Lay out a stair in your browser: risers, stringers and the stairwell opening

A free browser card that turns a total rise into equal risers, stringers, tread boards and the stairwell opening length, and splits tall rises at a landing.

Tools and projects · 1 min read · Source
wall-framing-takeoffconstructionstairs

The wall framing takeoff page now has a stairs card. Type the total rise, finished floor to finished floor, and it works out the fewest equal risers under the 7-3/4 inch limit, the tread run, how much board is left under each notch, the number of stringers, the tread boards, and how long the stairwell opening must be for 6 ft 8 in of headroom.

A 9 ft rise gives 14 risers of 7-11/16 in and 13 treads of 10 in. A 13 ft rise is over the 147 in a single flight may rise, so the card splits it into two flights around a landing. The stair lumber joins the same cutting-stock order as the walls, so you buy it on the same boards.

What it does not do: size posts, draw guards or handrails, or lay out winders. The limits are the model code's usual ones, and the edition your jurisdiction adopted is yours to check. No built stair has been compared against it yet; the tests are hand-computed figures and a browser run on two rises.

Everything runs in your browser and your plan is never uploaded. Free to use, MIT licensed.

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