# Extending step depth for stairs.



## timrec (Jan 13, 2010)

The steps in a home I just bought are 8" deep. With a size 13" foot, that's an interesting climb! I want to know if there is a way to extend the steps to make them deeper. The bottom first step is 14" deep and from there on up they are 8" deep.
thanks


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## Millertyme (Apr 20, 2010)

We need to know more info. Do you plan to have them rebuilt? Is there room at the bottom to make each run longer? Will there be a headroom issue? Unfortunately there is no simple solution to your problem. Code around here s 9" run.


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## gregzoll (Dec 25, 2006)

Longer run, means more steps, less rise. What is your height, and what is the distance that you have available to extend the stairs. Mine are 2x8's and I have no problem climbing with my size 13's up and down the stairs. Now of course, whoever cut the stringers totally fubar'd them. Just have never gotten around fixing them, due to they are within spec's at a point, with the exception when going from the landing to the first step down or up, depending on the direction.


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## Willie T (Jan 29, 2009)

Short answer: They will likely have to be rebuilt. 

And although you can probably keep the exact number of steps, (depending upon headroom) the length (measured straight out, horizontally) will probably end up being around three feet longer.

P.S. I have a size 14 shoe, so I know, full well, what you mean... especially going down.


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## Bonzai (Oct 29, 2010)

In a word, no there isn't a way to do this as a series of larger treads means you cover more horizontal distance as others have indicated. The fundamental part of a stair is the stringer (looks like a big saw tooth) ... This dictates the riser height and tread depth. Mess the stringers up and you mess the whole stair up.

This may be helpful for you in understanding the basic geometry of a stair ... http://www.google.ca/search?q=stair...hl=en&client=safari#biv=i|1;d|haQ1OnwqXyCSlM: 

Edit: not sure that link quite worked as intended. Just Google "stair dimensions"


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## Bonzai (Oct 29, 2010)

Erdmann12 said:


> well
> 
> Thanks for your post.


Appears to be spam o'clock ;-)


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## gregzoll (Dec 25, 2006)

Yeah, they need to block that segment that they are coming from. From the pic, unless the mod's are putting it in the id, I would guess that it is the same person.


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## tony.g (Apr 15, 2012)

timrec said:


> I want to know if there is a way to extend the steps to make them deeper.


You don't say if these are external steps (eg up to a door) or internal stairs (from one floor to another).
If they are internal, the reason the treads are so shallow is probably down to insufficient space to accomodate the staircase when the house was built. There will usually be around 12 -14 steps in a typical domestic stair, and if you extended each tread by a couple of inches, you will need considerable additional space, either at the bottom, the top, or both. As another poster said, you may also get headroom problems, particularly if you keep the top of the stair where it is and extend the stairs at the bottom.
Not an easy problem to advise on without seeing both floor layouts.


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## mae-ling (Dec 9, 2011)

There are Altenate thread stairs which can fit in tight spaces and have full steps. I believe they started in ships.
http://www.google.ca/search?um=1&hl=en&newwindow=1&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=1DzhT83JMKrs2QXUt7W-Cw&ved=0CAcQBSgA&q=alternate+step+stairs&spell=1&biw=1350&bih=789


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## tony.g (Apr 15, 2012)

mae-ling said:


> There are Altenate thread stairs http://www.google.ca/search?um=1&hl...lternate+step+stairs&spell=1&biw=1350&bih=789


Those alternating tread stairs (aka paddle stairs) are OK for access to one room, say in an attic conversion,but would they be Code-compliant if they were the main staicase in the house? Maybe - don't know?


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