Serious outdoor stairs, railway sleeper, what size stringer?
Discussion
As title, Brother in law and I are going to be building a 24 step ( ish) flight of stairs out of reclaimed sleepers. The ground is an old quarry and very rocky underneath. Best bet is to sink posts and hang stringers with the sleepers on top rather than dig out, set and pin.
We are thinking like this with the sleepers being on top of the cut out sections and 6x6 posts supporting the stringers rather than the deck and the ground.
We are trying to make sure everything is done properly and are trying to figure out how big the joistsneeds to be to make the stringer out of.
I am thinking 12x3 hardwood, sound enough, pver is fine under obvisously isn't. The stringer will be about 4m long and not all 24 steps will be on this one stringer as it will snake around the contours of the land and probabl have a few flights.
The steps will be 10 high and 5 deep, back filed with a gravel top.
We are thinking like this with the sleepers being on top of the cut out sections and 6x6 posts supporting the stringers rather than the deck and the ground.
We are trying to make sure everything is done properly and are trying to figure out how big the joistsneeds to be to make the stringer out of.
I am thinking 12x3 hardwood, sound enough, pver is fine under obvisously isn't. The stringer will be about 4m long and not all 24 steps will be on this one stringer as it will snake around the contours of the land and probabl have a few flights.
The steps will be 10 high and 5 deep, back filed with a gravel top.
The ground is rocky but we sunk the posts today, laid a deck here a year or so ago, best way is mark out spade the top layer of soil and the sds drill through any problem rocks then hand scrape out half a inch, drill, scrape etc etc. Also buried a dog in this ground so used to sweating to make a small hole.
As for cutting, they aren't that bad. we are cutting with a chainsaw, they are reclaimed Jarra wood sleepers and are hard. Lots of smoke and heat but you get through them. A sharp chain, pair of gloves to take the vibrations and they are no worse then logging a decent tree.
Just wonder what size stringers should be used, the won't be seen as they will be back filled just want to make it feel as solid as it will look.
As for cutting, they aren't that bad. we are cutting with a chainsaw, they are reclaimed Jarra wood sleepers and are hard. Lots of smoke and heat but you get through them. A sharp chain, pair of gloves to take the vibrations and they are no worse then logging a decent tree.
Just wonder what size stringers should be used, the won't be seen as they will be back filled just want to make it feel as solid as it will look.
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