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Stairs 3

The document provides instructions for installing a landing in a set of stairs. It explains that landings are required by building codes at certain points in stairs. It describes how to calculate the placement and dimensions of the landing so that it connects properly to the stairs above and below at a 90 degree change in direction. Specific tips are provided for determining the placement, width, height, framing, and integration of the landing with the connecting stringers.

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Jeremy Smathers
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106 views

Stairs 3

The document provides instructions for installing a landing in a set of stairs. It explains that landings are required by building codes at certain points in stairs. It describes how to calculate the placement and dimensions of the landing so that it connects properly to the stairs above and below at a 90 degree change in direction. Specific tips are provided for determining the placement, width, height, framing, and integration of the landing with the connecting stringers.

Uploaded by

Jeremy Smathers
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Woodworking Tips

Stairs 3: Installing a Landing in a Set of Stairs

According to the British Columbia Building Code, a set of


stairs requires a landing: where a door swings out over the
stairs; at the top of an exterior set of stairs and at a
change of direction (except on curved stairs). Installing a
landing in a set of stairs changes the direction of those
stairs, which can give you more room in a confined space.
Let's discuss how to layout a landing in a set of stairs to
form a 90 degree change in
direction.

You should already have your


total rise calculated, giving you
the size and number of risers and
also the number of steps. (For
more info on measuring the total
rise see How to Build Stairs.)
Remember, there is always one
less tread than there are risers.

In calculating the number of


rises and treads, simply treat the top of the landing as the
top of a step. (For more info on calculating the number and
sizes of rises and treads see Calculating the Exact Rise or
use our easy stair case calculator.) For calculation
purposes, it's like the landing is just a very wide step.
Adding a landing doesn't change your riser height. If you
calculated 13 steps before adding the landing, you will have
14 risers, 12 steps and 1 landing.

For a uniform set of stairs put at least three steps above


and below the landing. Build the landing at the exact
Woodworking Tips

finished height of one of the steps and build it as wide as


the steps and at least as long as its width. Build the landing
long enough so it can support the stair stringer above it.
Usually extend the landing 12 inches back from the front
edge of the riser to support the stringer. See Figure 1.

To arrive at the placement of the landing determine your


run for each step, say 10 1/2". If you are going to place the
landing 9 steps from the top and 3 steps from the bottom,
multiply the number of steps by each run, in this case
9 x 10.5" = 94 1/2". That means the stairs down to your
landing will attach to the landing at 94 1/2" from the edge
of your upper floor. Since you want the stringer that
supports these stairs to be supported by the landing, you
extend the length of the landing by 12" and place the
nearer edge of the landing at 84 1/2" from the edge of the
upper floor. We'll call this the back edge of the landing.

Now measure from the 94 1/2" mark out the width of the
stairs, say 3'. We'll call this the forward edge of the
landing. In our example, this forward edge of the landing is
the edge of the 11th riser.

The height of the landing will be the same height as the


tenth riser from the top or the fourth riser from the
bottom, in this example. To get the height of the landing
multiply the riser height by the number of steps up to the
riser, in our case 7.625" x 4 = 30.5". Measure up from the
bottom floor to the finished height of the landing. Build
the landing to these measurements. Remember to include
as part of the landing's height the thickness of the
material you'll be using for sub-flooring on the landing
itself, usually 5/8" or 3/4".

Construct the landing of 2 x 4 (or heavier) floor joists at


16" centers (if only 3' x 3'). Put 2 x 4 posts under each
Woodworking Tips

corner of the box frame. When installing the sub-floor,


overhang the plywood to form a nosing to match that of
the stairs. Layout and install the stringers for above and
below the landing.

After installing the landing and installing the upper


stringer, which is supported on the landing, continue the
bottom stringer as if the landing was a floor, supported off
the front of the landing. For details of how to build the
rest of the stairs see my article How to Build Stairs. For a
complete list of my articles click on articles at the very
bottom of any web page of Dave's Shop.

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