U-stairs, winder corners, all to code

[Gene Davis]

This student of stairs, a total rookie, wants to draw a set of U-shaped stairs, in the tightest space allowed per code, or at least real close.

I seek guidance from any willing tutor familiar with how to do this in version 10.

I want to go up from first to second on a total of 14 risers, so 13 treads will show in plan, and this stairs should go 2-3W-3-3W-2, the key being W for a three-tread winder corner per the attached sketch I did of a workout.

The IRC says I should have a min tread width of 6 at the inside, and a min of 10 at the 12 inch walkline. For three 30 degree treads in a 90 corner, the 6 min rules. My workout sketch shows how straight sections at 37 wide are to join to the two winder turns, each 48-9/16" square.

How is this all done with precision, in Chief 10? I am having a lot of trouble figuring it out. My DVD tutorials are not helping, nor is my Ref Manual.

[Gene Davis]

Sorry for your trouble. I was just lazy, I guess, not willing to pursue.

But I got real close, as you can see in the planview, attached. I learned what to do for curving the two corners on p. 351 of the manual, and how to link up everything with one of the DVD tuts (#637, thank you very much).

Getting the dimensions right was a matter of sneaking up on it iteratively, changing the "lengths" of each corner, so as to get the spread (4'5-1/8") I calculated I needed.

I cannot account for the extra half inch, but will ignore it for now. I wanted 3'1 then 4'5-1/8 then 3'1, all to go into an opening, sheetrock to sheetrock, of 8'7-1/8".

[Allen42acj]

Gene
Louis has an excellent tutorial on winders..
To get it to really look up to code with the non curved inside corners.
I use platforms to make the winders.
Or you can add cad blocks over it if the 3D is not that important..

[Gene Davis]

Thanks, Allen. I was thinking of doing something like that.

How do you frame a set like this, so that a similar set can go underneath, and go down into the basement?

[Allen42acj]

Very carefully..
Think I posted that once..
Let me check..

[Allen42acj]

Gene
I couldn't find that thread.
Basically build boxes to sit on top of each other.
The first step/box is 1 1/2" bigger for the next box to sit on that.
This was just done fast and not to code.
Did I explain that good enough to understand?

[Gene Davis]

Boxes all understood. Thanks.

I guess that for reality in 3D, one needs to make 1" thick tread boxes to sit atop the "riser" boxes. Can do.

But I gotta ask. Is this all in the name of getting things to render without all the funky curves that Chief wants to do with these stairs?

Would it be more or less tedious to do pie-cut shaped landings for each of the three treads of the winder section?

And framing? Or do we just leave that up to the wizards of wood, the savvy stairbuilders, sultans of steps?

Think I'll go and see what Jed Dixon, the wise man of winders, has to offer, as regards actually building these.

[Allen42acj]

Gene
It just depends what you need to show.
Not that bad building the boxes..