Stairs take more wear than any other part of a deck. Everyone walks the same line, the treads take the rain, and a set that has started to move is the part of the deck most likely to hurt somebody.
Any one of these is worth a look. Two or more usually means rebuilding the flight rather than patching a step.
The stringers are the sawtooth boards the steps sit on, and they carry the whole flight. We set them at the same spacing the treads need, so nothing bounces underfoot.
Every step in a flight has to be the same height. People stop looking at their feet after the first step and their body expects the next one to be identical, which is why an odd step is the one that trips somebody.
The bottom of the flight lands on a proper pad rather than on dirt. Soil holds water against the ends of the stringers, and that is what takes a set of stairs out first.
Treads come off the same boards as the deck, so the stairs match the surface instead of looking like a repair.
A handrail is the part you grab when your foot goes. It has to be fixed into the structure rather than into the trim, and it has to be a shape your hand can actually close around.
The guard is the barrier along the open side. On stairs it follows the slope, and the spacing between its parts is set by code rather than by preference.
We confirm what your jurisdiction requires before we build, and the finished flight is checked against it. On a new deck that happens as part of the inspection — see Deck Building.
Usually, yes. Stairs are their own structure hanging off the deck, so a flight can come out and go back without touching the boards. What we check first is the framing they attach to, because a flight that has moved is sometimes telling you about the deck rather than about itself.
They do not have to, but it is worth it. Stairs in a different material are the first thing the eye goes to, and matching treads cost very little more when the deck is already being worked on.
It comes from the height of the deck above the ground rather than from anything you choose. A deck a foot or two up is normally three or four steps, and a full story is fourteen or more. We measure the drop before quoting.
It depends on your city and on how much is changing. Stairs replaced as part of a larger deck project are normally covered by that project's permit. On their own it varies, and either way the finished flight still has to meet code. We confirm what your city wants before we start.
Tell us what you have in mind. We will come out, look at your space, and give you an honest, clear estimate. There is no charge for the visit and no pressure to book.
