Odd rise and run calculation for steps

[thrt15nc]

I want to put some steps from our sidewalk down to the grass in front of our house. To my eye, it doesn't appear to be a standard here's the top of the deck, here's the height the steps need to fall through, make the calculation. So that's my question. The place for the steps will be in the far left side of this pic. You can see where some flatstone now sit.

The run from the top of the sidewalk down the hill to the grass is 14 feet. The fall from the sidewalk to the grass is 44 inches. Doing the A2 + B2 = C2 triangle calculation, that makes the last stair step ending 13.5 feet out from the sidewalk. We don't want to move a lot of hillside dirt to get this done. We're trying to have the steps work with the existing slope. I'm assuming I can't use the standard calculation for making the steps? So how do I make my calculations?

Thanks
Tom

 

[McRabbet]

Why don't you make a series of steps with flagstone "landings" and curve it toward the right -- you could do six drops of about 7" each.

 

[thrt15nc]

Rob that's what we had for a while. The stone was dug into the slope. But over a little time, the dirt rained away, loosening the stone and they didn't feel safe. The step never felt quite right going up and down them. We're looking for something a little more stable and permanent now.

Tom

 

[walnutjerry]

What will you be using to build your steps out of? If they are brick then a stretcher course and a rowlock course will give you about 6 3/4" risers. The treads can vary in depth up to 11-1/4". That is based on an old rule of the thumb that tread and riser dimensions should add up to 17" with the riser being no more than 8".

Same rule of thumb whatever you use to build the steps. Hope this is some help.

Jerry

 

[Mark Anderson]

witrh a rise of 44'' and a diagone of 14'(assuming this was measured along the slope) you will wind up with a 13' 6 9/64 run (the distance the stairs "run" in a strait level line)

with a 7 5/16 rise (six steps) you will have a 2' 3 1/32 tread.

as mentioned the ole rule of thumb for stairs is to have your rise and run add up to 17'' so this would turn out to be a rather uncomfortable stair

to make it more comfotable i'm thinking two steps up to a landing. two more steps up 1/2 wayup the hill to landing, and then the final two steps up to the finished top grade. the longer landings in between the steps would give you more time to adjust your gate as you wask up them....i think

 

[thrt15nc]

Just planned on making it out of treated lumber. I'll have to think about the "couple steps, then a landing" idea. It's not going to get much use, but it will provide access to the grass, and then to a bird feeder. Also we were going to use the steps to make a definition between two types of mulch material on the slope.

Thanks for your suggestions.

Tom

 

[walnutjerry]

witrh a rise of 44'' with a 7 5/16 rise (six steps) you will have a 2' 3 1/32 tread.

as mentioned the ole rule of thumb for stairs is to have your rise and run add up to 17'' so this would turn out to be a rather uncomfortable stair

With a 44" vertical height------my math says each riser would be 6.28" if you use 7 steps--------and that includes the top step-----in this case the side walk. So you would actually have only 6 treads to construct. Am I way out in left field on my math?

Incorporating landings is a good way to stretch them out to reach the horizontal distance:icon_thum .

Jerry

 

[DaveO]

Why don't you use 6 x 6 timbers, make 3 sided boxes about 24" deep, stack them and then either fill them with gravel or pavers. Then you can be much more flexible on the run of the steps. That method will give you about 8 steps. And it will look more like landscaping than deck steps.

**Clarification, the actual run will be about 18", but the extra length is to support the next step riser***

MTCW,
Dave

 

[jeff...]

Backhoe it, if that don't work there's always dynamite.

 

[Mark Anderson]

jerry your math is right too, you just added a step. and as said if you add one more you can use 6x6's (51/2) for each rise

 

[thrt15nc]

Thanks everyone. I'll have to take these ideas to "the customer" and see what we might do.

Tom