner would do it - but the fact is, they don't
 
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Sorry, maybe a bit harsh, but making a short flight of stairs properly isn't that hard if you are semi-proficient at woodworking and have some tools. There's also the fact that there are specific legal requirements to meet in terms of the going (angle/tread depth, etc), width, handrail heights, etc. All this information is available on line
 
Scaffold boards do a great job and are propper wood...cheap router , sander and a saw off you go.
 
If you skills are limited , building three MDF boxes, each smaller than the one below make a sturdy set of steps , 18mm MDF for sides and 22mm for top .
 
Im pretty proficient at most things but just not really done stairs/steps before. Thanks for advice, ill have a think on how to proceed.
 
foxhole said:
If you skills are limited , building three MDF boxes, each smaller than the one below make a sturdy set of steps , 18mm MDF for sides and 22mm for top .
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You can't just build boxes any size you like, y'know - staircase replacement is actually notifiable to Building Control under part K of the building regs, and unless you can show that you are doing a like for like replacement of a non-compliant original stair you have to meet the current regs on rise and going. There is quite a good (and relatively simple) synopsis of the regs here.
 
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Going in this corner
 
foxhole said:
Who said you could ?
No replacement stairs being built?
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In that case it's a new installation. They are notifiable and do have to meet the regs for rise and going. Can't see a BCO approving stairs made from boxes with no bannister - three standard steps are about 600mm rise.
 
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