 joetaxpayerI'M Here Till Thursday
join:2001-09-07
Sudbury, MA | Adjusting Stairs I've posted here on my basement project, and continue to be grateful for the advice I get here.
I am almost ready for the tape and mud guys, I am subbing that out.
But, when I had the inspector come to look at framing and offer some comments on ducts, etc, he commented on the stairs to first floor. Here, I have the subfloor 3/4 plywood sitting on 2x4, so the level is up 2-1/4 inches. This obviously creates a too-low rise for the last step. He kindly pointed this our but offered no advice.
There are 9 steps. And there are 9 1/4's in 2-1/4. So I imagine I can just loosen the treads, and add solid strips of wood ripped to 2", 1-3/4", 1-1/2", and so on, to create the same rise in every tread.
Can someone confirm this is the right approach? If not, what is the 'right' way to do this? |
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Reviews:
 ·AT&T U-Verse
1 edit | The right way would be to have the stringers made so they end up at the proper level.
It's a bit more work, but it's the right way. You'll have to replace the risers regardless of the approach or it will look like crap.
In all honesty it beats me how someone can end up with over 2" difference over 9 steps. It's elementary school math...
Also you will change the pitch of the stairs so it will look uneven vs the side. |
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joetaxpayerI'M Here Till Thursday
join:2001-09-07
Sudbury, MA | said by cowboyro:.
In all honesty it beats me how someone can end up with over 2" difference over 9 steps. It's elementary school math...
Because I am finishing the basement and added 2-1/4 inches of floor height. Had this occurred to me when we built the house, I'd have asked the builder to create stairs ending at the right height, and a landing with a 2-1/4 inch height I'd have replaced with the full floor. |
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Reviews:
·AT&T U-Verse
| said by joetaxpayer:Because I am finishing the basement and added 2-1/4 inches of floor height. Had this occurred to me when we built the house, I'd have asked the builder to create stairs ending at the right height, and a landing with a 2-1/4 inch height I'd have replaced with the full floor.
OK that makes sense now...
Still the only "right" way is to rip the stringers and make new ones. You can make one out of a 2x12 or 2x14 depending on height and depth... It's not that difficult if you have a jig saw. |
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 Jack_in_VAPremium
join:2007-11-26
Mathews, VA
kudos:1 | reply to joetaxpayer
said by joetaxpayer:Because I am finishing the basement and added 2-1/4 inches of floor height.
Why did you raise the floor 2-1/4 inches? I finished my basement in one of my former houses and did not raise the floor. |
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joetaxpayerI'M Here Till Thursday
join:2001-09-07
Sudbury, MA | said by Jack_in_VA:Why did you raise the floor 2-1/4 inches? I finished my basement in one of my former houses and did not raise the floor.
I could afford the space (i.e. the lost height), but most important, it was cement underneath. I have a bad lower back, and the difference between standing on cement, even with carpet, vs a wooden floor the way I built it, is important to me. I am building a nice woodshop down their and plan to stand for hours at a time. Another room is getting a dance studio for my daughter. Same deal, floor needs give. |
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 OZZYBorn Again AtheistPremium
join:2011-06-11 | reply to joetaxpayer
I'd just leave it, as it is. |
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joetaxpayerI'M Here Till Thursday
join:2001-09-07
Sudbury, MA | said by OZZY:I'd just leave it, as it is.
Hmmm. That was not a choice. There's a legal range of heights, and the difference can't be that 2-1/4". I forget the range, but it had to be a tighter high/low tolerance. |
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 mix
join:2002-03-19
Utica, MI | It's not a choice, as in you are getting it inspected? An inspector is not going to approve you basically shimming the steps higher. You need to replace the stringers. |
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joetaxpayerI'M Here Till Thursday
join:2001-09-07
Sudbury, MA | said by mix: An inspector is not going to approve you basically shimming the steps higher. You need to replace the stringers.
Got it. Thank you.
Yes, inspection. And the same inspector that said the 2" difference was bad wouldn't just say "Joe, you're putting in a new stringer, you can't shim."
So, that's what I'll do, and again, thanks. |
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| reply to joetaxpayer
How about just building a "ramp" from the new floor to the first tread? It wouldn't be a tripping hazard and then you would be fine on your remaining risers. Just a thought. |
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 jjoshuaPremium
join:2001-06-01
Scotch Plains, NJ
kudos:1 | reply to joetaxpayer
A landing at the height of the first step might resolve the problem at the expense of some usable space. |
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robbinPremium,MVM
join:2000-09-21
Leander, TX
kudos:1
1 edit | reply to joetaxpayer
said by joetaxpayer:said by mix: An inspector is not going to approve you basically shimming the steps higher. You need to replace the stringers.
Got it. Thank you. Yes, inspection. And the same inspector that said the 2" difference was bad wouldn't just say "Joe, you're putting in a new stringer, you can't shim." So, that's what I'll do, and again, thanks. I don't see why shimming would be an issue to the inspector. The inspector is interested in making sure that the risers of the stairs do not vary. I believe that current code is that all risers must be within 3/8" of each other. One thing you didn't mention is that you will also need to replace the skirtboard (board along wall) unless you can add a tapered piece to the top of it. |
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 ComaThanks StevePremium
join:2001-12-30
NirvanaLand | reply to joetaxpayer
I would take the staircase all apart, then have new stringers made and rip the old risers to the new height. Than put staircase back together using the old treads.
It seems to me that it would be faster and cheaper then shimming and all the crap that would be needed to bring it up to code.
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Live from NirvanaLand™ |
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| reply to joetaxpayer
The Mass. building code allows no more than a 3/16 ths of an inch variation in riser heights, and tread width from step to step, and 3/8 ths of an inch maximum variation in a run of stairs. The minimum tread width was 9 inches measured from nosing to nosing, and a maximum of 8 1/4 inches riser height. You need new stair stringers to meet the Mass. state code #780 cmr 3603.13.2 . You can find this in the Building Planning section of the code book. I am quoting what is in my copy of the 6th edition of the Mass. state building code. |
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OZZYBorn Again AtheistPremium
join:2011-06-11 | reply to jjoshua
said by jjoshua:A landing at the height of the first step might resolve the problem at the expense of some usable space.
This sounds like it might be fairly easy.
IDK, what a PITA.
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You Can't Kill Rock 'n' Roll! |
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robbinPremium,MVM
join:2000-09-21
Leander, TX
kudos:1 | reply to dbamber
said by dbamber:The Mass. building code allows no more than a 3/16 ths of an inch variation in riser heights, and tread width from step to step, and 3/8 ths of an inch maximum variation in a run of stairs. The minimum tread width was 9 inches measured from nosing to nosing, and a maximum of 8 1/4 inches riser height. You need new stair stringers to meet the Mass. state code #780 cmr 3603.13.2 . You can find this in the Building Planning section of the code book. I am quoting what is in my copy of the 6th edition of the Mass. state building code.
You quoted riser height allowable variations and then conclude with " You need new stair stringers to meet the Mass. state code #780 cmr 3603.13.2 ." How did you deduce that from the info you posted? |
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| Having had a Massachusetts Construction Supervisors License for 20+ years, and a Massachusetts Home Improvement Contractors License for 10+ years, and a copy of the 6th edition of the Massachusetts State Building Code I believe that I am more than capable of giving the correct answer for the poster. |
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robbinPremium,MVM
join:2000-09-21
Leander, TX
kudos:1 | How does adding blocks of wood of varying thicknesses to the stringer to achieve the correct riser dimension violate code in Massachusetts? |
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| reply to joetaxpayer
If one would want to try to make up the riser height difference by "shimming" 8 treads to adjust the height, and then ask a building inspector what they think? I believe that you might be asked to look up the definition of "workmanlike". |
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