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was 'use of stringers on deck steps'
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Posted by anita55 (My Page) on Fri, Nov 6, 09 at 10:16
| hi I asked the contractor, when he came to look again, about using longer stair tread brackets. The steps in question are 11 inches and the brackets he used are probably 9 inches or 8 and 1/2 inches. He said they don't make them bigger, and I said I saw them. His reply was that they are not for stairs. His solution is to move the brackets so that they are centerized. So here is a link to the brackets I am talking about that I would like him to use. Please tell me if I'm crazy but they seem to be stair tread brackets that are 10 and 1/2 inches. I emailed him this link as well, and he hasn't replied. THank you for taking the time to look.
http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=productDetail&productId=48621-72913-TA10Z&lpage=none |
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: was 'use of stringers on deck steps'
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| You are correct, those are the brackets for treads that simpson has. It will still only be a temporary fix and your steps are unsafe without a mid stringer, side stringers all knotched consistent not over 7-3/4" rise and with a minimum 9 " tread. Hardened screws with nuts,bolts, washers in strategic places such as the railings supports as well as the ledger connects with j-bolts or wedge anchors connecting the sole plate, completely anchoring the stairs. One avenue for you to discuss with the contractor, is for him/her to get an experienced stair cutter on the job and re-do the stairs right. The offer would be for you and him/her to split the cost,(by all rights your contractor should eat all of it), but typically a "go in halves" offer settles disputes and both parties win,(sort of). The brackets aren't going to solve the inconsitent rise of the steps or the different width treads. |
plan b
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| Another avenue would be for you to go to the building dept. and find out if this project should have been permitted. If so, explain your situation and that you were unaware or wasn't told by your contractor that it needed to be. You will then need to file for a permit and more than likely will have to submit a plot plan showing where the steps are located in conjunction with your house/property lines. Drawins made up according to your local codes on stair building requirements. It's not as hard as you might think to accomplish this and you dont need the services of a draftperson to make the drawings. Your building dept. will have all those answers and the steps you need to take to get r' done. Once permitted, it will mean an inspection. Your current steps will fail miserably as built and will give your contractor a wake up call to get this project right by subbing it out to an experienced stair cutter/builder. Fines might be imposed on your contractor or you for not filing for a permit if required in your area, it is in most areas that I am aware of. Like decks, stairs especially the size of yours should not be done by amateurs. It could get as ugly as this ending up being a legal matter, so if you can convince your builder to re-do with the help or at least advise from someone who has experience, it would be beter all the way around. |
Here is a link that might be useful: deck steps
RE: was 'use of stringers on deck steps'
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Hi i really appreciate your thoughtful input on this matter. The building department here seem to be a bit of a joke, as far as I'm concerned. I went there in person to talk to them about the requirements for stairs on a deck. The building inspector's secretary said you do need a permit, even for replacement steps. the building code enforcement person said technically you do, but they don't enforce this. I talked to the contractor about this and he said he has built many decks and steps in our town and never was required to have a building permit for just replacing steps. He went over to the building department after we spoke since I'm sure he felt like I thought he was doing something wrong. They told him the same thing they told me, technically requires a bp but they don't enforce. He was teed off that they told me that because it made him look bad and I agree. So...so much for the building dept here. They were kind enough to give me their specs for steps, which seem to be much looser than other things I've read. Ok, so this is what they require:
Step length, minimum 36 inches.
Step width, minimum 9 inches, max 11.
Max riser 8and 1/4, not to vary by more than 3/8ths inch. That's all they gave me. The contractor said that because we are following the design of the original steps it's impossible to get the risers to be equi-distant from each other all the way up. So they chose to slightly alter the top and bottom steps to make it work. Does this sound feasible to you? I also was concerned about the exposed connector on the top step. He said that it's impossible to get the connectors behind the step because they weren't replacing that part of the deck, and there's no way to get them behind. How does that sound to you? We are tending to think we should just let him do some alterations, and let it go. I asked him how long he would expect these steps to last the way they are, and he said thirty years. My husband got the feeling that he wasn't all that pleased with the work that his men did. It sounded to me like he was standing behind the work. |
RE: was 'use of stringers on deck steps'
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| "I asked him how long he would expect these steps to last the way they are, and he said thirty years. My husband got the feeling that he wasn't all that pleased with the work that his men did. It sounded to me like he was standing behind the work." Get it all in writing and signed. If he feels that strongly about it's longevity and safety, he should have no problems writing it down/signing as a legal document. |
RE: was 'use of stringers on deck steps'
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| You Guys,,,this is soooo funny. Your making this way to hard and silly. No one is going to hire a plan man for such a simple job. The thing is not going to fall down ghesssssssssssss. There is a master Carpenter over on Contractor Talk that did a curved stairway using 2x12 pt treads with out a center stringer, those brackets are fine puting longer ones on is not going to make any differance. There is always a way to make the risers/stringers with in a 1/4 it sounds like the Man just replaced what was there like he contracted to do and made a few adjustments. It also sounds like he is willing to make right with in range.Sier you total crack me up
JonMon geting Major Yucks. |
RE: was 'use of stringers on deck steps'
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| Hi John getting major yucks. would you put these steps up on your house? I doubt it. Those brackets are placed to the rear of each step and I know that the fronts of the steps are going to crack under the weight of people going up and down. Some of them are cracked already. He is going to replace them. The brackets either have to be centered or they need to be longer. Tell, me, JonMon, would you have used 8 inch tread angles on 11 inch steps? would you leave the edges all ragged? Could you figure out how to space the steps out evenly? If you think this is ok then I wouldn't want you working on my house either. Why do you bother continuing to post to a thread that you only want to make fun of? Nothing else to do? Hmmmm? |
RE: was 'use of stringers on deck steps'
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| Awww Sweets chill out. You got what you paid for. Its the nature of pt pine to crack replacements will do the same thing with longer brackets or with out them. Ragged Smagered if you wanted a total trimed out set of stairs you should have told the Dude. J. |
RE: was 'use of stringers on deck steps'
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| Actually Anita, you would want the JonMon working on your project. He's a master deck builder. I just can't wrap my head around his attitude towards the workmanship, or lack of, with your stair project. Hope it gets taken care of in a safe and simple manner for you and yours. Dont know what you paid this guy and it's none of mine, but I've seen projects like this where the"contractor" made big bucks for a hack job. It ain't right. Bottom line is that the biggest deal is that they are safe for you and yours no matter what the cost. |
RE: was 'use of stringers on deck steps'
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| You know, I don't get the attitude either. He keeps harping on the price. We didn't haggle with the guy or ask for him to cut costs or corners. We expected a good set of steps and if he had charged more we wouldn't have argued. So maybe John deals with lots of people who try to nickel and dime him. That we didn't do. And I wouldn't deal with somebody with his attitude for any amount of money. thanks, Sierra |
RE: was 'use of stringers on deck steps'
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| Same stairway,in my area,all pt lumber, done with three stringers, set away from the house so rot dont start, closed risers done deferentley( thats probley why he used clips ) 2x2 pt balusters,and they will defentley twist,warp, on 4'' centers. No sanding no finish work on the cuts just your basic entry leval out side stairway including hauling off the old one.>> around $2800 High end Garapa stairway with alum blausters,trimed out all around with one coat of finish around $6800. Depending on what you paid I will agree you got a bad deal. My grip is with a Wallet that dident tell the guy what they wanted or check out his work and then decide what he/she wanted. J. |
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