Hi there, I was wondering if a staircase can be installed on a 9 feet long by 8.4 high and 3 feet wide. My husband thinks NOT and I think it can be done. There are stairs installed but not adequate. Going up and down the stairs is dangerous for everyone. If we have to we can add another foot or so on the space in length. Any help it is appreciated.

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So you are a WIZ! Thank you Harold.
I have some jobs line up for my hubby just to keep him busy. Without knowing how to make the stairs he made some very crummy ones and he said when he got around to it he will fix it and never did.
So what I get HE CAN make the stairs and he does not need additional room. I looked up the terminology for the above in order for me to explain to him and I think he's got it. I will post before and after pictures... I am still waiting on him to finish the drain and the overflow on our new bathroom.

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Originally Posted by melindaj2

just to keep him busy.

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So, that's why wives make "Honey do" list. Always though so, now it's out.

Hubby can always come here for help. Don't know what you going to do, there is no cure for "husbandites".

"Honey can you do this" that is funny. I do have a honey do list.
My husband had a head injury back a few years ago and since then he thinks he is the same but I only know he is not. Simple things like the faucet and the diverter then the stairs. He said, it is impossible for any professional to come here and create decent stairs without having at least 15 feet in total run unless you want 12inch risers. When he created the crummy stairs he left enough room to do the stairs the right way he just doesn't remember nor he remember how to make the stairs. But thanks to this site and YOU my husband does not feel worthless and we fight less. The fight is usually yes, you can do this you've done it before give yourself a chance and think. Now he can't wait to do the stairs. Again Thank you!

You are welcome. Don't hesitate to ask for assistance. There is a lot of people here that are quite happy to help. If Hubby has forgotten some of these things we can help him remember. Even draw pictures if needed.

Well, I just got back from Arizona and my husband created a worse dangerous stairs. He tried to fix them before I got back. The main thing here is that he is not using stringers he thinks it is too expensive and would like to use a piece of wood underneath to hold the risers see pic attached.
First his risers were overlapping and all different sizes from 6.5 to 8.5. At the time he just placed them where they landed. Well, he thought he would surprise me and he sure did! He now has most risers at 9.1! Why? I don't know and he can't explain - I mean he did explain but didn't make any sense. I did read the notes to him and rise should be 7.5.
I have an idea but I have not touched the subject again until I have enough info.
I will show you before and after pictures the ones with all different size risers and the ones with 9.1 risers. :)Attachment 25240

Attachment 25241

Attachment 25242

OK, stringers are the beams that go from one floor to the other. In the diagram the stringers are notched and the treads and riser are nailed on top. This is the preferred way because that way the wood of the stringer is supporting the tread. The nails only hold the wood together. The way Hubby has built the stairs is with cleats nailed to the stringers. This way the nails through the cleats are holding up the treads. Over time the nails can back out and the cleats can become loose. However, that takes a long time. In some ways building stairs with cleats is easier or looks easier to someone who does not know how to build stairs. It is actually easier to notch the stringers once you know how. Neither one is more expensive that the other. It is actually easier and faster to notch the stringers than to measure and install the cleats.

It doesn't bother me that he chose to use the cleats but it does bother me that the height of the risers are not the same. The height of the steps must be with in 1/4" of each other.

The reason that this is so important is that you don't look at you feet as you go up and down the stairs. You just know where the next step is. If they are more than 1/4" difference you will trip and fall. Falling down (or up) stairs is very dangerous as I'm sure you know.

He really should redo the stairs and at least get them the same height. Try to explain to him how dangerous a fall on the stairs can be. Try to explain that it is just like walking across a floor with boards that are uneven. You have to look where you step and people just don't do that. It is one thing to trip and fall, it's another thing to trip and fall down the stairs.

I admit that I am a little paranoid about stairs. At my house you don't put anything and I mean anything on the stairs. As my wife told her mother once, when she came to visit and sat something on the stairs, going to take it up the next time she went up, "You better move that if you don't want to get yelled at".

Thank you - you are right about leaving things on the stairs and it was me. I cleared the stairs.
Now, we finally got around to it again - we (both of us) re-measured and it is 8.10 long by 9.1 high could you tell me how high the risers should be? Like you did in the picture above?
Thank you so much.
Melinda and Pancho