Stairs for a box house ??

[MAGGUNS44]

I am building some box houses that will be eight feet off of the ground, I need to put stairs on them instead of ladders to make it easier for a dissabled hunter. Is there some kind of formula for figuring out the angle you need for the stair risers? Thanks

 

[~z]

As you will presumably not be building 'to code' or worrying about an OSHA inspection you can build to the angle that will be most comfortable for the hunter. Just use the old a^2+b^2=c^2.
~z

 

[CoRoMo]

There always seems to be ~13 steps to a flight of stairs (8'). The amount of depth and rise to each step is up to you. I'd recommend a handrail on at least one side though. It will make more difference than the dimensional aspects of the staircase itself. Also, rather than one straight stairwell, you can put one corner in it, which will put a nice little landing halfway up that can be useful. It also breaks up the construction a bit, which can make the job easier to build. I would wrap one corner of the box house with the stairway, if it were me. Here's a few diagrams to consider...

http://www.hammerzone.com/archives/framecarp/technique/stairs/gstair12.gif
http://www.fieldshc.com/how_to/howto/1_s.gif
http://woodbymail.com/stairs/stairpic3.gif

 

[zoom6zoom]

And by doing it the way CoRoMo suggests, you can probably put most or all of the stairs under the structure (smaller footprint, and protection from snow/rain)

 

[buck460XVR]

I am building some box houses that will be eight feet off of the ground, I need to put stairs on them instead of ladders to make it easier for a dissabled hunter. Is there some kind of formula for figuring out the angle you need for the stair risers? Thanks

The angle of the riser is 90* to the tread and is always plumb. I believe you are asking about the angle of the stair stringer. Figuring basic stairs is quite simple once you have determined the amount of rise you have, but I am unsure if you are looking for a basic stair for disabled use. Here's a good link to figuring basic stairs.......basic stair construction

 

[desidog]

I'd say the rise/run of your treads and risers should be influenced by the hunter you're building this up for - it depends on the disability.

Generally speaking, 7"up/9"tread is comfortable, but you might want longer treads if there will be a pause on each step. Similarly, you could go 9" up, but then a kid or vertically-challenged person might have issues getting up there.

i think that 7.5"up and 10" over is comfortable as any household main-stair can get.

Consistency between steps is the important part.

/under-employed architect here

 

[MAGGUNS44]

Thanks guys!! There will be a pause at each step, and I like the idea of the platform half-way up. He can climb it but the easier the better. It will also have handrails on both sides. Thanks