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3 replies
7k views
3 replies
Building a small outdoor staircase on sloped ground
We have installed doors to our courtyard from the apartment and are planning to build a staircase.
The question is how to construct it?
The conditions are as follows:
1. The staircase must be freestanding, it cannot be anchored to the house.
2. The base is asphalt, which slopes in two directions (both away from the house and along the house).
3. The height difference is 47 cm, and the staircase can be at most 97 cm deep (then there's a doorway at an angle).
I'm wondering how to best level the base - should you use wedges, or how do you do it? Wedges feel a bit unstable?
I'm also wondering what dimensions for the steps might fit. There's the usual 64 cm formula, but then I think you'd want the top step to be a bit deeper? And can it even fit considering the depth/height measurements?
It's surprising how something so small can feel so difficult!
The question is how to construct it?
The conditions are as follows:
1. The staircase must be freestanding, it cannot be anchored to the house.
2. The base is asphalt, which slopes in two directions (both away from the house and along the house).
3. The height difference is 47 cm, and the staircase can be at most 97 cm deep (then there's a doorway at an angle).
I'm wondering how to best level the base - should you use wedges, or how do you do it? Wedges feel a bit unstable?
I'm also wondering what dimensions for the steps might fit. There's the usual 64 cm formula, but then I think you'd want the top step to be a bit deeper? And can it even fit considering the depth/height measurements?
It's surprising how something so small can feel so difficult!
You are not allowed to anchor the stairs to the house, but can you anchor them in the asphalt?
Maybe it's possible to attach joist hangers to the asphalt in some way that you can start framing from.
Why aren't you allowed to anchor the stairs to the house?
Maybe it's possible to attach joist hangers to the asphalt in some way that you can start framing from.
Why aren't you allowed to anchor the stairs to the house?
The answer to the second question is "bostadsrättsförening". Any questions about that...?
I'm hesitant about using beam shoes on the asphalt; it should probably be a completely standalone module to avoid being openly provocative.
We would like to hire a carpenter for this (and it would probably be easier to implement a solution that a carpenter says "must be done"), but haven't found anyone willing to take on a job as small as a tiny little staircase.
I'm hesitant about using beam shoes on the asphalt; it should probably be a completely standalone module to avoid being openly provocative.
We would like to hire a carpenter for this (and it would probably be easier to implement a solution that a carpenter says "must be done"), but haven't found anyone willing to take on a job as small as a tiny little staircase.
You probably don't need to worry about securing the stairs; they will be stable as long as they are level. The easiest way to level them is with wedges in pressure-treated wood, but French screws driven in from underneath at varying lengths to accommodate level differences can also work. However, you'll need to have a plate between the head and the asphalt so it doesn't sink down.
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