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mattyclat
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# Posted: 23 Feb 2022 20:36
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Hello all,
I'm new to the forum and would like to say hello and thank you for any help or advice given. So, we have a nice little cottage in northern wisconsin with some lake frontage. However, this frontage is down a pretty steep and long hillside. Here comes in the spring project, how do i figure out the slope of the stairs if I can't figure out the rise and run. Also, how do I figure out if the stairs are 'straight' going down. Lots of questions to go off of these. Should i take a smaller portion of the hill and tie stakes and string? Green in this area guys,
Thanks for any help.
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happilyretired
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# Posted: 23 Feb 2022 23:03 - Edited by: happilyretired
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Run and rise follows a basic formula that varies slightly by jurisdiction. The max is normally around 8" give or take. Look up run/rise for more information but your local code is the final authority.
There is also a maximum run that you're allowed before a landing. That's in place to prevent people from falling down a 50 step flight of stairs.
My friend has a staircase that drops about 60 vertical feet. It's broken up into 4 or 5 sections, each with a landing, some of them have a direction change. He chose places for landing and direction change that were both convenient and visually appealing based on the variations on the natural slope. Basically, you don't just run a set of stairs in a straight line down a hill. Use the landscape in conjunction with the code to add variety and the required landing areas.
Can you post some pics of the slope? Mayne with some rough measurements?
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Grizzlyman
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# Posted: 24 Feb 2022 04:39
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It’s definitely tricky for sure- I’m in a similar boat- doing mine this spring as well. I have 30 ft or so from my dock up to the property. For me its a little steeper than 45 degrees and on granite- so excavating isn’t really an option.
I’m breaking it up into two runs with a landing/deck n the middle. Landings are key to establish level “clean†areas on an imperfect lake slope that most likely slopes in two directions.
How to go about building it I am not 100% sure because it’s difficult to accurately model the geometry when nothing is flat or straight. My plan is to start with the landing as I know where that goes. Then once I have a flat platform I can accurately figure and place the stringers.
Honestly depending on the geometry it may be easier to build in place as you go- starting with a general plan. I know for me personally any plan on this will be 100% guaranteed to change. I may even end up cutting out the stringers in place once fastened to landing to ensure level treads.
Furthermore I think anchoring stringers is key on a hillside as well. Anchors at the foot of the stringers as well as along the way down. If you have soft soil I’d try to either dig post and pour foootings for the bottom of the stairs or pound posts if you don’t have the option to dig/pour. I plan on drilling into the granite for anchoring bottom and supporting mid way.
Hope this helps- I have been giving this some thought as well! Good luck!
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Brettny
Member
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# Posted: 24 Feb 2022 08:35
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You could run the stairs on diagonal down the hill if it's to steep. How to figure the total rise would be a laser level and grade stake. These tools come in so handy for various projects.
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ICC
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# Posted: 24 Feb 2022 09:26
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What is the soil on the slope like? Can you tell how stable it is? Does it contain much clay?
What type of piers and footings are you thinking of?
There is a very general "7 foot rule" for piers on a slope. The image explains it best, but the bottom of the footing should be placed far enough back into the slope to be 7 feet back into the hill. But id the soil is not stable then an engineered solution may be best.
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happilyretired
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# Posted: 24 Feb 2022 09:58
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Quoting: Grizzlyman How to go about building it I am not 100% sure because it’s difficult to accurately model the geometry when nothing is flat or straight. My plan is to start with the landing as I know where that goes. Then once I have a flat platform I can accurately figure and place the stringers.
Building the platform(s) first makes the most sense. That gives you the exact measurement to the next level, and from there it's easy to calculate the riser height.
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gcrank1
Member
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# Posted: 24 Feb 2022 10:10
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For someone green to all this:
All that mentioned is because stuff, not just water, and even if anchored into the ground (not rock) tends to move downhill.
You see this with a lot of retaining walls as you drive along. They start out looking fine but after a few years many are tipping outward. What they were supposed to be retaining is pushing them out.
For me, looking critically at the path I usually take on a hillside, which tends to the best path used over time, shows where the 'landings' need to be. Those become the pause spots that define the grades between them. Each grade between is treated as its own stairs.
This way the project is broken up into manageable sections.
But! In the overall plan you need to still incorperate the sections together to maximize/utilize lumber and have decent rise & treads. Youve probably been on poorly spaced steps/bad rise/too wide or narrow threads that make walking them awkward.
Maybe keep a tape measure with you in your travels; when you use a stairs with steps you like measure the rise & thread to consider for yours.
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Grizzlyman
Member
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# Posted: 3 Mar 2022 20:34 - Edited by: Grizzlyman
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mattyclat
What are your plans for attacking this? Interested
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old greybeard
Member
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# Posted: 7 Mar 2022 13:24
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we don't have this issue, but have many neighbors we kayak by that have installed stairs. Wood, block, stone. Id say a 80% failure rate. No solid foundation, erosion, poor planning. Those that use switchbacks as opposed to straight down seem better.
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