# deck stair treads...



## freemason21 (Aug 5, 2009)

went to look at a deck that needs new stairs today. passed it along to my friend but i'll be helping him do it. they were already replaced once by her brother in law who was probably drunk when he did them as they just scream lawsuit. 

anyway, there's 4 risers. the bottom two are 2x10, and the top 2 are 2x12. has anyone else ever seen this before? they are the weirdest looking stairs i've ever seen. anytime i build stairs i use the 5/4 deck boards. i've never seen a 2x10 used like that. and the two sizes? what is going on.


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## PA woodbutcher (Mar 29, 2007)

What difference does it make what was there if your going to replace them anyways? Yo can make your own treads from 2x12's or from 5/4. It's your rise you should be worried about.


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## freemason21 (Aug 5, 2009)

PA woodbutcher said:


> What difference does it make what was there if your going to replace them anyways? Yo can make your own treads from 2x12's or from 5/4. It's your rise you should be worried about.


 i was baffled by the 2x10's at the bottom and then the 2x12's for the top 2 treads...


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## The Coastal Craftsman (Jun 29, 2009)

they prob just used what they had lying around.


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## Trim40 (Jan 27, 2009)

Look at the ends of the treads. Are they burned from being cut by a blade that hasn't been changed since Clinton was Prez? Or that's what you get when you pay in advance with beer.


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## genecarp (Mar 16, 2008)

Hackery is going on, GMOD


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## freemason21 (Aug 5, 2009)

genecarp said:


> Hackery is going on, GMOD


 thats what i figured. the 2x's look like crap to begin with. she wants to re-use them though which sucks. whatever the customer wants though.


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## Greg Di (Mar 12, 2005)

freemason21 said:


> thats what i figured. the 2x's look like crap to begin with. she wants to re-use them though which sucks. whatever the customer wants though.


That's where you are wrong. You are the professional and YOU tell the HO how it's done properly and that's how you do it.

Otherwise you just propagate the hackery.

*If you DO hack work, you are a hack.*


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## WarnerConstInc. (Jan 30, 2008)

Greg Di said:


> That's where you are wrong. You are the professional and YOU tell the HO how it's done properly and that's how you do it.
> 
> Otherwise you just propagate the hackery.
> 
> *If you DO hack work, you are a hack.*


 
I prefer to be a wanna-be hack, way lower expectations.


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## Baron (Nov 23, 2009)

Must be for the gear change to slow you down at the bottom.....


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## freemason21 (Aug 5, 2009)

Greg Di said:


> That's where you are wrong. You are the professional and YOU tell the HO how it's done properly and that's how you do it.
> 
> Otherwise you just propagate the hackery.
> 
> *If you DO hack work, you are a hack.*


 point taken, but if she wants it like that she wants it like that. the decking is 2x6, and ideally i'd like to use 2x6 to match it but she doesnt want to


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## SLSTech (Sep 13, 2008)

Lowe's actually has some nice 2x PT stair treads that have grooves on the bottom & the top is routed out making it pretty slip resistant

Tread width must be the same within a 1/4"(?) from the top to the bottom


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## Big Shoe (Jun 16, 2008)

I'm trying to figure this out, what's the overhang on the risers? What was the hieght of the risers? Why did you pass it off to a friend?​Seems like a good job for one person.


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## JT Wood (Dec 17, 2007)

I don't get why you would even consider using cobbled together pieces?


Whats (2)8' 2x12's cost? 

Personally I use rows of 2x6 radius edge For 11" treads. (I hate 5/4)

4 rises would cost like $30 

If a homeowner can't afford that, run away


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## freemason21 (Aug 5, 2009)

Big Shoe said:


> I'm trying to figure this out, what's the overhang on the risers? What was the hieght of the risers? Why did you pass it off to a friend?​Seems like a good job for one person.


 time restraints. i wasnt going to fully commit to it because i really dont know when i'll be able to do them, and i dont want to be harassed about it. i'll probably end up doing them with my friend either way. 

my friend that i passed it on to has helped me. brought over his staging and helped me finish shingling a gable end on a house for absolutely no pay just lunch. helped me trim out a room in my house, paint my living room kitchen, the list goes on. when i get work and i'm busy i usually just pass it on to him. so its not like i was just passing on work because i didnt want to do it. he's running his own business and is extremely slow right now, i've got a new job thats good and stable so the carpentry stuff i get on the side i pass it on to him and if i'm available i work with him doing it.


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## freemason21 (Aug 5, 2009)

hughjazz said:


> I don't get why you would even consider using cobbled together pieces?
> 
> 
> Whats (2)8' 2x12's cost?
> ...


hey i'm not arguin with ya, i'd much rather that. but i did pass it on to my friend, so its between him and her now. if i am able to help him with it then i will.


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## WNYcarpenter (Mar 2, 2007)

There's no reason to use 2x10 and 2x12....

If she needs the stairs redone and wants to reuse the material, what exactly is wrong?

I'd say buy three 2x12s long enough to re-cut the stringers and use the cut-offs as treads....if nothing else, replace the 2x10 treads with 2x12.....(7 and 11)

I think I'm just having trouble understandingarty:


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## Big Shoe (Jun 16, 2008)

Gotcha....I know how it is. I work mostly by myself.Hard to schedule jobs and I dish whatever I can't handle on to friends of mine when I can. 95% I can handle. I usually ask client how soon they need it done. Most of the time it's no rush and it will fit into my schedule. Or not? Oh well.:shifty:

Must be some odd dimensions with those stairs....Good luck!:thumbsup:


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## JumboJack (Aug 14, 2007)

freemason21 said:


> point taken, *but if she wants it like that she wants it like that. *the decking is 2x6, and ideally i'd like to use 2x6 to match it but she doesnt want to


So if a HO tells an electrician to use 14ga wire where 10ga is needed 
he should just do it because "thats what she wants?"
:blink:


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## BuiltByMAC (Mar 11, 2006)

freemason, you've got another job (non-contracting) so I'm assuming your buddy has the license and insurance and bond to do carpentry work as a business. His liability is once he touches the staircase, he can be sued if someone hurts themselves because the stairs are not built to code.
The customer is NOT ALWAYS right. You've got to understand that. They don't get to call all the shots. You and your buddy need to read the above replies and build the stairs CORRECTLY. Changing the depth of a tread in the middle of a staircase is a fall waiting to happen.

No one here cares if the HO wants to reuse the materials. You posted a thread on a professional contractor's forum - the replies you've gotten are from professional contractors.

Don't attempt to defend your position by saying "that's what the HO wants." IT DOESN'T MATTER. What matters is when you take on a project, you build it correctly, safely and to any applicable code in your area. Period.

You seem to enjoy choosing the losing end of an argument here on ct. You started a thread w/ a "wtf" moment. Everyone else agrees - 2x12 and 2x10 treads on the same staircase is definitely "wtf." When you rebuild the staircase, DO IT RIGHT.

Mac


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## Fence & Deck (Jan 23, 2006)

The simple reason is that 2x10's and 12's tend to cup and crack. I never use them on stairs, although I have seen others use them.
I always us 2-2x6, which gives an 11" tread; when combined with a maximum 8" rise (7 7/8" here in Ontario), gives a near perfect rise and run.
I would NEVER use 5/4 boards. Simply too flimsy for steps unless you have a stringer underneath every 16".
I agree with the others here. If you touch those steps and build them incorrectly, you are liable, even if you are not a professional contractor.
5 years from now, if somebody trips on them and gets hurt, and it turns out the steps are incorrect or not up to code, you could be liable.
Either do it right, or don't do it.


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## fairfaxgc (Nov 24, 2008)

*Sppeaking of deck stairs*

Received a call from this guy to repair these stairs. The prior "contractor" built them for "reall cheap" but the HO didn't think they were installed correctly.


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## HSConstruction (Mar 21, 2009)

I hope the 10* lean on that set is just the camera angle!!! Or maybe it is for water runoff


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## freemason21 (Aug 5, 2009)

BuiltByMAC said:


> freemason, you've got another job (non-contracting) so I'm assuming your buddy has the license and insurance and bond to do carpentry work as a business. His liability is once he touches the staircase, he can be sued if someone hurts themselves because the stairs are not built to code.
> The customer is NOT ALWAYS right. You've got to understand that. They don't get to call all the shots. You and your buddy need to read the above replies and build the stairs CORRECTLY. Changing the depth of a tread in the middle of a staircase is a fall waiting to happen.
> 
> No one here cares if the HO wants to reuse the materials. You posted a thread on a professional contractor's forum - the replies you've gotten are from professional contractors.
> ...


i came here asking a question, which was "is this normal/right?" and i got my answer. people were questioning why i was gonna do it that way and i told them thats what she wanted. now if i was gonna do this job myself i'd rip them up and use 2x6's and insist on it, or at least rip the 2x12's and 2x10's down to 2x6's. what my friend does is up to him, im not his boss and i dont care how he does it. i came here to get an answer on if that was normal at all because i found it very weird, i had never seen it before, but i wasnt sure. i got my answer, which is it's wrong. i'm not defending anything, i'm not in dissagreement with any of you. thanks for your post. have a good day.


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## fairfaxgc (Nov 24, 2008)

"I hope the 10* lean on that set is just the camera angle!!! Or maybe it is for water runoff"

Not quite 10 but it did get worse as you went down!


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