Fitting an Entire Loft Staircase in a Tight Space

[@Reman1975]

I used to live in a place where the loft conversion had a staircase like that. One addition I think you'll really want to make is a stubby grab rail to go on either side. Mine had them, and out of the THREE times I managed to fall down those stairs, the two times where I managed to grab the rails hurt significantly less than the time I didn't. :(

[@WesleyTreat]

Future addition 👍‍

[@-Xaverius]

@@WesleyTreat this is indeed a very important addition for safety

[@boblewis5558]

Hand rails are a legal requirement in the UK to comply with building regs!

[@mjsvitek]

Would adding a pile of pillows at the base help? 🤔

[@Reman1975]

@@mjsvitek Or a trampoline. :D

[@ExilefromCrownHill]

I needed access to my loft storage, where my 2X10 lumber and plywood was kept. I built stairs like yours, but I used all of my stored lumber and plywood to make it.

[@spokehedz]

My one friend had these kind of stairs that led into almost the exact same kind of loft situation above a workshop (Dad's garage) when I was younger. His loving grandmother always would throw up a quick prayer when we would use them, because to her they were "Witch Stairs!" and apparently they keep witches from going into your attic or something. For me, it was always the 'stair ladder' as that is what it felt like to me. You were going up a slightly leaned over ladder. Good work on the straps to get it up safe-ish, and I only jumped when the camera whacked 'me' a little bit!

[@bruce-le-smith]

'witch stairs' love it! I once read how medieval stairways had a trip stair to mess with invaders, but had never heard of the witch stairs :) I agree a grab rail would be smart, so easy to rush and fall on normal stairs. also love how these are essentially boat stairs, but didn't hear that being part of the inspiration for the design, but maybe I missed that detail

[@xoxo-yu1gp]

absolutely spiffing yet again you truly are a man in a shed, the highest accolade

[@navypinkdesign]

You are the embodiment of “I can do it myself”; nice work!

[@awildeep]

Just a thought, but added two more anti-slip pads on the cement pad and top of the landing might help you visually (or via tactile feedback) sense which foot should start the transition from up to down or visa versa.

[@markfryer9880]

I read your comment before I watched that part of the video and I fully agree.

[@WesleyTreat]

I just aim for the first pad.

[@oldninjarider]

Concrete depending on how it's finished will have a rougher or as rough of a surface as that sandpaper pad.

[@ncamp2126]

I was thinking red and green but that might be a mind teaser

[@williammaxwell1919]

I first came across Javanese stairs in my early 20's working for an architect drawing up plans for his holiday home. About 15 years ago I built some to get up to my roofspace which I'd turn into an attic. 1 thing I would say, instead of having the cuttout on the centreline of the stair, stop the deeper part of the tread just short of the centreline so there is a gap down the middle, it makes them easier and safer to use. Also, as others have suggested, for safety i stall handrails, preferably on both sides? Another thing is the top step should be level with the floor as it makes it safer to use.

[@ynot6473]

the top step bit, yes, it would automatically start the correct foot.

[@peterensinger1770]

I did i loft conversion in my old bungalow about 20 years ago and i made one of these staircases as there wasn't enough space to use a standard staircase when it was done my partner called it the stadder. that name stuck and everyone who saw it was amazed by it and the name Stadder brought laughs every time it was mentioned and everyone just had to have a go at climbing it. The Stadder was a complete success it solved the problem.

[@reddcube]

Great idea to round the corners of the non-slip tape. Any pointy edge can catch and eventually unstick the whole thing.

[@poochersmontgomery8825]

Damn, you stepped down from that test step with such authority your whole room flipped over! Also the "Hail Caesar!" after the sneeze was brilliant, I'm using that from now on.

[@davidmeyer9204]

I am not going to critique your build. I like it. Great job, as always. It gets me inspired

[@markhoskins579]

This may be the solution for replacing the basement steps in my daughter's old house, where space is severely limited. If I accept the challenge, though, all will have to be done with more primitive tools, which just means more work , patience and persistence. This video was very helpful, easy to follow and professionally presented.

[@8BitLife69]

I was just about to begin my CNC project, originally I was going to build one for a full sheet, despite having to sacrifice nearly my entire space for it. Then I said, forget it. I'll just go with a 2x3 envelope. But then I saw yours. This is ingenius. Wide enough to fit a whole sheet, but small enough to not take up the whole shop. Then the way you use the machine, you've given me fantastic ideas.

[@DavebotBeepBoop]

Love the look of those stairs! Great idea and execution. I'm a sucker for rounded corners.

[@hosshoffer7579]

I'm not proud to say I noticed your subscribe sign. Nice work on the stairs.

[@paul-ld9vh]

That's a really clever idea and the finished product is beautiful! Thanks for the great video!

[@markfryer9880]

I would recommend that you make sections of handrails with fitted toe boards for the loft storage area so that people or items don't fall down onto anyone or anything below.

[@davebauerart]

Looks great and a lot of neat solutions to the little problems.

[@davidwebb9752]

Great build! Love the humor. Thanks for sharing these projects on your channel.

[@RintoKazushi]

Fun fact! These stairs are called Santos Dumont Stairs. Their inventor Santos Dumont made then first in 1918 at his house in Petropolis, Rio de Janeiro - Brasil.

[@MommaYoga]

Fun fact! Alternating tread stairs have been around since the 1800s.

[@WildmanTech]

Nicely done! I hope to see it in person one day.

[@vlogerhood]

"Looks like I'm a bottom" Love to hear it.

[@StaceNyourFace]

😂

[@andyabraham7269]

I just love your videos Wesley just for the fact that you make me smile. Happy days cobber

[@SchysCraftCo.]

WT awesome job. Very nice design. Can't wait to see more videos soon my friend. Keep up the great craftsmanship and hard work my friend. Keep making. God bless.

[@markfryer9880]

I recently had to repair some external stairs at the boys school I work at and I actually watched the boys using the stairs during a period change. The boys coming down the stairs were All using just the very nosing of each tread and I suspect that your grip tape needs to be closer to the front edge of each tread.

[@TheRPhelps24]

I was coming to comment that the grip tape should be further up. They make clear skateboard grip tape that could help preserve the look

[@kenpoist7]

I believe that what "Stairs" you created is called a "Ships Ladder". Awesome application and execution.

[@WesleyTreat]

Thanks! A ship's ladder is actually a bit different, with shallower treads that span the full width. Here's a comparison: kzbin.info/www/bejne/fYmanGRjg7KXgLc

[@kenpoist7]

@@WesleyTreat I stand corrected. Thanks

[@ccga3359]

I believe they are commonly refered to as Jefferson Stairs. An example may be found at Thomas Jefferson's Monticello.

[@olivier2553]

Make an easier access to the hoarding space, that will certainly help with tackling your problem :)

[@OhHeyTrevorFlowers]

It's a good build but I'm mainly impressed that you went 14 days without having a dumb. Two whole weeks! In my shop I'd need a remote control just to save the time of walking to push the reset button.

[@AdamDavisEE]

I don't know... 3:26 suggests he may have needed to reset that counter.

[@WesleyTreat]

I was gone for awhile.

[@scottnyc6572]

Nice job!! Those stairs remind me of those old fashioned rolling stair ladders they used to have in libraries.

[@maidurauba4891]

love your work and your videomakig, nice work man!

[@eyewould]

Your content is great. Your editing work does not go unnoticed. Thank you for doing what you do. It's a pleasure to watch you work (in a non-creepy sort of way). Subscribed!

[@TotalBoat]

They look so great!! Awesome job!

[@WesleyTreat]

I appreciate it! The Halcyon was the right choice, thanks!

[@kenc2257]

Nice stairs! Practical and good looking.

[@mikehamlin9748]

Just found you thanks to your neon sign build with Jimmy, Love your sense of humor.

[@clydebalcom3679]

You made it 17 days without a dumb? That's fantastic 😀 👏 The sound effects are as awesome as ever.

[@HAGSLAB]

Beautiful stairs! This would be perfect for my garage loft storage.

[@deathpax]

It turned out fantastic!

[@oldninjarider]

This is a great design!

[@manoharsagunthalla9215]

It's a wonderful idea and simple one ! I learnt that how to execut by one person it's a good Technics you employed. Thanks for sharing.

[@milescraig8793]

AXIS AND ALLIES!!! Oh the memories! Those were going for a pretty penny on Ebay.

[@thegentlemanmaker]

My favourite episode of Upstairs Downstairs ever!

[@TheSteveAS]

Dude! I had that exact same Laser Tag riffle. Tag battles in the park - we were LARPing before LARPing was a thing. Wes - those stairs are TITS, man. Your brother is eating his words now! I'm sure you thought of this, but probably a good idea to add a grab bar on the wall to steady yourself while ascending/descending with armloads of ZIP drives, z cavaricci pants, and laser discs.

[@tonyblunsum2547]

Built these for a client many years ago despite my reservations.4months later he fell down the stairs facing outwards and broke his hip and pelvis .His wife got me to remove them while he was in hospital never done them again too dangerous.Always put a grab rail in and face the stairs when descending stay safe.

[@markfryer9880]

The facing outwards when decending the stairs is what did him in! Always Face steep stairs and use the handrails for three points of contact!

[@johnsmith-fz3qk]

what an awesome and inspirational concept! 👌

[@andyb7754]

Very, very nice project. Thank you for your great videos.

[@MsMagicweaver]

Thank you for making learning fun 💚🤗🕊️

[@ItchyKneeSon]

This would be great in a THOW (tiny house on wheels). A 3rd, center stringer would add strength and the ability to use thinner/lighter/more cost-effective materials, but would certainly not be as pretty. Admittedly, I'm mid-binge and trying to break free so I didn't watch all the way through. Forgive me if you covered this. You've gained a subscriber, though! I'll be watching plenty more in the future. :)

[@HilsDinMor7]

As per usual, a great video of a great and interesting build, the floor anchors were a clever solution. I would second the other comments about a handrail, better safe than sorry. The "straight" 2x12 comment is worthy of a prize, utterly brilliant.

[@RichWoods23]

I had to look up Dave Matthews but I still got the joke!

[@sgsax]

Very clever indeed. Now I'll just grab some popcorn and wait for the handrail comments. 😁 Thanks for sharing!

[@YuriNGolfeto]

In Brazil this has the name "Escada Santos Dumont" or Santos Dumont stairs. It's use in specific cases like this, small spaces

[@HomebrewHorsepower]

When you were standing on the ladder stringing up the ratchet straps, you missed the opportunity to write "Wesley was here" on the joist. Many might not get the reference, but the setup was perfect.

[@JoeBcrafts]

So was Red.

[@HomebrewHorsepower]

@@JoeBcrafts perfect

[@jorgevillarreal4210]

i watch the entire video and i enjoyed it very much. thanks for the info. i am planning to make one of this for my loft.

[@christophermorin9036]

"Look guys, I just had to stop working on this to show you how straight the piece of wood I got from Lowes is. This thing is so straight it wears Cargo shorts, listens to Dave Matthew's band, and is holding a fish in it's Tinder Profile." Lmao, dude. You got yourself a sub.

[@mikemillsjd]

Cool! Boats have the same issue, but I’ve never seen this solution. Nice!!

[@WesleyTreat]

Thanks, Mike!

[@trytofinishsomething]

Creative and well done as always!

[@RobertEchten]

If I'm not mistaken, in Dutch they are called (translated) miller's stairs as they were used in windmills due to the limited space available.

[@nathanlucas6465]

That subscribe Easter egg is genius 😃

[@wes_d]

Strategically placed subliminal messages…ground breaking!

[@slimdog72]

Looks rad dude. I just made drawings a few months ago for the steel shop to fabricate an alternating stair.

[@Everythings_Adjustable]

Jon Pertwee, THE BEST ever Doctor 🛠👍😁

[@Geeksmithing]

Amazing as ever Wes! My first thought was how similar the rise and run is to a ladder on a US Navy ship. It was a bloody miracle I never fell down them, especially considering how many times I was carrying something way to heavy for the situation! :D Anyways, it is always a pleasure watching you work my friend!

[@WesleyTreat]

Thanks, buddy!

[@EvanDunville]

That is one awesome set of stairs great idea!

[@jasondeck1721]

That's a great build, I had almost the exact same problem and wish i had thought of that solution instead of the very difficult to use stairs i put in

[@cheeto4493]

I've seen one of these where they used the space between steps as a bookcase, for even more efficiency.

[@WesleyTreat]

I tried to figure out a way to add storage, but at such a steep angle, there wasn't really any room.

[@MakerAtPlay]

Shout out for the iomega Zip Drive. My first full time gig out of college was a software developer at iomega.

[@MakerAtPlay]

I am guessing this is a spam bot.

[@tench745]

Having never used this type of stair before, I'm curious how they compare to a ship's ladder. To my eye climbing them looks very much like using a ship's ladder, except that they're now biased to starting on your left or right foot.

[@Geeksmithing]

That was my first thought as well! I was having flashbacks to the USS Enterprise! :)

[@Marcelo-56]

Let's think a bit: when you use a mechanical stair, which foot do you put first?🤷‍♂️

[@Marcelo-56]

Let's think a bit: when you use a mechanical stair, which foot do you put first?🤷‍♂️

[@tench745]

@@Marcelo-56 Depends if you're left foot or right foot dominant...

[@BryanB0308]

The alternating treads give you a deeper tread than a ships ladder. Particularly on the way down, the treads on a ships ladder will only hold half your foot.

[@gilbus4989]

Try adding a handrail on the wall. I think it will help when carrying heavy stuff.

[@MiniLuv-1984]

Full sheets huh? Where do you live again? Great demo of the alternating tread stairwell. You are also very entertaining to watch. Thanks.

[@snwbrdn777]

The OG Axis & Allies! That brings back some memories!

[@guilhermeandrade1628]

Santos Dumond Stairs With the name of its creator, Santos Dumont, pioneer of aviation, these stairs are always very vertical. Santos Dumont stairs are basically straight stairs, with a steep incline. Therefore, its steps are wider on one side and narrow on the other, facilitating the step change.

[@bryanburger]

That design was invented by J.M. Lapeyre, and is known as the "Lapeyre Stair". It originated in New Orleans many years back, and there is an entire company dedicated to producing these still today.

[@geraldojr793]

Lapyere developed the staircase that bears his name in 1978, curiously 60 years earlier in 1918 the Brazilian inventor Alberto Santos Dumont had already developed this staircase for his country house in the city of Petrópolis in the state of Rio de Janeiro Brazil.

[@73honda350]

I heard this type of stairs called paddle stairs or paddle treads. A good way to conserve horizontal space without actually making the stair rise any greater or steeper. For that reason it's not uncommon to see them used in tiny homes for loft access.

[@boyracer1988]

Do they comply with building regs

[@BryanB0308]

The International Residential Code has requirements for them, so yes.

[@mumblbeebee6546]

Resisting the pun you must have suffered all your life, but… this video was such a pleasure to watch!

[@Frooderick]

It just occurred to me that your Dumb sign is missing a crucial feature: it should track the number of times the button gets mushed. Then have a display that says “Total Number of Dumbs”.

[@oldninjarider]

Dumb is infinite

[@Preske]

Great content as always!

[@grumpywoodchucker]

"GONK, GONK, GONK, GONK, GONK, GONK!" *internet chanting... Awesome stairs!

[@IMOO1896]

I’m impressed! 24:10

[@EuropaEmCena]

The inventor of this ladder was Santos Dumont, the same man who created one of the first airplanes. Great!

[@cheeseheadfiddle]

I’ve seen these made with a center stringer, and half treads on either side. Similar gate, but less possibility of catching a toe on the recessed part of the opposite tread.

[@WesleyTreat]

To put your mind at ease, you'd have to deliberately kick your foot under the next step to catch your toe, and you'd probably hit your shin on the next step in the process. It would be a weird way to ascend stairs.

[@johnmay371]

You do absolutely great work!

[@CCWSig]

Oh my gosh are those dangerous. I love 'em!

[@ElliotNesterman]

An excellent project, but I am a bit concerned that the new beam and the joist ends are only connected by end nailing. I'd be much happier if they were reinforced by proper joist hangers.

[@patrickwilliams3108]

Yeah, me as well. I'd also be happier if the cleat at the top of the stairs was bolted to the joist, but Wes will do what Wes will do, yes?

[@WesleyTreat]

Thanks! That entire loft is built without hangers and has stood for about 15 years now, so meh. I also toe-nailed them, but I imagine there's only so much nailing people want to watch.

[@NeoPraxeus]

Great video as always! Could you possibly build a dumb-waiter or lift to transport items to/from the loft?

[@davepolotaxi]

I love your humor 😂 😂 😂 😂 😂 Great looking project Again. O. And the "subscribe" was a nice toutch 😂 Greetings from Holland

[@anthonybrown7959]

Fantastic work 👏

[@xrpirate536]

I love your freight lift!

[@infinityvideoprod]

At 21:00, what we see here Marlin, is the struggle of the lone wolf in its natural habitat...

[@NickDangerThirdGuy]

Nicely Done!

[@guiandor]

That's a Santos Dumont stair design. The same Brazilian guy that invented the airplane (yes, before the USA brother)

[@sampull3541]

1. Holding a fish in its Tinder profile: 🤣 2. "Subscribe" covering the plumbers butt: 😂

[@CrudeButEfficient]

Looks great - fancy for a workshop. Is #fancyworkshop the next trend? 😎 Really clever way to attach the grip tape!

[@KodyKimani]

I love your delight- brilliant! lol x

[@chefgoldielocs]

The steps reminds me of piano keys 🎹. Love it

[@andrewdolinskiatcarpathian]

One word. Brilliant 👏👏👍😀

[@mikerussler2629]

Love your videos!

[@gregmize01]

Very cool design and great video!👍👍👍👍

[@wheelerdealer2105]

Nice work. Pretty.

[@Nowayjose-vd1wm]

Gotta commit... I'm a bottom too, but.. no pun intended.. versatility is the key lol

[@AndyCPugh]

Not that it wouldn't have happened anyway but I hit like as soon as I heard sonic screwdriver.

[@mjarndt]

I had to subscribe because the waistband on his underoos said to. Great video!