Stair step planning in Sketchup
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Pretty cool. Something new to learn every day.
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That is the dumbest thing I have ever seen on how to figure a set of stairs, who ever that was ,has never built a set of stars before.
Go to UTube and read the comments.
There are a set of code requirements that have to be conformed to, not just "Well lets see here ,I think I will build a set of stairs here".
Herb
No Offense to you, Jim, but that is a misleading video.
Go to UTube and read the comments.
There are a set of code requirements that have to be conformed to, not just "Well lets see here ,I think I will build a set of stairs here".
Herb
No Offense to you, Jim, but that is a misleading video.
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gotta agree w/ ya there...
the finished floors were never figured in...
like Herb said... No Offense to you, Jim, but that is a misleading video.
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Yeah, I have no knowledge of building. My interest was learning to draw the geometry in Sketchup. For example, my 93 year old Mom wants to have a gradually sloping stepped ramp built from her high back door to the patio level. She can't lift her feet very high, and would like for there to be a series of 4 inch high steps that are each a little platform to rest at along the way.
So I could use this to get an idea of how far out onto the patio the assembly would extend, and know how big each platform can be to allow the frame to fit in the space available, and to end up evenly at the driveway. She can give the measured drawing to the builder to better convey what she's asking for.
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Jim I heard a comment about stair building on This Old House a few years back that said the sum of the rise plus the length of the run should equal 17.5”. I’m assuming this fits the average gait of a person. If the step is the wrong width then it would make going to the next step very awkward. A 4” rise would mean a 13.5” run which is like a mini landing. I don’t think I would deviate from that formula much. Handrails are probably more important than altering the step formula.
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I think we should remember that this is a Sketchup tutorial and not a construction how-to. It's all about how to use Sketchup, not about how to build proper steps that would meet code. I learned several things from the video.
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I understand what you guys are saying, but it doesn't work,it is totally wrong. You can't measure off the bottom of the landing joist to the top of the patio slab. That is meaning less. So right off the beginning you are building a big error into the drawing.
You have to remember that the upper landing is nothing more than a STEP. Who ever set the landing height had to know the rise and run of the steps, because you can't have a different rise and run from the bottom floor to the Landing than you do from the landing to the 2nd floor.
Jim, the best way to figure this is get the height from the top deck to the patio.
Divide that by 4". this gives you the total number of steps.
Get the measurement from a foot beyond the door opening in the direction of travel, to where you want to end the stairs, Divide that by the total number of steps, this gives you the length of the run of each step.
Keep in mind that you may run into a problem getting someone reputable to build these, because they are not to code and there is a real responsibility to the person who builds these if anyone is hurt, Besides that they are an unconventional type of stairs in that a series of platforms stacked one on top of the other with supporting legs to support the over length runs on the steps. Or a full length wall with ledgers fastened to the house and the inside of the wall to support the long steps plus the railings on both sides.
Drawing things and building things are two different things, sometimes there are no there over there.
Herb
You have to remember that the upper landing is nothing more than a STEP. Who ever set the landing height had to know the rise and run of the steps, because you can't have a different rise and run from the bottom floor to the Landing than you do from the landing to the 2nd floor.
Jim, the best way to figure this is get the height from the top deck to the patio.
Divide that by 4". this gives you the total number of steps.
Get the measurement from a foot beyond the door opening in the direction of travel, to where you want to end the stairs, Divide that by the total number of steps, this gives you the length of the run of each step.
Keep in mind that you may run into a problem getting someone reputable to build these, because they are not to code and there is a real responsibility to the person who builds these if anyone is hurt, Besides that they are an unconventional type of stairs in that a series of platforms stacked one on top of the other with supporting legs to support the over length runs on the steps. Or a full length wall with ledgers fastened to the house and the inside of the wall to support the long steps plus the railings on both sides.
Drawing things and building things are two different things, sometimes there are no there over there.
Herb
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It’s both Andy. Read post #5.
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it's both ...
bad or incorrect plans make for a bad or dangerous final product..
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Yeah, Chuck. A series of mini-landings is what she's after because she uses a walker. The purpose of my drawing was only to see if the size of the platforms she wants will fit into her available linear space. She can give the drawing to her builder so he can see what she wants the platform dimensions to be, then he can try to work out the framing specs.
Thanks for that formula from Old House. It sounds a lot simpler to visualize. It will be useful if I'm ever actually doing the building.
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Thanks for pointing that out, Andy. I only posted it for the Sketchup tutorial value.
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