Stairs
Staircases
Stair Construction Requirements
Stair Stringer Layout
Cutting Stair Stringers
Deck Stair Stringers Spacing
Installing Stringers
Anchoring Deck Stairs
Planning to Land Stairs on a Future Patio
Support Long Stringers
Building a Cascading Staircase
Closed Stair Risers
Stair Tread Nosing
Stairway Lighting
Building an ADA Deck Ramp
Stair Safety Glazing Requirement
Stair Stringer Length
Box Steps and Stairs
EZ Stairs
Deck Builders
Watch the first of our deck design video series. Here are the three products in the video. Enjoy!
Gossen PVC Decking
BigFoot Systems
EBTY Hidden Fasteners

Extra Support For Long Stair Stringers

If your stringers are more than 10’ long we recommend installing a rigid beam at mid span to add support to the structure.  Stair stringers strength is considerably weakened by the cuts made to create the stair surfaces and stairs must be strong to withstand very stressful conditions.  It is preferable to break long stair runs with intermediate landings both visually and structurally but in some cases you may need to use one long run. 

 A brace will dampen the shear stress that can compromise the stringers integrity in the center of the stairs.  Most deck stairs are under built and as a result feel bouncy and are a risk to collapse especially after weathering can propagate cracks in the stringers.  You may also consider doubling your stair stringers by nailing two 2x12’s together like a beam in order to increase strength. Adding blocking between stringers can also strengthen the entire stair structure.