Question

Chapter 19: Stair Framing and Finish

Matching

Match terms to their definitions. Write the corresponding letters on the blanks. Not all terms will be used.

1. the entire stair rail assembly	a. baluster
2. railing on a stairway intended to be grasped by the hand to serve as a support and guard	b. balustrade
	c. handrail
3. upright post supporting the handrail in a flight of stairs	d. newel post
4. vertical member of a stair rail, usually decorative and spaced closely together	e. nosing
	f. rake
5. opening where stairs are located	g. shank hole
6. hole drilled for the thicker portion of a wood screw	h. stairwell
7. sloping portion of trim, such as on gable ends of a stair	i. stringer

True/False

Write True or False before the statement.

1. Finish stairs extend from habitable level of a house to another.

2. Open stairways are more economical to build than closed stairways.

3. The tread run includes the nosing.

4. The unit run (tread run) is measured from the face of one riser to the next riser.

5. Decreasing the unit rise decreases the run of the stairs.

6. A longer stairwell will provide more headroom.

7. Stair carriages are notched under the risers and treads.

8. Fasten a temporary riser about halfway up the flight to straighten and maintain the carriage spacing.

9. The tread molding is installed under the overhang of the tread and against the riser.

10. Riser length on an open stair carriage is critical and must be measured precisely.

Multiple Choice

Choose the best answer. Write the corresponding letter on the blank.

1. A stairway has intermediate landings between floors.

1. platform
2. straight
3. winding
4. stringer

2. The preferred angle for a staircase is degrees.

1. no more than 25
2. a minimum of 43
3. between 30 and 38
4. approximately 45

3. The IBC specifies that the height of a riser shall inches and that the width of a tread inches.

1. not be more than 6; no more than 9
2. not exceed 7 ¾; not be less than 10
3. be between 6 and 8; of at least 8
4. be at least 8 ¼; of less than 10

4. A are used to dado stringers.

1. coping saw and miter box
2. router and stair jig
3. hammer-drill and laminate trimmer
4. circular saw and saber saw

5. The nosed edge of the tread projects beyond the face of the rise by inches.

1. 1 ⅛
2. 1 ½
3. 1 ¾
4. 1 ⅝

6. Fasten tread molding in place with finish nails spaced about inches apart.

1. 3d; 6
2. 3d; 12
3. 4d; 6
4. 4d; 12

7. A is used to lay out the plumb lines on the open finish stringer.

1. deacon
2. vicar
3. preacher
4. rector

8. When cutting dadoes using a stair template and a router, the router is equipped with a bit.

1. chamfer
2. cove
3. round over
4. straight

9. What a balustrade ends against a wall, a(n) newel can be fastened against the wall.

1. second floor
2. half
3. intermediate landing
4. starting

10. Handrails are typically placed inches vertically above the nosing edge of the tread.

1. 30 to 38
2. no less than 35
3. no less than 37
4. 25 to 45

11. If square top balusters are used on a balcony, they are inserted into a handrail.

1. plowed
2. mowed
3. squared
4. arched

Terms

Read the following definitions for stair framing terms. Write the name of the correct terms on the corresponding blanks.

1. Vertical distance between finish floors

2. Total horizontal distance that the stairway covers

3. Vertical distance from one step to another

4. Finish material that covers the rise

5. Horizontal distance between the faces of the risers

6. Horizontal member on which feet are placed when climbing or descending the stairs

7. The part of the tread that extends beyond the face of the riser

8. Main support under the risers and treads

9. The smallest vertical distance between the stairs and the upper construction over the foot of the stairs

10. Type of stairs in which the treads and risers end against a vertical surface

11. Type of stairs in which the ends of the tread and risers are visible

Put in Order

Put in order the steps to finish a closed stair carriage. Write the corresponding numbers on the blanks.

A. Place the treads in position and fasten the treads in place.

B. Install tread molding under the overhang of the tread and against the riser.

C. Install risers, removing the temporary treads as work progresses downward.

D. Cut treads on both ends to fit snugly between the finish stringers.

E. Cut the closed finish stringer around the risers.

List

List the equations needed to determine the rise and run of a set of stairs.

1. = total rise

2. = number of risers

3. = number of treads

4. = total run

Procedures

Read the following procedures. Determine what procedure is being described and write the name of the procedure on the blank.

Procedure 1:

• Install the finish stringer.
• Cut risers to length, making a square cut on the end that goes against the wall.
• Make miter cuts on the other end to fit the mitered plumb cuts of the open finish stringer.
• Fasten the miters with glue and nails to each stair carriage.
• Rip treads to width.
• Cut one end of the tread to fit against the closed finish stringer and cut the other end to receive the return nosing.
• Apply return nosings to the open ends of the treads.

Procedure 2:

• On the face side of the stringer stock, lightly draw a line parallel to and about 2 inches down from the top edge.
• Lay out the risers and treads for two or three steps of the staircase.
• Lightly square lines to the top edge of the stringer at the intersection of the face sides of tread and riser.
• With a tape stretched on the parallel line, mark off the unit length for each remaining step.
• Set the template over the first step and adjust it to match the layout.
• Clamp the template to the stringer
• Rout the stringer.
• Loosen, adjust, and reclamp the template to rout the second step.
• Repeat for remaining steps.
• Cut and fit the bottom end of the stringer to the floor and the top end to the landing.
• Make end cuts that will join with the baseboard properly.

Procedure 3:

• Cut and rip the required number of risers to a rough length and width.
• Determine the face side of each piece.
• Rip and cut the treads to width and length.
• On the open side of the staircase, where the riser and open stringer meet, make a miter joint so no end grain is exposed.
• Install the risers with wedges, glue and screws between housed stringers.
• Install treads with wedges, glue, and screws on the closed side.
• Install glue blocks at intervals on the underside of the tread against the backside of the riser to reinforce the corners.

Calculations

Use the information provided to complete your calculations. Write answers on the lines below.

Determine the rise and run of a set of stairs

Determine the rise and run for a set of stairs connecting two floors.

• The distance between the floors is 9 feet
• Unit run is ¼"
• The second floor is framed by using 2 × 10s and has a subfloor with a ⅝-inch wood floor

1. Total rise
2. Number of risers
3. Number of treads
4. Total run

Answer 1