Stair stringers are the backbone of any set of stairs. Since I had carpet installers coming in the next day and it was late at night, I decided to shim the stairs to make all the risers equal height (see Figu… I really want to avoid squeaky stairs, so do I need to get the stringers level or will such small difference (between stringers) combined with relatively thick treads not have much effect? Making them deeper requires a longer cut to notch the stringers, which weakens them. Also attach the stringer to the legs of the third landing. Determine the overall height of the stairs. You use a framing square to draw the stair’s notches on the stringer, then you cut them out. Pressure-treated lumber is the best choice for outdoor stairs that will be exposed to the elements, like those leading up to decks, porches, sheds, and barns. After fastening the stringers to the hanger and rim with structural screws, I installed 2x8 blocking between all of the stringers … Desired Stair Height will … Should a stair stringer be 2×10 or 2×12? That's a pretty narrow stair at 7" 1/2" is a heck of a lot off level in 7" Can you remove the treads fairly easily or is it a housed stringer? take the total run (horizontal distance the stairs will span) and square that value and add it to the previous squared This is useful for cases where the stringer attaches to the face of a floor opening rather than resting on the surface of a floor. Follow the old handyman’s adage: measure twice, cut once. Scribe a line with a level across the landing and attach the second stringer in same manner. Last Updated: November 7, 2019 Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered. The minimum allowed by most codes is 10 inches, and that’s a good size to use. Use stringer hangers even when they are not required. Run/Tread: The run or tread is the part of the stairway that a person steps on. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/6\/65\/Measure-Stair-Stringers-Step-1.jpg\/v4-460px-Measure-Stair-Stringers-Step-1.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/6\/65\/Measure-Stair-Stringers-Step-1.jpg\/aid9657256-v4-728px-Measure-Stair-Stringers-Step-1.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"