new exterior stairs


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Old 05-09-19, 04:53 PM
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new exterior stairs

There used to be a set of stairs in this area and I would like to build some new ones. I have a few questions about the best way to design them. There is structure beneath the door into which I can attach a ledger with lags. should new siding continue below the ledger? should the left stringer be attached to the wall on the left, or should it be moved out to accommodate continuing the siding down? The new stringer wont follow the notched pattern that the existing siding has, so I need to figure out how to deal with that. Thanks for any ideas, comments, thoughts, kind words, or bad jokes.
 
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Old 05-09-19, 08:24 PM
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A 1 1/2" thick ledger would need to be flashed which looks like it might be difficult to do with that door sill there. And if you have a rim joist behind that felt paper, a ledger really isn't necessary.

So the question is what kind of framing do you have under that door?

Because if there is a rim joist, I would probably mount a pvc 1x10 onto it, (won't ever rot behind your stringers) then put your stringers into skewable joist hangers, using longer hanger nails to fully penetrate the rim. Keep the hanger and stringer spaced 4" from the wall on the left. Finish the siding on the left before you put the stringer up. And put siding under the stairs under the pvc 1x10. The 1x10 won't protrude past your door sill nose so you can caulk the jpint where the two meet... and you would want to use a good heavy bead of a polyurethane sealant that will last. (I'd use OSI Quad original).
 
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Old 05-10-19, 05:15 AM
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As a further complication my inspectors require a footer to support the bottom of the stair risers.

I would not attach your left stringer to the wall. That tiny gap between the stringer and wall will collect debris and water causing something to rot. It's best to leave it several inches away and bridge that small gap with your stair treads.
 
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Old 05-10-19, 08:35 PM
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Thank you for the input. I snapped a few more pics, uploading pics might be harder than building the stairs!

Firstly, I am thinking I will pour a concrete pad at the bottom of the stairs.

It sounds like I should not attach the stringer directly to the house.

The first pic shows that a 2x6 has been installed below the door sill. The second pic is from the basement, showing how that piece has been attached to studs that run down to the house sill.

Thank you, I hadn't really thought about how difficult it would be to flash a ledger properly. would waterproofing be the sole purpose of the pvc 1x10? I could flash behind and below it and then seal the top edge to the sill as recommended.

In the third pic you can see how two layers of siding (the original wood and the aluminum) have been cut back on this wall to make room for the old stairs. can I ask for suggestions on how to tie in some new siding? I'm open to any material as long as I can waterproof the house successfully.


thanks again
 
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Old 05-11-19, 10:06 AM
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Yes, the main reason to put anything on the wall is to protect it from the weather. Its hard to seal up around your stringers otherwise. And I didn't know it was aluminum siding!

So, knowing that, I would not try to patch in siding, since that is IMPOSSIBLE. Instead, I would get a 4x8 sheet of PVC (it comes in 3/8", 1/2", 3/4" sheets just like plywood) and put that on the wall instead of siding. (the PVC never rots... but you could really use any type of 4x8 sheet siding) Paint it the color of your aluminum siding if you want. No one can hardly see behind the stairs anyway... it will look like a skirt on the left. Put short pieces of z-flashing behind the siding first, (if you want to get fancy you could cut and bend the z-flashing so that it is one piece... less chance of it leaking that way!) then cut your piece of PVC to fit on the left. One 4x8 piece should be enough to cover both sides. You can mount your hangers for the stringer on top of it... just be sure you use 3" 10d hanger nails that will penetrate all the way into the house framing behind. Here is the hanger I'd use for the stringers:

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Simpson-...U210/100374915

The stringers definitely need to rest on concrete, (AND be restrained) so at a minimum you should have a 3' x 4' pad there as a landing. The stringers should also be anchored to the concrete so that they cannot slide or move. After you pour the concrete and cut the stringers to fit, I would use a bracket like this on the insides of the stringers. You just drill into the concrete and drop in a friction anchor, then tighten the nut. Then fasten the bracket to the stringer with the supplied screws.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Simpson-...Z-R2/100671103
 
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Old 05-12-19, 07:25 AM
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Is the stairway going to be open underneath and on the right side? If not (and maybe even if) then that dryer(?) vent can cause future problems. See Post #7 in the following link for more info. https://www.doityourself.com/forum/e...re-hazard.html

I'm not suggesting that you need a similar solution, just that damage to the structure could occur if moisture builds up under the stair. Extending the vent and turning it to the side might help.
 
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Old 05-13-19, 01:35 PM
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thanks again guys!

yes, I had planned to leave the stairs open. I guess I need to deliberate on how to handle the dryer vent.

thanks for the specific suggestions on hangars and fasteners. I will use those.

The only detail that is still puzzling me is where the new siding will meet the old on both the right and left. On the right the end of the siding from the old wall under the deck is exposed. I was thinking of continuing building paper over that area and attaching some sort of vertical trim. On the left though, there is a significant depth difference between the house and the edge of the old wood siding at the corner. Should I build this up somehow before adding new sheet siding?
 
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Old 05-13-19, 02:13 PM
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I think if you get a z flashing that is 1 3/8" deep and you bend it up and slip it under the siding.... then you could just cut some 3/4" plywood shims to put on the left wall first (like studs, every 16") and then put your 5/8" thick plywood siding on that (if that's what your using). And then on top of that you could apply a 1x4 as a corner trim or whatever it takes to meet your old wood siding corner.
 
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