How to Build Basement Stairs Part 2

stairs

If you need to add stairs to your basement, then you should be prepared for a lot of hard work, as basement stairs are difficult to create. Once you have measured your basement area and prepared the location for the stairs, you will need to get down to the basics of cutting the stringers, the risers, and the treads which will form the basis of your staircase.

In order to do all of this, you will need your measurements from the original stairs, some basic home improvement tools, and a few spare hours in which to complete the job. The longer you take to complete this step of the project, the better, as you can not afford to make any errors when cutting the stingers and threads. (This is Part 2 of a 3 part series. Click to view Part 1 or Part 3.)

Lay Out Your Measurements

Lay out the measurements of the stairs. Use them to build the stringers as well as for other parts of the cutting, such as the risers and treads. Once you have your measurements, take your long piece of wood, and the length of the stringer on it. It should be the entire length of the stairs. If you can't manage to get this length on one piece of wood, you will need to lay as many parts as necessary together in order to obtain the correct length. This wood will form the base for the stringers.

Making the Stringers

Taking your square edge, attach the small clips, which are known as stair gauges, to it. Measure the amount of rise that you want on your stairs, then put the measurements of the length and height along the square so that the gauges indicate where each line should be.
Using your ruler, measure the length from the gauge, then cross this length from the other side until you make a triangle shape upon your length of wood. Cut just outside the edge of these triangles to form your first stringer. You will then need to repeat this step on the other side, which you can do by turning over the stringer and tracing the line over the other side.

Cut Risers and Treads

Cut the risers and treads to the appropriate length. Each riser should be as high as the edge of the triangle going up. Each thread should be as deep as the edge of the triangle going along. You should then be able to fit the parts of the stringer and steps together so that they form a coherent whole. When you have completed this cutting, you are ready to install the stairs in your basement.