Stairs Support

[Bobbya82]

Hi

I want to try and make as much space in this void under the stairs as possible for storage or maybe one day a washing machine, is there a good way to remove/replace or rearrange these tred supports while still keeping the same support?

Many thanks

 

[Phip]

If you are wanting to keep the support then I would have thought that the easiest thing to do would be to make the horizontal bearers the full width of the stair, so that the vertical struts are next to the walls and out of the way. In old staircases the bearers were often set into the wall at one end, and mortised into the newel post at the other - you could do something similar but it would be more complicated.

Newer staircases often don't have bearers under the treads. Yours might just have been put in to support the winder box while the stairs were being built, or perhaps the stairs were squeaking. They might not be needed at all.

Looks like you might need a lintel in that new opening you have created to access the void.

 

[Bobbya82]

Many thanks for the reply, l really helpful. is there an easy way to know if the Supports are needed? The house is about 30 years old.

Thanks again