You take a piece of dimensional lumber — 2×10 or 2×12 (or was this a 2×8?) — and then you cut out these huge notches for the treads and risers. As my BIL texted, “it leaves them so weak.”
From the thehomehacksdiy.com article:
“There are some guidelines that the IRC and IBC do provide when it comes to dimensional lumber. The IBC (International Building Code) says that a set of stairs should be able to hold a weight of about 40 pounds per square foot live, which means that it needs to be able to hold this weight temporarily when somebody is using the stairs. It should also be able to hold 10 pounds per square foot dead or, in other words, constantly.
“The throat should be at least 2×4 (3.5 inches wide) to be able to support that kind of weight. The IRC has guidance for how high the risers can be and how deep the treads need to be. It says that the maximum height for the riser is 7.25 inches, while the minimum depth for the tread is 10 inches. A stair tread nose range should be ¾ inches to 1 – ½ inches past the front of the rise.”
Uh huh. As I wrote my BIL, I am fascinated by how much engineering goes into a short set of wooden steps.
Retired economics professor (“dismal scientist”). Married 40+ years to the love of my life; we have two grown daughters, both married, two granddaughters and a...
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