I need to build a stair case to go in the front hall of my house. It is a 10′ rise and about 16′ long stringers. The stair needs to be open and the stringers need to be wood (the design will have the treads between the stringers) The stair that is in the hall now (going down the new one will go up to a new loft area) uses cherry handrail and brushed alumn rods as the spindles.
The house has kind of an arts and crafts meets a modern loft look or a bit of a mechanical/tech look to it.
Anyway I need to build two stringers about 1 1/2″ by about 12″ by about 16′ long. I was thinking these need to look like the cherry hand rail around the opening to the lower stairs (a glue up of three pieces of cherry about 1 1/2″ thick by 5 1/2″ wide with 3/4″ round overs on all 4 corners) But the question is do I want to try and glue up something? If so do I use a bunch of 1 1/2″ wide cherry and glue it up like a glue lam? Or do I use a 12″ boards and put them on edge (three wide?) Either look will work, I think the glue lam idea would be stronger.
So what do you all think (and what type of glue?)
Or do you have any other ideas. I would look at other options that get me to this same look if they exist. I was wondering about buying a glue lam but I dont know if they make them this small. in stain grade.
Well let me know any ideas you have. I figure that you are looking at about $400 or $500 for the wood. (the stain is the darker reder cherry color, more like mohogany)
Thanks in advance.
Doug
Replies
Doug,
If I understand you correctly you are going to have the treads inbetween the stringers without risers?
If so I would check local codes to see the limitations on stairs designed this way. There are restrictions on the open riser designs that vary locally. I think the IRC has a maximum of 6" open between the treads. So with a 10' rise you would need to keep the number of risers at 17 to get a 7.05" riser height and with 1.25" treads you would have an open area of 5.8".
Also without risers the whole unit may tend to be a little bouncy with either method you are considering.
A 10' rise is at the maximum for 16' stringers.
I would use two microlams for each string. You can get 18' lengths at 1.5" thick and then laminate them with cherry. If you have a vacuum bag, that would be the easiest using the Unibond 800 glue or another type of plastic resin glue. I suppose you could also use epoxy, but the Unibond will be cheaper.
The microlams will be plenty strong and save time with construction.
J.P.
Yeah I had thought about the open stringer issue and codes and I did design the stairs to meet this issue, but the location of the stairs really needs open stringers so I will have to proceed with that as a factor.
I had thought of another design for the stair that in some ways I liked better but I am not sure how to do this one at all. I was thinking of taking two larger stringers (size could be just about anything I want) run them up at about 1/3 points or so (say anyplace from 12 to 24 inches apart) and put treads on top of them supported with mettle brackets. This would give me a nice industrial look.
Issue is getting the stringers (cost and weight) and then you have the issue with getting the metal brackets. They would need to be some sort of buffed or polished or some such (not black) to go with the Brushed alumn/ brushed nickel of the rest of the place.
I am of course working on a tight budget (I would really like to pull this off for give or take $1000 for the stringers and treads) I even thought about using metal stringers and or treads but finding them (at a reasonable price) is the issue. Thus I am back to figuring out how to build them myself!
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Doug Meyer
(a Poor Home Owner)
JP has the right idea,gluelams and veneer. The only thing I can add is the type of glue. Hot hide glue is the best for the veneer for a couple of reasons. Brush and squeegee the glue on the gluelam,don't worry about the glue setting up. Make sure the glue has good coverage .Cut the treads and risers 1/4" or so oversize on the veneer.Lay the veneer on the gluelam,position the veneer.The glue can be absolutely cold, you could apply glue the day before veneering if you want. Use a heat gun to warm the glue.Set the heat to high if it has this setting. Play the heat gun over the veneer at one end for about 8 to 10 seconds, make sure the heat gun is at least a foot away to keep from scorching veneer. As the glue softens under the veneer,roll it with a laminate roller.You will notice that the veneer flattens tight to the gluelam.Keep the heat gun moving and repeat with roller until done. Check the veneer 20 minutes later for any spots that may not be tight.If there are any ,just heat and roll.
You can buy hide glue online,google a search. You do not need a fancy electric heater, buy a cheap $10.00 crock pot and a candy thermometer. The package gives you proportions of flakes to water .
mike
Doug there are a couple of guys over on Breaktime that are stair builders. You might want to post over there.
OK I may post this over on that side (I do post over thier but not much)
Doug
Doug,
Go to a sawmill. for less than the price of other solutions you can get cherry beams that size or larger.. If you are located where cherry doesn't grow then start calling some of the sawmills in Pennsulvania.
Or go to http://www.hmr.com for a list of hardwood suppliers..
Well I am in Michigan (around Detroit) but I do not know of anyplace local that sells/has cherry that big. I will have to look into it.
Doug
doug,
there are several sites that offer wood if you go back thru this site there will be various listings plus you could go contact woodmiser and they have a listing of all their customers.. Failing that contact pallet companies ask them who supplies their wood.
Cherry that size isn't all that unusual, cherry is known as a nursing wood in that it is among the first trees to grow back in the event of fire or a clear cut. In order to survive it grows quickly and relatively straight and tall
You might also contact http://www.hmr.com they are a hardwood market report news guide and have supply a lot of the smaller hardwood sawmills with market reports regarding wood prices..
FAS cherry is currantly listed at $2.90 a bd.ft. for the larger sizes.. Millrun is listed at 87.5 cents..
Have you looked at Armstrong mills?
There selection is OUT OF THIS WORLD!
Thay are in Hartland MI off of M59 between telegraph and US-23
there ph# is 248-887-1037
I use them a lot, there prices are a little higher than some, but there quality is second to none.
check them out.
C.A.G.
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