Stair install question

[andmort]

This might be a difficlut one to describe. Existing stairs are too steep, and stairs themselves are too small. So I need to get the angle shallower, i.e. back to British Standards. The problem is that the stringers rest on top of a few rows of engineering bricks which in turn rest on an engineering beam. You can see the idea in my crude picture

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• andmort
• 10 Mar 2011
• 1

So when I lower pitch of the stairs the stringers will foul the engineering bricks by one or two bricks. This would mean removing those rows and the stringers would move horizontally about a foot at the top I'm guessing. Problem ist the floor joists rest on them too. Is there an engineering solution which will allow me to lower th epitch of the stairs, given that if I did, a few of the joists above would be floating in air, without some kind of fix.

If the stringers are restin gon the course lower than the one they were originally on, could the floor joists be somehow tied in to the stringers? I'm just making i tup now. Thoughts anyone?

Next step is to get an enineer to visit but thought I'ds ound out the forum first.[/img]

 

[ladylola]

Yes, depending upon the construction you have, you could put in a trimmer at the projected position of new stair strings so that the strings abut the side of that trimmer and the exsisting joists would be cut back to abut the opposite side of the trimmer. Make sense?

 

[andmort]

Not quite, what does it all rest on, how does the beam and engineering bricks fit into the picture. Thanks.[/list]

 

[ladylola]

Your plan is a little sparse but I would assume that you have either a wall either side of the stairs or joists. This wall which presumably is also supporting the beam(?) can thus support the new trimmer, or if there isn't a wall then support off the joists. The exsisting beam can most likely stay and the brickwork should be reduced or removed to accomadate the lower pitch of the stairs , and subsicent projection beyond the beam. This can then be rebuilt in either brick or timber once the stairs are in place.
Joists are connected to the new trimmer rather than the stairs taking the weight of them.
Any better?

 

[big-all]

are you saying your stairs are steeper than 42% ??

you need to maintain the landings as a square the tread widths
you also have to be careful if there's any doors on the landing if the come to close to the top step
other considerations is head height if your stairs are raised in relation to the point they pass through the floor above