Building box steps for a deck is not as hard as making the deck itself.
Build a deck box step.
The deck surface is considered a step so if you have a 20 inch rise you will build one step and the deck will be your second step.
To do so substitute 1 x 6 treated boards for the tongue and groove cedar boards.
The house deck is an ingenious way of extending the house and inexpensive when compared to the cost of an addition.
Decks are a relatively inexpensive way of extending houses and access to their entrance is usually made if you build deck steps box steps made on private property don t have to follow a specific dimension of course however if the steps are being constructed upon public property then it is important to check for applicable rules with the building and or the fire codes.
And you won t need any hard math to figure it out though your calculations must be accurate.
Attach the box step to the deck.
We show this deck box built from cedar with a stain finish.
The maximum riser height is 8 and the minimum tread depth is 10.
Use nails possibly longer ones and a hammer to nail the box step to the deck.
The first step is to measure the height of the stairs to determine the number of stairs you need to build.
Most deck builders use 2x6 material to frame the stair boxes and use 2 5 4x6 deck boards for each tread with a 1 2 overhang over the riser board.
I chose not to use that method.
Make sure the step is sturdy before allowing other people to use it.
Plans to build box steps for a deck by sarah tidwell.
The final measurement is the depth of each stair which is called the unit run.
When building steps it is essential to build every step the same height as the others to prevent tripping.
If you plan to paint the box however a more economical alternative would be to build it with pressure treated wood.
The standard way to build steps is to cut stringers out of 2 x 10 or 2 x 12 lumber and to secure those to the deck or porch.
Instead i chose to build a series of modified boxes that stack one on top of the other.
This is a very informative video that describes that standard method.
This is for safety and ease of construction.
Allow the treated lumber to dry thoroughly before priming and painting it.
The specific placement of the nails will depend on the design of your steps and the deck.
Decks can usually be accessed either from the main house or by stairs from the outside.
Sure building deck stairs can be tricky.
A typical deck stair tread or top is made with two deck boards side by side.
