help sourcing external staircase

[jpq]

Hi There,

I'm looking at a loft conversion job which requires an external staircase.
I'm considering either iron or timber (decking style).

The staircase is a simple straight run 2700mm high and 900mm wide with handrails on both sides. It will fall on a 9inch wall and come off a flat roof.

I've called a steel fabricator and am awaiting a price. I've also looked on decking websites but can't find stringers long enough.

Any ideas/anecdotes/feedback much appreciated.

Thanks
Joe

 

[mointainwalker]

I made one last month.

sidepieces were spruce, 50 x 250 x 5000 (approx) and used gavanised , steel-steps 900 x 270.

Got the wood from local saw-mill and steps cost me E 30 ( pnds 28 ) each, from a local stockist. 12 mm nuts and bolts ( 70 off )were also a little pricy.

Most difficult thing for me was working out length of stringers as had never done it before.

 

[jpq]

thanks Mointainwalker.

I found an interesting US site with some tips.

http://www.ehow.co.uk/how_2007357_build-outdoor-stairs.html


I think I'll go with the timber route as the price I got back was £4500 + vat for the iron stairs.

Cheers
Joe

 

[mointainwalker]

don't know if the writer made a mistake or not, but think a 6" step is ludicrously narrow. I didn't consider anything smaller than 230 mm

 

[jpq]

a 6" step is ludicrously narrow.

I agree, I was thinking 250mm so I could deck the risers.

I also found this very useful stair calculator, again in the US so in inches.
http://www.decks.com/Calculators/Stairs.aspx?
Great for working out the total run and pitch.