Pre-Cut Stringers for the Dummy Deck Builder

pre-cut stair stringers

No matter what the DIY project, there's always someone looking for help in figuring out how to do it. That was the impetus for the creation of the website eHow.com. On the face of it, the idea was sound; their problem was in its execution. As far as the founders of eHow were concerned, first-hand knowledge of the project was never prerequisite for writing their little articles. As a result, the site became the laughingstock of people who did have first-hand knowledge; at least in part because of contributors like Emily Patterson and her Hunker.com article, "How to Use Pre-Cut Stair Stringers for Decks."

Patterson's sole reference didn't make it to Hunker, but we found it at the original on eHow using the Wayback machine at archive.org. If all you want is to know how to attach pre-cut stringers to the deck's rim joist, Emily pretty much got it. If you actually want to know how to use pre-cut stringers, not so much.

According to Emily, it takes five steps to "use pre-cut stair stringers":

1. Measure the "back section... of the precut stair stringer."
2. "Measure down from the top of the decking on the face board of the deck using the measurement of the rise of the precut stair stringer. Mark this location." 
3. "Place each stringer in position with the top of the stringer at the mark made in the last step."
4. Place a paver at the bottom... 
5. "...screw a block of wood [something called a cleat, Emily] on the inside of each precut stair stringer... Screw the stringer to the block of wood..." 
6. "Cut deck boards for the treads and screw to the vertical surface of the precut stringers."

Emily's careful omission of the whole business of sizing a stringer notwithstanding, her instructions are pure bushwa. Here's why:

• She didn't allow for the thickness of a top tread when she marked the position of the stringer.
• You place your pavers, blocks, or concrete landing before you start building the stairs, Emily. That's how you know the total rise.
• You really should screw that cleat to the deck face, Emily, otherwise it'll just fall down!
• We strongly suggest that you screw treads to the horizontal surfaces of the stringers, not the vertical...

And that, readers, is why Emily Patterson is collecting her fifth Dumbass of the Day award. Any questions?

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