Check out some similar questions!

normrefct · Jul 4, 2009, 05:13 AM

Hello and Happy 4th!

I am in the process of upgrading our Dining room. I have created an open doorway from an existing window leading to an enclosed porch. The height of the landing is 10 1/2 inches from the dining room to the porch.

I would like to install a nice oak interior step at 5"(?) and would appreciate any help on how to build and where to look for help. Will Lowe's or Home Depot be adequate suppliers?

Thank you for any help!

Norm (CT)

jmjoseph · Jul 4, 2009, 06:06 AM

Yes, those two places sell oak. Good luck.

How to Build Stairs - Building Steps with Wood in 3 Steps - Popular Mechanics

21boat · Jul 4, 2009, 08:46 PM

Jimjoseph has a good start site. The situation you have there is to get a bull nose look from the old top floor to match the step below.

Depending on how much protrusion you want or need in that spot depends on the nailer size you put under that.

Looking straight in the face of the steps figure the thickness of your treads and add the nailer right below the top finish floor that thickness from finish floor. This will allow your to rip a piece of oak down to that width lest say 1 1/2 min. Also when you add that scab make sure it in on both sides of the steps for the future oak 1by that will be the mini stringer. On top of that scab will be an Oak 1by to the fake riser finish look.

Now you should have a scab on the 10" height and a oak finish board on top of that. With the 1/2 ripped down bull nose flush with top of floor and an overhang looking like a short step. Below that find the finish height on the last step and add a nailer there for that tread. On the floor for the first step add a nailer to nail the face of the first riser. Remember to cut on this scabs to allow the oak returns. The side seen stringers.

I mentioned this way of approaching this because you are missing the top oak riser look. Just building stringers won't address that nor will it address a finish look for the top rim joist floor that's now flush there.

normrefct · Jul 5, 2009, 05:05 AM

Originally Posted by 21boat

Jimjoseph has a good start site. The situation you have there is to get a bull nose look from the old top floor to match the step below.

Depending on how much protrusion you want or need in that spot depends on the nailer size you put under that.

Looking straight in the face of the steps figure the thickness of your treads and add the nailer right below the top finish floor that thickness from finish floor. This will allow your to rip a piece of oak down to that width lest say 1 1/2 min. Also when you add that scab make sure it in on both sides of the steps for the future oak 1by that will be the mini stringer. On top of that scab will be an Oak 1by to the fake riser finish look.

Now you should have a scab on the 10" height and a oak finish board on top of that. With the 1/2 ripped down bull nose flush with top of floor and an overhang looking like a short step. Below that find the finish height on the last step and add a nailer there for that tread. On the floor for the first step add a nailer to nail the face of the first riser. Remember to cut on this scabs to allow the oak returns. The side seen stringers.

I mentioned this way of approaching this because you are missing the top oak riser look. Just building stringers won't address that nor will it address a finish look for the top rim joist floor thats now flush there.

Thank you! Do you have a link so I know visually what you're explaining? Since this is new I need to go slow see what I need to do.

hkstroud · Jul 5, 2009, 06:26 AM

What's the flooring in the dinning room and what's the siding on the porch side of the wall. Have you trimed out the opening yet?

normrefct · Jul 5, 2009, 06:54 AM

Originally Posted by hkstroud

What's the flooring in the dinning room and what's the siding on the porch side of the wall. Have you trimed out the opening yet?

Siding is wanescotting and yes, I sawzalled the opening already and installed a jamb.

Dining room is hardwood after I rip out the carpet. The hardwood is in good shape. Any suggestions on how to lightly sand and poly it to enhance?

Thank you,
Norm

hkstroud · Jul 5, 2009, 07:20 AM

Have you installed threshold? How wide is the door opening?

normrefct · Jul 5, 2009, 08:26 AM

Originally Posted by hkstroud

Have you installed threshold? How wide is the door opening?

No, waiting to finish painting the room and floor before threshold. Opening is 36".

21boat · Jul 5, 2009, 10:51 AM

Any suggestions on how to lightly sand and poly it to enhance?

Not sure how bad the hardwood floor is there. You can rent a belt floor sander OR you van use an orbital sander and take off the sheen of the floor. If you are talking about a small spot then hand sand it. Vacuum up the dust. Use a tack rag to get the rest of the dust.

I use Mimwax Spar urethane for hardwood floors. It's the hardest finish other then Gym-seal which is used in the schools gyms

This comes in cans or spray. Some times I use both. I use can first then use a spray to "feather out" the new to the old in that different sheen look of aging

Do you have a link so I know visually what you're explaining?

The link I have is in my head. This type of re hap is not normally illustrated. To help get this in your mine keep thinking the word "nailer" to attach the steps too. Its basically a box in a box telegraphing in scales and thickness.

Lay this out from the top down. Another words figure what the threshold you use there will cover in depth and decided of you want that threshold edge to be flush with the new 1by oak riser for a finish or bring that out more to show a small or big tread that's flush to the hardwood floor height. Don't really look at this as building stringers. You only have 2 steps and one is actually the house floor joist that needs to look like an oak riser. Finish that first then lets actually build "a" step. You need nailer's for that for the tread and the riser and the side oak finish boards to nail into something.

To build that use a ripped down 2x6 and make a box. The height of that box will be less the thickness of the oak tread. Now lay box against the finished joist band that has the new oak fake riser. Nail that box trough the oak riser and set it. Scab a 2by laying flat inside the box against the porch floor. Side nail the front of the box to flat 2by. Now you have a complete frame to add the oak side finishes and also a nailer for the tread in the back and front.

jmjoseph · Jul 5, 2009, 10:58 AM

Originally Posted by 21boat

Not sure how bad the hardwood floor is there. You can rent a belt floor sander OR you van use an orbital sander and take off the sheen of the floor. If you are talking about a small spot then hand sand it. vacuum up the dust. Use a tack rag to get the rest of the dust.

I use Mimwax Spar urethane for hardwood floors. Its the hardest finish other then Gym-seal which is used in the schools gyms

This comes in cans or spray. Some times I use both. I use can first then use a spray to "feather out" the new to the old in that different sheen look of aging

The link I have is in my head. This type of re hap is not normally illustrated. To help get this on your mine keep think the word "nailer" to attach the steps too. Its basically a box in a box telegraphing in scales and thickness.

Lay this out from the top down. Another words figure what the threshold you use there will cover in depth and decided of you want that threshold edge to be flush with the new 1by oak riser for a finish or bring that out more to show a small or big tread thats flush to the hardwood floor height. Don't really look at this as building stringers for the sides and these two stringers are the outside finish edges. You only have 2 steps and only one complete step.

In other words complete the look from that top finish floor drop as if you were going to have one giant step. If you add a complete step width there from finish floor that would changes this a tad here for building out against the 2x10 house joist band.

Then add nailer's from that finish face to make the last lower/first step separate. The only changes here would be the side look ( which would actually be a stringer if there were more then one step. I know I'm repeating myself here but actually you only have one full step to build. The second riser is attached to the joist 2x10 plate as if it was already there except oak is added to cover the side of that joist.

Norm maybe you can post a picture of it. Then you may get some help. I'm sure 21boat means well,I know he does, but he's right, it's in HIS head, and all this is confusing me too.

hkstroud · Jul 5, 2009, 11:37 AM

Stair tread are normally 1" thick. You should be able to find those in oak at HD or Lowes in 36" length. You are going to make a threshold, a riser, a tread and a box.

Not sure what wainscotting on the exterior side is but assume that it is a flat surface.

Build a box out of 2x6. The box should be as long as the door opening is wide and as wide as the tread minus the nosing (1") plus the thickness of the riser.

The riser can be real wood with the ends rounded over or it can be 1/2" ply covered with 1/4" oak ply with ends covered with 1/4 round or 1/4 cove molding.

The threshold should be 2" longer then the opening plus the exterior trim material. It should be wide enough to butt up against the oak flooring and extend 1"beyond the exterior siding plus the thickness of the riser. Under cut the door jams so that the threshold will slide under the jams. Notch the ends of the threshold to fit in the opening. The exterior side will extend 1"beyond the exterior trim.
Assuming that flooring is 3/4" thick, the underside of the threshold will be rabbited to 3/4" . The width of the rabbit will be the distance between the flooring and the exterior edge of the opening.

Build you box and secure it in place. Cover the front and ends with oak 1/4 plywood, mitering the corners. Glue oak ply to box with construction adhesive and use only enough finish nails to hold in place until adhesive dries.

Cut tread, extend ends 3/4 to 1" over ends of box. Round over ends with round over router bit. Attach riser with adhesive and minium of nails. Install threshold. Install with adhesive. Put adhesive on underside of threshold and slid into place. Nail with finish nails in corner of threshold and door jam. If you put adhesive on floor the threshold will push adhesive ahead of it and smear edge and floor.

21boat · Jul 6, 2009, 06:34 AM

hkstroud Thanks for the drawing. That's what I was trying to depict here.

normrefect... A stringer here is not necessary as most automatically go to when "stair/steps are mentioned That's the head wrap around thing here..

You can use either the laminate or 3/4 boards for the face/side on the 2x6. Depends on weather you want a miter look at the first step riser face or the old fashion look of using a 3/4 riser board against the 2x6 box and extended the sides there to eliminate a miter cut from the front edges to the sides

normrefct · Jul 7, 2009, 05:04 PM

Originally Posted by 21boat

hkstroud Thanks for the drawing. Thats what I was trying to depict here.

normrefect... A stringer here is not necessary as most automatically go to when "stair/steps are mentioned Thats the head wrap around thing here..

You can use either the laminate or 3/4 boards for the face/side on the 2x6. depends on weather you want a miter look at the first step riser face or the old fashion look of using a 3/4 riser board against the 2x6 box and extended the sides there to eliminate a miter cut from the front edges to the sides

Thank you! Exactly what I was hoping to get only I didn't know it. I build from the ground up right? Cutting the laminate with any cutting tool or router? Finished look? Improvise?

So appreciated!

Norm

hkstroud · Jul 7, 2009, 05:37 PM

You can rip the laminate to width with just about any saw. Those edges are covered. To miter ends, use miter saw if you have one. If you don't have miter saw use circular saw. Tilt saw to 45 and make test cut using 3/4" plywood. Set saw depth to about 1/2" to cut laminate. You get a better cut if blade just cuts through material. Cut with back side up. Set up edge guide for straight cut. Cut front or long piece about 1/16" long for a tight miter. Cut ends or short pieces about 1" long. Dry fit miters. After satisfied with joint, cut square end of short pieces to length.