How To Measure And Cut Stair Stringers

A complete discussion and demonstration of how to measure and cut stair stringers for a deck or porch or other use. Watch the whole process, start to finish. Cutting stairs may seem difficult, but once you understand how to measure for the steps and divide for the number of risers, laying out and cutting the stringers is not too bad. If you are replacing or installing new stairs on your deck or porch, this video is for you.
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[@boricuaengeorgia7332]

Finally somebody with brains explaining this in a way That we all can understand

[@plexmexico]

Totally agree

[@ro2703]

Like several have said, this video is exponentially better than any other I've found after searching for several days. Outstanding.

[@bongothewonderchimp]

This is the ONLY stair building video that needs to be on KZbin. Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge, your expertise and your patience.

[@kevangogh]

I don't know how anyone could dislike this video, this was about as clear of an explanation as I have ever seen on this subject and I've looked at quite a few. Good job!

[@unclefreddieDied]

yup... this is the 3rd video I just watched...was still confused after the first two! this guy cleared it up in no time!

[@dongemus]

Carpenters disliked it because it explained it too well

[@beautyofpakistan4548]

I agreed

[@steveraymond6169]

I agree. John Panter is always very detailed and clear in his explanations, as well as generous in his sharing of information. I successfully clapboarded an 1840 house using only his information. How the hell can there be 453 people giving this video a thumbs down is crazy.

[@davidmichelletrageser2560]

I agree, I have watched so many of these and he’s pretty damn informative

[@fatbaldguy3271]

I watched 17 videos on making deck stairs till I found yours. This is the BEST explained video that I have seen. Thanks !

[@ScoobDoo411]

I swear!

[@buckshot8393]

As a carpenter/builder I must say that this is the best video I have ever seen on building stairs. Explained right and easy for anyone to understand.

[@daveoverbey2032]

What I like to do on rough steps, say like unfinished basement steps or whatever is to notch under the front bottom step for a 2"X4" to lay across perpendicular to the direction of stairs going up/down & is kept in place that it never can slide out or down , if so the top just had a lot of weight applied to it & likewise notch the bottom of it's top rails & fasten a 2X4" tightly to the garment in the same respect for added supports from it's leaning against the deck/floor or whatever! Thanks for listening. And I really like your video's.

[@Kentacus]

I think I have watched like 30 how to make stairs videos and this one finally clicked for me. Thank You

[@arthilliker3721]

THANK YOU !! No slide rules, no NASA engineering fluff. JUST A GOOD PLAIN EXPLANATION.

[@braddaniels8188]

Really appreciate how thorough and clear your explanation was for building stair stringers. Excellent video!

[@pf5658]

Simply the best detailed explanation I’ve seen on YT ever. Thank you sir. I’m attempting to build my very first staircase. Hence the reason I’m here.

[@DjIsaacsOfficialSite]

Man, I've seen so much videos on KZbin to know exactly how to make these stringers but yours is the most elaborate and easily explained. Thank you so much. I thought I would have to learn calculus with those other videos lol

[@user-mp5nz5xi7f]

Sir, for adding lines and explaining “this represents the ground, this represents the deck”. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Most videos they just start throwing lines all over, no explanation, I’m trying to pause to figure out what the heck that line is and this line. And you made it so I could visually see what line represents the ground, the stairs, and the part that rests on the deck - before you even cut it!!! Great job, thanks again.

[@AlexSh154]

I think I've watched this video at least 5 times before and during the construction of my deck and I pick up a little more each time. I am the second set of stairs for my deck and this video has saved my butt.

[@enduringcharm]

That's great--glad it was helpful!

[@unclefreddieDied]

@@enduringcharm yes thank you! this is the 3rd video I've watched and was still confused after the first two....you cleared everything up for me in no time!

[@stoneguy1737]

Great job on this video sir! I'm a self-employed carpenter but was always afraid of stairs. I had a close friend who needed a staircase re-constructed and I came across this video. After watching I felt very confident but not confident enough to cut the 2x12 material, so I used some old 1x12 pine shelves I demoed from a closet. Came out just perfect! Thanks for the knowledge!

[@josephleonardo4411]

I have been doing home remodeling for 23 years built a lot of steps this is a great explanation no matter how great of an explanation you give people always get confused it took me a while to get the hang of it great video

[@1MoreFish]

I have watched about eight to ten video on this subject. This by far, has been the most helpful and easiest to follow. I love the idea of cutting out a stringer out of plywood as a template AND for practice. I also found the description on how to take into account cor the tread material and riser fascia very easy to understand.

[@dave5190]

Building stairs has confused me for ages now. NEVER have I been presented with such a detailed comprehensive description as you provided in the video. You managed to make a vague complexity become clear. Thank You So Much for taking the time to share your knowledge.

[@chrisparrott3672]

Even though im making one step on an internal decking, this has been the best instructive video i have watched. Thank you.

[@sergt4001]

Thank you for the best stair stringer explanation on KZbin!

[@TerryPullen]

Well, that's the best explanation I've ever seen on how to cut stringers. I could easily take 3 hours to explain this and leave everyone scratching their head. Way to go!

[@samwooltortonwooltorton8166]

Best stair stringer tutorial on the internet. You should do more videos man. Brilliant.

[@dtaylor4200]

This was the best how-to on stair building that I’ve seen.

[@MrWashking]

Beautiful explanation….i hope I can find this video when I need to build my stairs a few weeks from now

[@TheElevenBravo]

Amazing job, John! Thank you so much for the detailed-oriented video! Terrific job on taking your time in making sure that people, like me, who viewed this as intimidating, would understand it throughly. You explained it extremely well! Can't wait to build my own now. 👍🙏 Thank you, thank you!

[@birbal5]

This is likely the best stair stinger how-to video out there, incredibly comprehensive. Thank you for sharing.

[@haywire17]

I watched about a dozen videos on this subject since I DON'T do this every day, and yours was the most helpful. Not only did you instruct, but you took the time to explain why each cut is adjusted, etc. in a way that made sense to me.

[@stellaorazulume2886]

ha

[@clash1469]

Thank you for such an excellent and comprehensive tutorial. I've watched a ton of videos on laying out stringers and not one comes even close to this as far as completeness and clarity of instruction. Very, very helpful video.

[@lunajohn83]

To say the least I agree with Jonathan, this was about as detailed as you could could get but not so much that it's confusing... Thank you!

[@whenyouknowbetter3451]

Best explanation that I've seen so far.

[@fluorosco]

Same here 😊👍

[@brunodeluca7486]

This was the first...and thankfully the last...video I watched on stair stingers. Excellent presentation.

[@luffyonepiece2210]

I've seen many videos about how to build deck stairs but by far this is the most well narrated version showing you how to do it well job

[@jonathanfussell2364]

This was unbelievably helpful. I tried watching many other videos about how to rebuild my deck stairs, this was by far the most clear and concise from start to finish. The stairs I built worked out perfectly thanks to this tutorial.

[@enduringcharm]

That's awesome--glad it worked out well!

[@ironcladlogisticsllc5441]

I wish I found this before I cut my stringers. I’ve watched several videos and you made the process VERY easy!

[@illiannajackson6076]

I’ve watched about 5 videos now and didn’t understand how to get your length of the stair but thank you so much this is well explained

[@LaylatheBoxerDog]

Im a joiner (carpenter to you yanks) in the Uk. I have not done stairs for over 12 years and thank you so much for your toutorial. It's exactly the refresher course i needed. Thanks

[@enduringcharm]

Yeah, this is one of those things you need to do often to have it come naturally. When it's been awhile you need to think about it!

[@LaylatheBoxerDog]

@@enduringcharm Well Sir... I now have it locked and loaded for tomorrow's job! Thanks again and take care

[@yogibeer9319]

DUDE! You saved me from a Yogi meltdown! I had major brain vapor lock until you explained how subtracting the thickness of a tread from the bottom riser drops the whole stringer down to compensate for the other treads. I thought I was losing my mind. Thank you! I thought I had to subtract the thickness on every tread. I must have drain bamage

[@enduringcharm]

Well, you may still be losing your mind, but at least you'll have a nice set of stairs!

[@pinguinitos10]

This is the only video I've seen that explains super clear the stringer cutting process, other videos i've seen they confuse you more. I'm a brand new DIYer so it is important to have guidance like this. Grest video, great explanation. Bravo!!!

[@TextieruL]

People need to know that no one owns you an explanation. Thank you for sharing your knowledge.

[@billwillems8578]

Awesome video! I've been baffled by these my whole life, and now it's fully engrained in my brain and simple to visualize and understand for me.

[@michaelanthony7000]

awesome explaination, bought the brass clamps at my hardware store for 8 bucks and they've already paid for themselves and the steps look great. Thank you sir

[@mikekelley5033]

Getting ready to replace my deck steps which I installed 20 years ago they worked but they were not measured correctly been looking for a good instruction video on stair stringers and this one is the best well instructed video I have seen thank you for this video

[@gregoryscott5388]

I’ve watched at least 10 videos on this subject and yours is the most concise and clear. Strong work.

[@FrankSr1st]

This is the best explanation of how to cut stringers I've ever seen...and I've always wanted to know how to do this. What a great job...thanks a million.

[@peterseifert3016]

Thank-you for taking your time and explaining this in detail, it’s easy to get confused when you don’t do this for a living!

[@bmxracernc]

Same as the other commenters on here, I'm trying to rebuild some deck stairs and this is the only video that explained things properly that I've found. Thanks for taking the time to make this video!

[@samsiryani9023]

You have showed One of the best and easiest way to cut stairs stringers especially to dummies like me. Thank you sir.

[@angelaallard8523]

Not a novice but it's been a very long time since I've cut stair stringers. Watched the video once and completed the job perfectly with NO problems at all. One of the best how to videos I've ever seen.

[@enduringcharm]

That's great to hear--glad it helped. Some things you need to do often in order to remember the process, it's true.

[@Canosa612]

By far best video on how to build deck stairs. Excellent explanation without all the over the top mumbo jumbo. Easy to follow steps. Well done and thank you. I'll be using your video to guide me during my deck build.

[@stuarthossack7906]

Best stair design/calculation video on You Tube - very helpful, thank you.

[@joetripp123]

Thank you so much for explaining WHY you remove some of the rise and run. Everyone says to do it but they never explained why as well as you did. Very clear and concise explanation sir and great tip on using a scrap of ply as a template, thanks.

[@philipferrari1688]

Thank you, sir.....at times I thought 'dude is talking way too much' but then it all just fell into place and I understood it better than all the other vids I've watched on this subject....thanks again.

[@bizzybert83]

I’ve been watching video after video, and I will say, that this is by far the best one I’ve found. Thanks. 👍🏽

[@timothygetz4646]

I know it’s been said here a lot, but this video actually taught me how to build these stringers, and made sense after watching sooo many videos that were just confusing and frustrating. New subscriber here, thank you for the video.

[@enduringcharm]

That's awesome, I'm glad it was helpful.

[@keywestpuma4095]

I have watched many videos on how to cut stair stringers, None of them explain it the way you did! You made it very easy to understand. I feel confident that I can cut stair stringers without any problem.. thank you so much!!! and Yes thumbs up and Yes subscribe!!

[@dynamitewebsites]

uuuhhmm you just saved my butt. You are one of the few who mentioned why use a 2x12. You also explained it so well i am confident. I don't have an extra 2x12 and i cant make any mistakes. i am also using 2x? for steps so you explained that too. I am also attaching to an old deck so this video was awesome for me. Passing on your knowledge helped me so much i thank you forever. You rock.

[@enduringcharm]

Glad I could help!

[@sydnick6696]

I watched several videos on stair stringers. I thought this one was best. Very clear, concise and informative. Good job.

[@Synchrimedia]

finally someone who explains that you have to remove the thickness of the riser from the top step. I looked all over till I found this. i didn't want to cut it till I knew for sure. thanks for the video!

[@enduringcharm]

Glad it helped!

[@riplips6746]

hands down the best stringer demonstration on youtube

[@jessperez1251]

Best stringer video I've watched and I've been to the end of the internet and back

[@miken7375]

Best stair video ,on KZbin

[@junc1630]

I've seen so many videos about this topic but this video for me is the best. The tutorial's clear and I could follow it STEP BY STEP. Thumbs up! Thank you very much.

[@braniganblue3460]

Thanks for taking the time to make this video. It is one of the most understandable ones out there for correctly making stringers.

[@teallysworld1582]

Thank You for making this. I went through a few videos but this was the best, most clear, and strait to the point I could find.

[@dylskee888]

This is an excellent tutorial for stair stringers, great explanation and perfect for the beginner! Thank you for the video!

[@justinkeller7471]

This is by far the best explanation of laying out a stringer. Thank a million

[@user-zk8gf7gp1v]

Stair Stringer 101 class, this is the best video that Ive seen so far. Thank you for explaining everything, Great job!!

[@justelvin]

The best stair stringer instructional on KZbin, hands down!

[@houdinistrujillo7564]

Great job in meticulously explaining each step and calculation. Very nice when someone takes a complex concept down to it's essential components.

[@WaynesWorldStudio]

Thank you for posting this important knowledge to the web, bought a metal stair strangers in Home Depot but my Vancouver, BC Canada has a different code. Making the story short, you make a great teacher! Thank you once again.

[@frankbossio3277]

I don’t think I have ever seen a more comprehensive and detailed explanation of any subject on You Tube ever, and I’ve seen a lot of vids. Great Job!!!!.

[@enduringcharm]

Glad it was helpful!

[@raynierllewis2827]

If you still around, agree with all the comments. Now I am confident I can install stairs

[@MrGolfballsack]

Described as a seasoned instructor. You sir are a natural teacher weather you know it or not

[@rubo1964]

Thank you pointer about thickness of the material for the stems and removing same from bottom was beautiful.

[@SparkyMcBiff]

I've watched many videos about building stair stringers, and even though I had eventually grasped everything I must admit that this one was about the best one when it came to describing the process the most efficiently. Well done!

[@enduringcharm]

Glad it was helpful!

[@siervodecristo1790]

Outstanding video! Great Job in explaining how cutting the bottom stringer is accounted for with the tread that will making up the difference, same as cutting the rear top stringer. You are the man!!! . God bless you!

[@kylerunyan5950]

I have been watching various videos on how to do this and was getting frustrated and worried that I may not be able to do this properly. This is THE BEST explained video and most COMPREHENSIVE video I have seen yet that didn't have me going to sleep! In all seriousness, THIS video deserves a reward!

[@enduringcharm]

Thanks, man! Glad it helped.

[@richardsons6787]

Best and clearest explanation I’ve seen so far especially for someone who knew nothing about how and why you do things. Hardest part is why you cut off the top and bottom of the stronger you described it so I knew what you were talking about. I’m confident I can at least make a good try at it. Thank you

[@enduringcharm]

If it's your first time, I strongly recommend using a strip of plywood as a template. If you screw it up nothing major is lost.

[@mattcampbell8916]

This was the best stringer explanation on the internet. Thank you!

[@gordonclark7632]

A couple of years old but this is the best explanation for me as a layman who is going to attempt to build a deck.

[@mattcurtright5861]

Thank you Sir. I now have the confidence and knowledge to proceed with my build. I noticed you have responded to those with questions and provided an accurate response. That Sir is a Gentleman's move. I applaud you.

[@enduringcharm]

Thanks, man! Good luck on your project.

[@JAMESON123ist]

This was absolutely awesome, I don’t think I’ve watched and understood such a clear video before

[@johnfogarty4360]

Probably the best video I have seen on marking out stair stringers, clear and reasoned

[@stconklin11]

I gotta say.There are some decent videos on this but This guy should teach you tubers how to make instructional videos of any kind. Very nice and as helpful as it gets

[@michaelanderson6482]

Completely EASY!!! Thanks so much for making Stringers a snap! Building for my kids treehouse and other vids all over the place..this was excellent! Thanks!

[@bobdegraw1677]

Agreed, well done, thorough. Good for any one needing refreshing or beginning !

[@michaeluilenberg1999]

I have to say this , after the 11 years of being a carpenter I forgot how to calculate for stairs . This video was very simple and explained to me how to remember how to do it again . I’ve seen many others on KZbin and this by far is the best well explained video I have seen by far . Thanks man 👍 cheers 🍻

[@enduringcharm]

It is one of those things, like roof framing, that you need to do often to keep in your head!

[@michaeluilenberg1999]

enduringcharm yes sometimes roofs for me as well , just like how to plane a roof when you have piggy back trusses running from hips how to properly plane it all out so it looks nice . Sometimes as well most truss company’s drop the gables by 1 1/2 sometimes you don’t . Many things in this trade you tend to forget but have to quickly remember again .

[@stevejordan1563]

John, thank you so much for this video. Like the comments of others....I watched so many other's videos on this until I found yours. Yours was thorough and easy to follow. I don't think I would have gotten my project done without your help. Thanks again.

[@mikeyboy2154]

Thank you so much. Clear and comprehensible. Very good tips and alerts that didn't confuse the main story.

[@jessesutton5412]

Dude literally the best explanation I've seen thus far. Thanks man!

[@nevadadan4113]

Very well explained.... Ive watched many of these and this was the simplest explanation of them all. Thank you!!

[@TheShadowman68]

BEST explanation I have seen showing this!! And I’ve looked a lot! That’s for going slow enough to digest al.

[@christucker2460]

I wk with metal stringer stairs... and there really is no room for error and this video really helped with the cut outs

[@alfredocruz3314]

So far the easiest video to follow that KZbin have,.the best video on how to cut stairs stringers .....

[@10birko]

One of the best stairs building videos I ever seen! Thank you for good explanations sir! 👍😀

[@kirubelyohanes9120]

Finding your video after a week of searching is a blessing. I like the detail with drawing and actual field work. I am using your video to add stairs to my existing deck. Gods Blessings

[@enduringcharm]

Glad it was helpful!

[@APWoodworking]

Perfect explanation for accounting for decking materials on top. Not confused at all now!

[@thedropoutfarmer3128]

Please continue like this sir your explanation is so clear than most of everyone. Youre brilliant

[@mitchamatrudo]

Hey thanks a lot. I decided to try to do this for the 1st time. I needed no other resources except for some more verification of code stuff. I thought it came-out pretty nice. Thought I could post a picture but I guess not. Bought a square and the brass things for under 20 dollars. Worked great. Thanks for the help.

[@markhostetter4373]

You have a gift for instruction! This is the best video I have seen, providing enough explanation with demonstration that leaves no doubt. OUTSTANDING!!!!

[@zaneyone1]

Most of the videos I have watched (there are a lot of them) have not addressed the face board thickness calculation. Thanks for that info. I was pulling my hair out trying to find a video with that information just so I am certain before cutting my stringers. I thought I knew, you made sure I did.

[@enduringcharm]

Well, I'm glad I could help save some of your hair!