Rough Stringer - Stairway Framing

Whenever someone refers to a rough stringer they're usually talking about a stair stringer that is used as part of the rough framing of a stairway. The picture below provides you with three different stair stringer's that can also be referred to individually as a rough stringer.

How To Cut A Rough Stringer?

I like to use a circular saw and prefer using a skilsaw with a 7 1/4 inch saw blade.

Before I cut my rough stair stringers I need to create a table or cutting area that's about 36 inches off of the ground, this is my preferred height for cutting stairs. I use a couple of sawhorses and then place a 16 foot 2 x 12 on top of them.

Then I place a couple of scrap two by fours on top of the 2 x 12. After I have positioned the blocks and created a secure cutting area, one that's doesn't move or wiggle, I can place the stair stringer pattern on top of these blocks and start cutting.

The main thing is to make sure that you aren't cutting on an unsafe surface or at an unsafe height. If you're 5 foot tall, you might not be comfortable cutting your stair stringers on top of something that has created a 4 foot tall work area.

After I created a sturdy work area and properly positioned the lumber that I'm going to be cutting my stair stringer from, it's finally time to start cutting. I usually start at the top of the stringer layout, cutting all of my risers first as I work my way down towards the bottom of the stringer.

After I have cut all the risers, I will work my way back in the opposite direction, cutting each one of the treads individually. By the time I have finished cutting the last tread, the stair stringer should be finished and ready to put into its test position.

Money Saving Stair Stringer Tips

Before you even think about cutting any more stringers, make sure that your pattern, actually works. You can do this by placing the pattern into its final resting place.

If there is a problem and you do need to lay out another stringer, you should pat yourself on the back for double checking your measurements. You would be surprised at how many people cut all of their stair parts and then realize that there's a problem.

If you're interested in saving a few dollars, verify, double check and verify again, before cutting everything. Rough stringers are difficult to cut, but they could be difficult to lay out.

Copyright © 2020. All Rights Reserved.