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concrete staircase construction

Steps
1.
1
Calculate the Stairs' Dimensions Stairs consist of a riser, the vertical face, and
the tread, the part you step on. Calculate the elevation, the height of one floor to the
other. This number is the total rise to the stairs. Measure the horizontal distance the
staircase will span. Measure the width of each step from left to right in the area where
the staircase will go. Divide the elevation by 7.25 to see how many steps you'll need.
This height is typical for step risers. To get it to come out evenly, you may have to go a
little above or a little below 7.25 inches. Just make sure, when building concrete steps,
that if you go much above 7.25 inches that you don't violate your local building codes.
Use an Online Stair Calculator to do the math and create a diagram
Let's say you intend to build concrete steps up from a sunken living room. An overall
vertical height of 15 inches would result in two risers at 7.5 inches each. The horizontal
length of the stairs can be varied a little more. Treads should be 11 inches or greater to
accommodate the average foot comfortably.The number of treads you need is always
one less than the number of risers you need. In the case of the above theoretical
staircase, you would need one 11-inch tread.
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2.
2
Determine the Dimensions of the Staircase's Foundation When building concrete
steps, you will need a foundation: a slab of concrete poured to a depth of several
inches below the grade level (check local building codes). The dimensions are equal to
that of the footprint of the stairs. To calculate your necessary footprint, take the total run
for length of the slab, and total width of the stairs for the width of the slab.
3.
3
Build the Form The form can be made with plywood or framing lumber. It can be
made from scrap or low-grade lumber. The first step is to cut the side forms according
to the tread and riser calculations. This should look like the view of a staircase from the
side. They must be securely adhered to the building's foundation. You want the new
stairs to bond to the foundation seamlessly. Add wooden stakes as bracing against the
outward movement of the poured concrete every 12 inches along the outside surface of
the form. Next, install the boards that will form the face of the risers. These should have
a width equal to the height of the riser. Depending on the width of the stairs, you might
have to add bracing to the center of each riser. Make sure that the forms are plumb and
level before proceeding further.
4.
4
Mix the Concrete For a staircase, you can mix the concrete by hand, or you can
use a portable cement mixer. If you decide to mix it by hand you should understand at
the outset that building concrete steps in your home is hard physical labor and likely not
a one person job. If you enlist in a friend's help, be prepared to owe him or her a favor -
big time! If the staircase is any larger than the short sunken living room staircase
described earlier. You can use ready-mixed concrete that only requires water, or you
can obtain the ingredients individually. Typically, with concrete you'll calculate 6 gallons
of water per bag of cement.
5.
5
Pour the Concrete Though it requires the least direction from me (since you are
not a DIY concrete beginner if you've gotten this far)... this is the real meat of the
project. Start at the bottom, and pour one step at a time. Once you pour it, it should be
spread evenly. Use a spade or a rod to remove trapped air bubbles.
6.
6
Add the Finishing Touches There are any number of finishing methods you can
use to get a smooth surface while building concrete steps... A screed board is a
piece of lumber somewhat longer than the width of the staircase that you'll gently work
front to back and side to side to get the excess concrete off the treads. You can use a 2
x 4 for a simple screed board. Use a wood float to level the surface. A wood float is a
small piece of flat lumber with a handle on one of the faces. To provide a finer finish,
use a steel trowel, which is very much like a wood float, only the finishing surface is very
smooth steel which creates a smoother and less bubbly finish.
7.
7
Wait and Dampen Once you have the surfaces smoothed, keep the concrete wet
or damp for up to one week while it cures. You can do this by covering the stairs with
burlap and keeping the burlap wet, or you can cover it tightly with plastic. Additionally,
spray the stairs with curing compound. This step is essential. Left open to the
atmosphere, the relative humidity of the concrete will drop rapidly. If it drops below 80%,
the curing hydration reaction can stop. If this happens, the concrete may only achieve a
fraction of its potential strength. After a week, the concrete will have attained its final
shape, and you can remove the form lumber. Curing will continue to take place over a
period of months. If after you've completed building concrete steps you plan on staining
them (a popular procedure these days), it is important that you allow the concrete to
cure for at least 30 days so that the staining will take properly.















Concrete Stairs
Precast concrete stairs and landings are the ideal solution for fast track high quality concrete staircase construction.
Together with ACPs beam and block or precast concrete floors forming complete suspended concrete floor systems
Precast Concrete Stairs - Advantages
Precast stairs are particularly suitable to the construction of high traffic stairwells such as commercial and industrial
developments. The high quality finish gives a durable concrete staircase for long maintenance free life.
Concrete stairs are ideal for the construction of high quality private and residential stairways. The dense precast concrete
gives excellent acoustic properties addressing sound transfer issues associated with steel and wooden staircases.
Precast concrete stairs are the obvious choice for fire escape stairs.
Maintenance free service and excellent durability are the inherent benefits of precast concrete stair construction.
Precast concrete stairs offer significant benefits during the construction phase of a project providing rapid installation and
early safe access to subsequent floors for trades and materials.
Precast Stairs and Landings
Design
Every precast concrete stair flight is designed in accordance
with BS8110 & to suit the application. ACPs precast concrete
stairs are available in various configurations from a single stair
flight to a complete precast stair well with landings.
Precast concrete landings can be designed as individual units
or can be manufactured as complete precast stair flight and
attached landing.
Precast landings can be attached to the top or bottom of the precast stair flight, or supplied with both top and bottom
landings.
ACPs concrete stair head detail ensures rapid, safe connection between the stair and landing. (see diagrams)
Stair foot details are designed to suit precast stairs seated onto insitu or precast floor slabs, or connection onto intermediate
precast landings.
ACP Concrete offers a full design service for precast stairs and concrete landings.
Each precast concrete stair project comes with a full design and drawing package suitable for building control approval.
Manufacture
All ACP precast concrete stairs are manufactured in accordance with BS8110. High quality concrete stair construction
requires specialist equipment and techniques.
ACPs casting systems enable the majority of precast stairs to be produced from multi adjustable steel moulds giving high
quality surface finish to all stair faces.
The special casting system ensures the concrete steps are produced from the steel mould face giving a uniform, smooth
surface finish.
Adjustable casting moulds enable concrete stairs to be precast with rising and going profiles to suit each application.
Rapid steel mould adjustment without costly timber shuttering minimizes down time, maximizing production and cutting costs
to deliver high quality concrete stairs at excellent prices.

Design and Build
ACP Concrete offer a full design and build package for precast stairs including site installation service designed to delivery
high quality concrete stairs and landings to suit every application.
















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timber staircase construction

Building a staircase, even a short one, isn't simple. It requires precise measurements and some careful calculations.

From a technical standpoint, there's nothing particularly difficult about building stairs for a deck, porch or
shed. Anyone with basic carpentry skills can make the necessary cuts and assemble the parts. And yet, stair building
is arguably the most challenging task do-it-yourselfers will ever attempt.

Stairs must satisfy strict building codes meant to ensure safety and climbing comfort. We're so used to uniform,
professionally built staircases that the slightest discrepancy between steps creates a tripping hazard. Tall steps make
climbing hard. Shallow steps are uncomfortable and dangerous. Since there's so little room for error, building stairs
requires careful layout and some potentially tricky calculations. Start by consulting your building codes office for local
guidelines. Then, follow the procedure laid out on these pages--taking plenty of time to plan correctly. We used steps
leading to a backyard deck as an example.
Basic Stair Anatomy
There are three main components in a typical staircase: stringers, treads and risers. Stringers, typically cut from 2 x
12s, are the sloped boards that support the other components and carry the weight of people walking on the stairs.
They're typically spaced 16 in. on center. When determining the staircase width, remember that wider is better. "Wide
staircases are more comfortable and safer to walk on," says remodeling contractor Paul Mantoni, of Exteriors Plus in
Terryville, Conn. "I seldom build one less than 4 ft. wide, and prefer them a bit wider."



Treads form the top surface of each step, and risers are installed directly under the front lip of each tread. Some
stairs don't have risers, but that's a mistake, according to many builders. "Risers protect the exposed endgrain of the
notched stringers from the weather," explains award-winning deck builder Scott Padgett, of Idyllwild, Calif. "Without
risers, stringers will crack or split much sooner."


Step 1: Calculating Rise and Run
The first step in building stairs for a deck is finding the total rise or overall vertical height the stairs have to cover. Lay
a straight board on top of the deck, extend it from the edge, then measure down to the landing location. Let's say the
total rise is 57 in. The next job is to find the rise of each step. Divide 57 by 7 in. (the typical rise per step) to get 8.14.
Round down to get the steps: eight. To then determine the actual rise, divide the 57 in. by the eight steps to get 7 1/8
in. per step.

You can use that information to find the total run of the staircase--or how much horizontal distance it will cover as it
climbs. Multiply the number of steps by the run, or horizontal depth, of each step. The optimum run of each step is no
less than 10 in., which is enough space to accept two 2 x 6 treads. In our example, the staircase has eight steps, so
the total run is 80 in.

There is one wrinkle in the math, however: If you are working with a tall deck, it's a good idea to break up the
staircase with intermediate landings. "As a practical matter you're limited to about 14 steps because that's the most
you can cut [in a stringer made] from a 16-ft.-long 2 x 12," says Andy Engel, author of Building Stairs (Taunton), "but I
prefer adding a landing after every seven or eight risers."


Step 2: Cutting Stringers
Before laying out the steps on a 2 x 12, decide how the stringers will join the deck. They're either attached directly to
the rim joist so the top step is flush with the deck top, or to the framing under the deck, which is the way we did it (see
drawing on previous page). When mounted under the deck, the stringers are either attached to the joists or to
blocking placed between joists, and the stringer ends are cut long to reach the framing.

Mark the tread notches using a framing square fitted with stair gauges. These small brass fixtures clamp onto the
square, providing an accurate way to mark several identical notches. Clamp one stair gauge on the square's tongue
directly at the rise dimension. Attach the other gauge to the body of the square at the run dimension. Then, lay the
square on the 2 x 12 with the gauges pressed against the board's edge and mark the tread and riser. Slide the
square down, align it with the previously drawn notch, and add the next one.

Cut the notches using a circular saw, being careful not to go beyond the lines. Finish the cuts with a jigsaw or a
handsaw.

Next, trim the bottom of the stringer an amount equal to the tread thickness. For example, if you're installing 2 x 6
treads, cut 1 1/2 in. from the bottom of the stringer. Use the first stringer as a template to mark the remaining
stringers.

We screwed each stringer to the deck-frame blocking, which was spaced 16 in. on center. With the stringers in place,
check that each step is level, and use a block plane to shave down high spots.


Step 3: Installing Treads and Risers
Cut the risers to length and fasten them to the stringers with 2 1/2-in. trim-head decking screws. Note that we cut the
risers and treads to overhang the outer stringer by 1 1/4 in. Later, a 1 x 12 cedar trim board will be nailed to the
stringer, giving the staircase a more finished look. This detail isn't always necessary.

After installing the risers, fasten the treads with screws. Leave a 1/8- to 1/4-in. space between the treads. Continue
installing treads, working your way up the staircase. The 4 x 4 posts used to support the stair rail are typically bolted
to the stringers before installing the treads. However, we completed the stairs first, and then attached the posts and
built the handrail that codes usually require.