Warning: don't trust old stair stringers without checking the math first

Replacing a handrail in a house outside Akron last Tuesday, I pulled the old stringer and the rise was off by a full 3/4 inch on the top step. Made that mistake on my last job, client tripped and blamed me, cost $400 in rework. How often do you guys re-measure existing stringers before you cut new ones?

2 comments

2 Comments

alex_johnson6d ago

Maybe the old stringer was cut for a thicker floor or subfloor, so re-measure everything from the top landing down, not just the steps.

thomas2156d ago

Right, because nothing says "fun weekend project" like discovering your whole staircase was built on a lie. Guess the previous owner just eyeballed it with a beer in hand. So now I get to pull up the landing and pray the subfloor fairy left me some extra room. Honestly, at this point I'm half expecting to find a second staircase hidden under there just to mess with me. Might just build a ladder and call it modern design.