Composite vs. Cellular PVC Decking

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Do It Yourself – Deck Stairs

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Published in the Winter 2009 issue of Outdoor Design & Living Guide magazine.

You have a vision of what your deck should be when it’s finished. You can already smell the barbecue from the grill and are ready to spend time on your new deck with friends and family. You’ve spent time planning it out, and now it’s time to actually assemble it—and that includes building the stairs. A deck stairway adds visual interest, utility, and should be built with safety in mind, but if you’ve never built stairs before, it can be a little tricky. Building stairs requires exact measurements and careful layout. Here is some information that should help you out on your first stair building experience.

Stair Terminology—Understand It FIRST!

Before you can build some stairs of your own, you need to understand the deck-builder’s lingo.

The most common style of deck stairs is a straight run of notched stringers. A stringer is the structure of the stairs. They are often notched pieces of lumber that support the treads. They must be strong enough to support the heavy loads imposed by people walking on the steps themselves. This is usually 2×10” or 2×12” minimum.

Each step consists of the tread which are the horizontal pieces a person steps on when going up or down the stairs. The riser is the back part of the step. It’s the height between the treads; the vertical part. Nosing is the overhang of the tread.

Step 1: Figure Out the Rise & Run

This will be a throw back to your algebra classes in high school. There’s a formula that deck builders use for the ideal relationship between the rise and run. Yep—you’re going to have to do a little math in order to build your steps!

• Twice the rise plus the run should be between 24-26”.
• 7½” + 7½” Rise + 10” Tread = 25”.
• The sum of one riser and one tread should equal 17-18”.
• The riser multiplied by the tread should equal between 70-75”.

It’s extremely important that all of the treads and all risers be at the same size and height, so measure carefully and don’t just “think” that it’s “about” this height or that height. Your trusty tape measure is your best friend when you’re building your stairs. Why? Because after your stairs are built and someone walks up or down your stairs, they will subconsciously measure the height of the first few risers. If your stairs aren’t the same height, you will have people tripping up or down your stairs because they are not the same height. So Todd’s number one rule of building stairs is measure twice!

Step 2: Determine the Number of Risers

The total vertical distance a stair must cover is measured from the top of the decking to where the stairs will land. If the ground slopes away, make sure you measure where the stairs will land.

Divide the distance in inches by 8” of rise. In the event that the number is not even, round up to the nearest whole number. Then divide the original distance by that number to find the height of each riser.

Here is an example to illustrate this process: 75” ÷ 10 = 7½” per riser. If you want a lower rise, divide by 11 and get 6 13/16” per riser.

I like to cut the tread at 10”. This works out nicely for decking as two 5 ½” decking boards = 11” + 1/8” gap = 11 1/8” so you will have an overhang of 1 1/8”.

And here is another little helpful hint from Todd. There is always 1 less tread than riser, so if you have 10 risers you will have 9 treads. Nine treads x 10” each; the stairs would land out at 90”.

Step 3: Cut the Stringers

Place a 2×10” or 2×12” of appropriate length on a pair of sawhorses. You need to sight along the edge of the lumber to determine if there is a crown.

As you are cutting, make sure the crown side is up. Figure 3-1. Using a framing square, set the buttons to 7½” and 10”. Start on the bottom of the stringer and continue along the length, marking off each step. After marking the notches, I make several critical adjustments before cutting the stringers. Shorten the bottom step to the thickness of the tread material.

Mark 1½” off the bottom front riser, and mark 1½” off the back of top riser.

Figure 3-2. Using a circular saw, cut out the steps–running the front of the blade just to the intersection of the marks for riser and treads. Because the blade is circular, there will be a bit if wood remaining on the underside of the stringer. Cut this with a hand saw or Jigsaw. After your first stringer is created, use this one for a pattern for the remaining stringers.

Step 4: Assemble the Stairs

Figure 4-1. Attach and screw a 2×6” on the top back of stringers and 2×6” on the bottom front stringers for support.

Temporarily tack the stair section to the deck. Now locate where your bottom rail posts will be installed. Remove stairs and dig holes to code depth.

Reattach stairs, square stringers, plumb, and securely attach the posts to the front 2×6” and outside stringer.

Figure 4-2. You are now ready to install the riser and tread material to your stringers. I like to start at the bottom and work my way up. Install the riser material first and follow by securing the treads. Screw the bottom back of each riser to the tread. I like to add another 2×4” along the side of each stringer for double the strength.

Add skirt boards on the side of each outside stringer for a more finished look.

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After building decks for almost 25 years, I’ve “learned by doing.” Some common things that people make mistakes on are that they do not realize that the variation between the largest and smallest riser can be no more than 3/8” and that the maximum riser height is 8”. Open risers on stairs are not permitted. Nor do people realize that the minimum stair width is 36” and that they need a railing on stairs if there are over 3 risers. There also is a minimum tread depth of 9”.

I think that my “top 4” list of things that you need to be aware of when building your first set of stairs are: Don’t put your top tread even with your deck. Remember when adding railing on both insides of a set of stairs, you shrink them by around 1”. Some stair kits require between 30 and 35 degree angles for the stringers. Lastly, some companies recommend strings be at 12”, so be sure to read their recommendations.

It’s good practice to always consult with your local building department. All city codes are not the same and you want to build a deck that fits within your city’s code. It’s also good to know that every city does not have to adapt to the National building code.

Terminology

Stringer – The structure of the stairs;
notched pieces of lumber to support treads;
it must be strong enough to support heavy loads imposed by people walking on the treads;
usually 2×10” or 2×12” minimum

Riser – Is the back part of the step. The height between the treads; the vertical part

Total Rise – The sum of all the risers divided by ?

Tread – Each step consists of a tread which is the horizontal pieces you step on

Total Run – The sum of all the tread is the total run

Nosing – Overhang of tread

Skirt boards – Finish board to cover treated stringers, ends of decking, risers and a more finished look.

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Deckmasters wins Best of Show

Deckmasters was voted as the Best of Show Exhibit for the 2009 Red River Valley Home & Garden Show.

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Fasteners (aka Screws), Plugs, & Concealed Deck Fasteners

Published in the Summer 2009 issue of Outdoor Design & Living Guide magazine.

It seems like every other person calling or stopping into Deckmasters is asking about concealed decking fasteners. Forty years ago, it was the slot screw. Then came the Phillips. The square drive was next, but now it’s the Torx head-once you use this, you will never go back!

We now have special trimhead screws for hollow decking, special breakaway screws, plugs, and every imaginable colored head to match decking color. The head designs prevent the “mushroom” effect by trapping and taking any debris under the head, and the color-coated heads match your deck boards.

So, why would you want to use these concealed deck fasteners anyway? My first response is that they provide a clean and uniform deck surface, so they look nice. They were developed to eliminate nail and screw holes that often mark up or scar the deck. Raised screws or nails and splintered surfaces can be very dangerous, can cause bodily injury and can be difficult to deal with when you’re shoveling your deck in the winter. Another advantage is that concealed deck fasteners now come in a variety of types: prong, track, biscuit, and interlocking clips.

Some manufactured materials have developed specific hidden fasteners that fit into a groove that runs the length of a deck board. If the manufacturer doesn’t have a grooved board or channel, you will need to make a groove with a biscuit jointer, router or table saw.

It is important to note that you won’t be able to groove some manufactured cellular PVC coated or hollow deck boards, as it will void your warranty. Also, don’t use aluminum hidden fasteners or let them touch ACQ treated wood, as it is very corrosive.

Then, the next question people always ask me is, “If I want to use hidden fastening systems, how much is this going to cost?” I don’t think anyone in the industry would argue that this type of fastening system takes longer to install than a plain old screw, and will cost a little more for you, but in the end, aesthetically you will be more than pleased with the finished product. Hidden fasteners are strong and have a beautiful finished look. My vote is to use them. It’s worth the time and the money.

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Low Maintenance Decking Materials

Composite vs. Cellular PVC

Published in Winter 2009 Outdoor Design and Living Guide

You’ve made the decision to build a new low maintenance deck. Now you have to decide, “Do I go with composite or cellular PVC decking?”
Here’s my advice-Go with the cellular PVC.

1. 1. Cellular PVC will not scratch under normal wear and tear-that comes from moving furniture and the grill, sand under foot, or even Fido running to chase a rabbit off of the top step.
2. 2. Cellular PVC will not mold from the inside out like composite sometimes can because it doesn’t have wood flour inside the deck boards.
3. 3. Cellular PVC will not stain like composites, so you don’t have to worry about sunscreens, hot tub chemicals, grilling mishaps, potato chips or even red wine! You won’t even need a deck cleaner with cellular PVC. The only cleaner you need is soap, water, and a little elbow grease.
4. 4. Cellular PVC’s color will not fade. Some composites have grayed after a few years. If you should have to replace a cellular PVC deck board a year later, you will not see a difference in color.
5. 5.  Cellular PVC comes in wood grain and has a Class A fire rating. Some of the cellular PVC grains even come with unique black streaks to make them appear as real wood.

Here’s the bottom line: my opinion is that the upgrade to cellular PVC is worth it. For the slight increase in expense for the deck boards, you will be impressed with the product. It truly will be ultra low maintenance.

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