Need Advise on stairs leading to front porch.

14 years ago

We're in the process of building our first home. One of our "little" surprises after clearing the land was that we were going to need quite a bit of blocks & would add a lot of height to the front of our house.

We're getting to the point that we'll need to get started on the steps leading up to the front porch. But we need advise on economical ways of doing this (especially since the extra blocks and concrete are putting us dangerously close to over budget). We were wondering if wooden stairs could be a viable option, or should stick with concrete? Would wooden stairs look alright? Will regular lumber do for painted stairs?

Below is a picture of the house. The approximate distance from the porch to the ground in front of the door is about 6'- 6.5' The final grade on the lawn has not been done yet and we're planning on adding a bit more dirt there in the front.

Any and all advise welcome & wanted. TIA!!

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Comments (4)

john_hyatt
14 years ago
Use ground contact preasure treated wood for an outside staircase.Painting standard framing lumber will shorten its service life.

The foundation of any stairway,creet or wood, should land on solid,not backfill. J.
sandrop329
Original Author
14 years ago
Thanks for the advice on the pressure treated wood, and on making sure the foundation is on solid ground. Very helpful, though I'm sure that our subcontractor would have informed us of this :) I'm just gathering as much information as I can to present my husband with when I talk to him about stair ideas.

Do you think that wood stairs are the best option? Will it look nice? Is it more economical than concrete?

More opinions greatly appreciated!!!!
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john_hyatt
14 years ago
Depending on the detail wood stairway is less than creet. J.
weedyacres
14 years ago
What will the exterior of your home be made from (brick, siding, etc.)? What's the style of the exterior? It looks like you'll have a porch with columns as well...what kind of columns and what flooring on the porch?