Sturdy Site-Built Stairs

The staircase is the nicest, most expensive piece of millwork in most homes, yet it takes the most abuse. And unlike cabinets, which come and go as kitchens and bathrooms get remodeled, stairs must usually last the life of the house. I’ve had the opportunity to build quite a few staircases, many of them for fussy clients. Though I’ve tried a number of construction methods, I’ve finally settled on one that gives me a durable, attractive stair with minimal disruption of the work schedule. This method is a cross between a sawncarriage stair — the most common type — and a housedstringer stair. Sawn-carriage stairs have 2×12 rough carriages, and 1-by finish