Find staircase kits at Lowe's today. It's a step or tread (really a platform) but not a riser. We explain the design of the stair angle and the calculation of the necessary number of steps, step riser height, total stair height or rise, total stair length or run. I do not want to feel like I am taking “baby steps” or alternately taking a “step-and-a-half” all the way up and down. Cut the stringers. icons to determine the best calculator to use for your stairs. 78" total rise / 19 steps = 4.1" riser height, Best Practices Guide to Residential Construction, by Steven Bliss. This is for a Craftsmans Pine 11 Riser Straight Staircase, the staircase will be made to 42º please select from the options provided. Above is our sketch of a very low-slope stairway proposed by a reader. If we make the rise too short (under 4 inches of rise) it's not a step at all, it's a trip hazard. I also counted steps made on level ground over the same distance as the length of the stair and came up with 12 so I think 14 is conservative considering the slope but about right for my needs. For example, if you are building stairs to go up to a deck, and you measure 3 feet (0.91 m) from the ground to the top of the deck, then this is the total rise. Let's compare your 14 steps of 5.57" rise and 24" run to your data. What rules-of-thumb should I follow to build a comfortable walk-able low angle staircase? Where to buy. You can make short rise steps by making the stairway run longer. - Tom 6/23/12. ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act), Public Law 101-336. 19 steps x 11 inches per step = 209" - far short of your 336" run. As you see below, there is a trip hazard (a toe catcher) on these outdoor steps because the landscape ties extend up above the black asphalt walking surface near the end of the stair step. Stair treads not level because of inaccurate total rise measurement; Top tread depth too shallow because of failure to observe / incorporate top floor nosing depth; 90 Degree Angles. Dan, Thanks for your response. I figured that if I could determine the optimum number of steps to comfortably traverse the distance of the slope of my proposed staircase I would then know the correct number of treads. Apologies for the delay. If there is some formula to the ideal cadence; I would form this in concrete in order to achieve it, . Or see STAIR CONSTRUCTION, SPECIFIC ANGLE or SLOPE. Short risers can also make the staircase longer, which could add to the cost of construction. [ArcTan (.23)] = 12.9 or about a 13° slope for this stair - pretty modest. Generally we solve the problem of low slope long run stairways by using all platforms - steps that are 36" in length or more in the direction of run of the stairs, or by using a combination of normally sized stair treads (say 11" deep treads with a 6" or 7" rise) along with intermediate stair platforms. items Value:  Then since the landing counts as one of the treads; I divided the rise by 14 which give me a riser height of 5.57”. … How can I make my drop from step to step shorter? Continue reading at STAIR DIMENSIONS, WIDTH, HEIGHT or select a topic from the closely-related articles below, or see the complete ARTICLE INDEX. if (getCartItem(3) == 0) { DLF's summary. Tom, I think a sketch of what you're up to would be helpful - if you want to send one use the CONTACT US link at page top/bottom. The stair has to rise 78" over a horizontal distance of 336". 7/26/90 is very often cited by other sources for good design of stairs and ramps etc. And of course long stair runs due to a very tall total rise (more than 12 feet) also is likely to require an intermediate stair platform as well. Then we "fit" that stair into the building design plan, or outdoors we let the stairs end where they may, provided there is adequate entry/exit room at the stair top and bottom. Minimum 10 inch stair tread depth with nosing or Minimum 11 inches with no nosing. - Fire code normally says; do not allow stairs to rise more than 12 feet without providing a landing. If we divide the total rise by the total horizontal distance travelled or "run" we have, Percent Slope = Rise / Run or Vertical Distance / Horizontal Distance multiplied by 100, A Slope angle expressed in degrees is computed as. Engineered Pine is secions of Pine glued together to form a wider section. For convenience and flexibility, this stair stringer calculator comes in two forms, the automatic and manual .Click on the [?] Your input is appreciated. [27] "The Dimensions of Stairs", J. M. Fitch et al., [28] Stair & Walkway Standards for Slipperiness or Coefficient of Friction (COF) or Static Coefficient of Friction (SCOF), [43] International Building Code, Stairway Provisions, Section 1009: Stairways and Handrails, retrieved 8/29/12, original source: http://www.amezz.com/ibc-stairs-code.htm [copy on file as IBC Stairs Code.pdf], [44] Model Building Code, Chapter 10, Means of Egress, retrieved 8/29/12, original source: http://www2.iccsafe.org/states/newjersey/NJ_Building/PDFs/NJ_Bldg_Chapter10.pdf, [copy on file as NJ_Bldg_Chapter10.pdf] adopted, for example by New Jersey. See HALTING WALK STAIR DESIGNS for LOW SLOPES or SHORT STEP RISE.