what material for staircase

[landyandy]

Contemplating making my own staircase for a knock through into a extension.
It will be a small kitewinder staircase with 4 treads.
Does it have to be made out of softwood or can I use ply or even mdf.

If so can anyone direct me to the regs regarding thickneses.
Thanks

Andy

 

[RedHerring2]

Last year I made mine with 2 X 25mm ply, glued and screwed together for the stringers, to give 50mm ply, and, I think it was 18mm ply for treads and risers, which I'll 'dress' with decent timber when I've finished the construction work in the house.

Picture here : //www.diynot.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=237971

 

[ladylola]

To be honest I'd steer away from the mdf , cheap and nasty and definately bottom end of the market.
Ply will be fine for threads and risers although I'd always go for solid timber for the strings but then I'm set in my ways

 

[RedHerring2]

I would normally agree, Ladylola, about the solid timber for stringers, but finding and costing 300mm X 50mm timber made the ply a no brainer. You can get 4 lengths of 300mm wide from 1 sheet. Also, in my case, 2.4 metres long stringers was ample long enough.

I suppose another consideration is whether you are doing housed or notched stringers. I was doing notched, hence the need for the 300mm wide stringer.

 

[big-all]

in general plywood is not as strong as equivilant timber because the grain goes in 2 directions instead off 1
as the span is limited and the ply is thicker is shouldn't spring to much

pine or hardwood strings and treads ply or mdf risers on pine here