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Stairs and Stair Framing

Stair Framing A structure placed between two floors that has a series of steps that allows you to move up or down freely to different level. The rough-in is placed during the framing but the main stair system is usually placed after the sub-floor is down.

Equipment Needed Hammer Circular Power Saw Framing & T-Squares Ear, Mouth Protection Handsaw Nails           Level Tape Measure          

Placing the Rough-In You are cutting a hole in the flooring so it must be supported On the edges where you have a joist running the full span you double up. These joists are called a double trimmer. Between the two double trimmers you place a double header

Parts of a Floor System

Terms of a Stair System Tread- The horizontal surface of one step. Riser- The vertical board between treads (kick board) Unit Run- The distance an individual unit travels Unit Rise- The distance an individual unit moves up. Total Run- The distance the stair case travels. Total Rise- The distance the stair case go up. Stairwell Rough Opening- Opening in the floor system. Stringer- The main support unit of a stair case. Headroom- Distance from the ceiling to the tread.

Terms of a Stair System Nosing- The part of the tread that extends past the riser Newel- The post the supports the railing. Handrail- A surface that is intended for grabbing by a person going up and down the stairs. Balusters- Some times called spindles. They support the railing and keep children from falling to the floor. Platform- A horizontal surface placed between two flights of stairs Landing- The start point and finish point of a stair system. Winders- Wedge-shaped treads installed where stairs turn.

Parts of a Stair Unit http://www.fieldshomeimprovement.com/ht_stairs.html

Codes to Consider Maximum unit rise Maximum unit tread Fire blocking requirements Maximum material spans Framing requirements Special considerations

Calculating Stair Dimensions Most stair angles should fall between 30 and 35 degrees This can be accomplished with a 11 inch run and a 7 inch rise. To calculate how many stairs you will need you take the total rise and divide it by 7. This will give you your total number of treads. You will need to round up or down and recalculate your rise.

Calculating Stair Dimensions To find your total run you multiply your total treads by 11. You can shorten this number if need be to increase headroom. Now that you have total rise and run you can calculate how long your stringer must be.

Stringer Layout http://www.fieldshomeimprovement.com/ht_stairs.html

Activity Calculate the number and size of risers for a straight run stairway. Calculate the unit run and the total run On paper layout one stringer for this activity

Spiral Stairs http://www.yorkspiralstair.com/images/glossary_center.jpg http://www.yorkspiralstair.com/images/glossary_center.jpg http://www.stairwaysinc.com/stair01.jpg

Disappearing Stairs http://www.bessler.com

Escalators http://tube.tfl.gov.uk/content/metro/02/0203/14/escalator.jpg http://static.howstuffworks.com/gif/escalator-diagram.gif