Should these stairs have any kind of support underneath on the open side? Stairs went quite a ways up more than the pic shows and they were a tad bit wobbly. What are typical requirements? Thanks in advance.
Well hand rail is wrong and no safety rail for starters , Just asking could a 4 inch sphere go between the steps, I would say a support post would help also
Yeah, handrail was also < 11/2" from the wall, space greater than 4" on the riser space, and the top riser to the upstairs was a good 12" - I nearly fell when going to the basement! (Luckily, I had a change of underwear in the truck). Anyway, I can’t seem to find anything as to understair supporting… any more help would be great. Thanks for the reply Wayne, hope all is well down your way.
If im not mistaken its every 6’ there needs to be support.
here again and as i recall our very own Paige did a video on stairs
We can’t see what supports that stringer on top (probably a beam or header), but normally full-depth stringers like the ones shown are designed to span the entire distance from top support to bottom. The stair probably pre-dates curent code requirements for railings and passage of a 4-inch sphere, but they might be pointed out as safety improvements, especially if there are infants or small children in the house, or elderly folks.
or just plain old ordinary bumbling/stumbling people, but that never happens :shock:
Wobbly as in loosely fastened treads, the stringers lacking secure fastening to the basement floor, flimsy tread and/or stringer material? I commonly find staircases to unfinished basements have any combination of the three problems. Some handyman (I hope they weren’t contractors :shock: ) have built these things with lumber that has no business supporting a coffee table, let alone a staircase … :|.)
- Lack of a barrier on the open side.
- Inadequate handrail length
- Inadequate structural support of the stringer.
- Exceeds modern safety standards
**Exceeds **modern safety standards??
You must mean “falls short of modern safety standards”!
I guess that’s kind of a crucial difference, Richard :oops:. Yep, that’s what I meant.