Category A HOUSE

There are two basic types of stringers for stairs. Cut, or open, stringers have square cutouts to support treads and risers. Closed stringers use cleats rather than cutouts to support treads. To

give a deck or porch stairway a trim look, I like to use closed stringers on the sides. Cut stringers must be used in the middle. Stringers for out­door stairways are usually cut from PT 2x12s. Stairs with three risers can be cut from 4-ft. stock, but it’s a bit tight. Stairs with four risers can be cut from 6-ft. stock.

A framing square and a pencil are all you need to lay out stair stringers. Although they aren’t necessary, a pair of stair gauges (small clamps that screw onto a framing square) make the layout process faster and just about fool­proof. Attach one gauge at the 71/2-in. measure (the rise) on the narrow part of a framing square (the tongue). Place the other gauge at the 11-in. measure (the tread width) on the wider part of the square (the blade). Now lay out the stringer, working from the bottom to the top. If you don’t use stair gauges on a fram­ing square, simply align the 71/2-in. and 11-in. measurements over the edge of the stringer, as shown in the photo above. After marking the first tread and riser, move the square up,
place the tread mark directly on the riser mark, scribe the second tread and riser, then do the third. Then use the square to mark a level cut at the bottom of the stringer and a plumb cut at the top.

The bottom of the stringer must be “dropped” to allow for the thickness of the first tread. If you were to screw a FA-in.-thick tread on the first riser (7’/2 in. tall), then the first step would be 9 in., which would cause a lot of people to trip every time they used the stairs.

To make each riser the same height, cut 1’/2 in. from the bottom of the stringer. Finish laying out this stringer by marking a notch for a 2x 4 kicker board. It’s best to cut the kicker-board notch at the back of the stringer.

When the layout is complete, it’s time to cut the stringer. Start the cuts with a circular saw, closely following the lines (see the top photo on p. 188). Then use a handsaw or a jigsaw to finish the cuts at the intersection of the tread and the riser so that you don’t overcut and weaken the stringer.

A CUT STRINGER SERVES AS A PATTERN FOR A CLOSED STRINGER.

Once you’ve completed a cut stringer, use it as a pattern for other cut and closed stringers in the same staircase (see the photo at right). The plumb and level cuts at the top and bottom of the closed stringer are identical to those on the cut stringer, but they are the only cuts you need to make on a closed stringer. Using the cut stringer as a pattern, mark the tread lines on the closed stringer to indicate where the cleats must be installed.

Fasten F/2-in.-sq. PT wood cleats below the tread lines on each closed stringer (see the top photo on the facing page). Drive four 21/2-in.-long deck screws to secure each cleat. Manufactured metal cleats are also available, if you prefer. The treads will be screwed to the cleats after all the stair stringers have been installed.

I taught night school at a community college for 20 or so years. My students were apprentice carpenters learning how to build houses. Often, students were hesitant to take on the task of building stairs because of the presumed diffi­culty. It came as a surprise to most of them that building stairs—especially a simple, straight flight of stairs—is actually quite easy. If you can do some basic math and know how to use

Because we are using 11/2-in.­thick treads, 11/2 in. has to be cut from only the first riser to make each rise equal after thetreads are screwed in place.

a framing square and a circular saw, you can build stairs. Although stair-building principles are the same everywhere, different states (and towns or cities) sometimes use different codes, so check to see which code requirements apply in your area.

Figure out the risers

The accepted standards for a typical stairway call for a rise of about 7 in. and a run, or tread width, of 11 in. When calculating the number of risers in a stairway, aim to stay as close as possible to those figures. If you have a pocket calculator handy (see Resources on p. 279), this calculation is easy to do.

First, determine exactly how high each riser will be. This is calculated based on the total rise, which is measured from finish floor to finish floor—in this case, from the concrete slab to the top of the porch decking. Let’s call it 30 in., a fairly typical porch height. Divide the total rise (30 in.) by 7 in., the standard riser height, for a total of 4.3 risers. Round that to the closest whole number (in this case, 4) and divide your total rise of 30 in. by that number. This gives you an individual riser height of 7.5, or 71/2 in. Now you have the riser height and the number of risers—4 risers, each 71/2 in. high.

You can also determine the total run of the stairs; this will tell you where the concrete landing or base for the stringers should be. Do a rough sketch of the stairs, then multiply the number of treads by the tread width (in this case, 11 in.). Keep in mind that you can either run the stringers flush with the top of the deck (the top tread is even with the deck surface) or cut the stringers so that the top tread is one step down from the deck surface. The latter ap­proach is more common; that’s what we did on the house shown here.

On a house built over a basement or crawl space, a deck or porch can be attached to the house frame. Deck building then becomes a lot like framing a floor-joist system inside a house (see

Chapter 3). Step one in this process is to attach a ledger to the house frame. Straight, level, and solidly secured to the house, the ledger acts like a rim joist for the porch. It extends the full length of the porch, supporting its inboard side.

There are several concerns when attaching a ledger, and all of them are important. First, the ledger must be at least 21/2 in. below the level of the interior floor. When l/Tin. deck boards are screwed on top of the ledger, the deck will be l in. lower than the interior floor, which is just about right. If wheelchair accessibility is a concern, plan to build a small ramp to bridge the distance between the deck and the doorsill.

Reserve your best boards to use as ledgers— clear lumber with straight, square edges and

no major imperfections (cracks, large knots, or warping). When installing a ledger, make sure water cannot get behind the ledger and into the house frame, where it could cause rot. And make sure the ledger is secured to the house in a man­ner that will hold for the life of the building.

Flash the ledger

Many builders like to use flashing when installing a ledger. Find out which types of flashing build­ers use in your area. I tend to use heavy-gauge aluminum behind the ledger, though I sometimes opt for high-quality galvanized sheet metal or even copper—expensive though it is—instead of aluminum. Although it can take a while, ocean air and city smog will gradually take their toll on aluminum flashing, causing it to deteriorate.

The flashing is installed before the exterior siding. It can be nailed directly to the wall fram­ing and rim joist if no sheathing has been used on the exterior walls. Otherwise, install the flashing on top of the wall sheathing (see the top illustration at right). Order flashing that is wide enough to extend several inches above the ledger and down over the rim joist. At door openings, cut the flashing just enough to bend it over and lay it flat on the subfloor. Use as few nails as possible when installing flashing, and keep them high on the wall. The ledger and exterior siding will hold the flashing in place. If you install housewrap (such as Tyvek or Barricade) over the wall sheathing, make sure the flashing tucks underneath the housewrap, as shown in the illustration.

In the dry Southwest, the ledger can be fas­tened directly on top of the flashing. Otherwise, use galvanized washers or PT shims to create a narrow (3/8-in. to!/2-in.) drainage space behind the ledger. This prevents buildup of moisture or mold.

On exterior decks it is best to use treated wood or synthetic decking. It is only a matter of time before untreated wood left exposed to the elements starts to rot. In some climates, even treated wood needs to be painted every year with an oil-based solution to prevent cracking and splitting.

1/2-in.-dia. bolt, installed through rim joist every 16 in. to 24 in.

Nut

Deck ledger

PT spacer,

3/8 in. to 1/2 in. thick, (galvanized washers can also be used as spacers)

Spacers allow water to flow behind ledger.

Air space behind the deck ledger allows water to drain freely. Caulk bolt holes before inserting bolts.

MAKING IT HAPPEN

Ismet Osmani and his wife, Rahime, fled Kosovo in the midst of ethnic strife and war and landed in Tucson, AZ, in April 2002. Five years later, with a four-year-old daughter and infant son in tow, they are on the path to homeownership, partnering with Habitat for Humanity Tucson.

“I used to live in a house over there, but it was burned, destroyed in the war," Ismet says of his home in Serbia. “Now we’ve been living in an apartment for five years, and you always have to be careful about noise and leaving stuff on the porch— it’s hard."

Ismet has a degree in education and was a coun­selor before he immigrated with his family. Now he
works as a driver for a hotel and holds down a sec­ond job in a restaurant—overqualified, perhaps, but he is glad to be working. Despite his busy schedule, Ismet dedicates every spare hour he has toward building his home. In fact, he finished his required 400 hours of “sweat equity" with Habitat long before the construction of his house was complete. When work kept him away from the house site, Ismet would often drive by to see how things were coming along.

This past summer Ismet and Rahime became U. S. citizens, an accomplishment earned through study, English lessons, and perseverance. They are extremely proud of all that they have been able to do since leaving Kosovo, and are ready to put down roots in Tucson.

“We worked hard and feel like we’ve accom­plished a lot," he says. “We’ll probably live the rest of our lives here." —Rebekah Daniel

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Installing a ledger without flashing Here’s how to install a ledger against fiber- cement siding, wooden clapboards, or T1-11 siding without using flashing. Simply install the siding in the normal fashion, and hold the ledger away from the siding with PT wood spacers or galvanized washers. I’ve installed ledgers this way on a number of houses, including Habitat projects. To account for the angle of wood or fiber-cement clapboards, cut an angled PT spacer or use galvanized wash­ers in the manner shown in the bottom right illustration on p. 181. For that technique, first install the spacers, then bolt the ledger loosely in place. Complete the deck framing, then tighten the ledger installation bolts. Nails won’t do when installing a ledger, though you can drive a few just to hold the board in position. My preference is to attach the ledger with ‘A-in.-dia. bolts that extend through the rim joist and are held fast with nuts and washers. Make sure the ledger is level before you begin boring holes for the bolts. Space bolts 16 in. to 24 in. apart. As extra insurance against unwanted water, apply some silicone caulk in each hole before inserting the bolt through the rim joist. Insert the bolts through the rim joist from the back, making sure you place a washer beneath each bolt’s head and nut.	їм їм їм їм їм и їм їм їм їм їм їм їм и їм їм їм їм їм їм їм и їм їм їм їм їм їм їм и їм їм їм їм їм їм и їм їм їм їм їм їм їм и їм їм їм їм їм їм їм и їм їм їм їм і BUILDING A DECK FRAME
5 ft. 11 in.
Beam framing connector	5 ft. 8 in.
2×6 deck ledger bolted to house
Postcap connector Post
Concrete pier
2x6s
Joist hanger
Built-up girder detail
Joist-to-beam connection
This illustration shows one way to build a solid, long-lasting porch or deck frame.
FINDING THE LENGTH OF SUPPORTS POSTS
The scrap 2×6 is the width of the girder or joist that will support the deck once the frame is built. The post will extend from the concrete pier to the deck frame.

width and set the piers so they are in line with the ledger board and square with the building.

Next, measure the length for the posts that will extend from the piers to support the floor framing. You can do this with a 6-ft. level or with a shorter level attached to a straightedge (see the bottom illustration on p. 183). Lay the rim joist (or a scrap board of the same size) on top of each pier and set the level or straightedge on the ledger, extending it directly out over the pier. The distance between the rim joist on the pier and the level or straightedge is the post’s length. Cut those posts from PT 4 x4s; make them Vi in. short (be consistent) so that the deck will slope away from the house just a bit.

Cut the two end beams (girders) first, using PT 4x 6 lumber or doubled ix 6s, as shown in the top illustration on p. 183. For a deck that is 6 ft. wide, cut the two end beams at 5 ft.

8 in. The ledger and rim joist will add 3 in. to the overall width. Those beams connect to the ledger by a metal framing connector and rest, with i in. bearing, on the end posts. Connect any beams falling between in the same manner, but run them long over the tops of their posts. Stretch a chalkline from the ends of the two end beams across the interior beams and snap a line. Cutting the interior beams to length in this manner ensures a straight rim joist in the front.

Next, cut the rim joist to length. On a rect­angular deck, the rim joist is the same length as the ledger. If you have a long deck and use several pieces of rim, make sure they break over a post. The rim rests on the posts and is nailed into each beam with two 16d galvanized nails. Toenail both the beam and the rim to the post. Then reinforce the beam-post-rim joist connec­tions with metal framing connectors. You can nail a flat, gusset-type connector over the joint between a post and the rim joist and use right­angled connectors on the inside.

Before installing the joists between beams, make sure the post-and-beam assembly is parallel and square with the house and all the posts are plumb. Brace the porch frame so it will remain square until the stairs are attached and the decking is screwed in place. When cut­ting and installing joists, I recommend using joist hangers to ensure that all joist-to-beam connections are strong. The joist spacing you use depends on the decking material you plan to install. A 24-in. o. c. spacing is usually ade­quate for F/2-in.-thick PT decking boards. For 5/4 (F/4-in.-thick) PT decking, use 16-in. o. c. spacing. If you use any of the synthetic decking material that’s becoming more popular these days, follow the manufacturer’s recommenda­tions for joist spacing.

The corner post is crucial. Holding a long level against the flat sections of a turned post, a volun­teer makes sure the post is plumb.

STAIR VOCABULARY

A stairway’s total rise is always from finish floor to finish floor.

CUT AND CLOSED STRINGERS

In many house designs, a section of the main roof extends over the porch. To complete the
installation of the roof trusses, roofing material, and exterior trim, the truss support beams over the porch must be cut and fastened to the wall framing. As shown in the illustration above, each beam rests in a pocket formed by a pair of jack studs framed in the house wall. The top of the beam is flush and level with the top of the wall plates.

In addition to nailing the beam to the wall framing, I strengthen the connection by nailing an 18-in. metal strap across the top of the beam and the double top plate of the wall. Beams made from rough 2x lumber can

later be covered with aluminum cladding, as described in Chapter 6.

If it’s not possible to install permanent posts at this stage, temporary posts can be used to support porch ceiling beams. When you install perma­nent posts, be sure to secure them with framing connectors—a post base at the bottom and a post cap at the top that is fastened to the post and to the beams (see the photos above).

Basic Design for Porches, Decks, and Landings

The porches on Habitat houses are among their nicest features. All Habitat houses have a covered porch of some sort. On the Charlotte house, there’s a small porch tucked underneath the main roof, sheltering the main entry door. The side door has a landing that could grow into a larger deck sometime in the future (see the photo on the facing page). Most of the Habitat houses I’ve worked on out West have a porch as an attached structure. It has its own roof, which joins either the main roof or the gable end of the house (see the top photo on p. 178). In almost any form, a porch adds something special to a house. It’s a place to put some flowers, kick off your shoes when you get home from work, or just sit down and relax at any time of day.

I have built hundreds of decks and porches over the years, and I’ve no­ticed that people are more inclined to use them if they are 6 ft. wide or larger. Narrower than that and all you really have is a walkway or a landing. I’ve also noticed that a deck with a roof—a porch, in other words—seems to get more use than a deck that’s open to the elements. In northern regions, a porch can be enclosed and used as a mudroom in the winter. In southern states, porches are often screened to keep out insects.

Design Ideas for Decks and Porches

No matter what size deck or porch you decide to build, quite a few design considerations deserve attention (see Resources on p. 279). Take some time to evaluate the many decking materials that are available, including different types of solid wood and synthetic materials.

On a sloping site, it’s often better to build a multilevel deck that follows

Size a deck to minimize

waste. Take advantage of standard lumber lengths when determining the size of a deck. For example, a deck that’s 5 ft. 11 in. wide can be framed with 12-ft.-long joists or beams. A deck that’s 61/2 ft. wide would waste В/г ft. of an 8-ft. beam or joist.

the natural contour of the land instead of a single-level deck that requires tall support posts. Houses built on a concrete slab can have a smaller slab poured to create a porch or patio area. Just make sure the slab is 1 in. or so below the floor slab to keep water from entering the house. To promote drainage, pour the slab with a slight slope, about ‘/4 in. per ft. Don’t forget to thicken the concrete and install a metal post base where the posts will be installed to hold the sup­porting roof beams.

Some Habitat houses are built with ramps to accommodate people in wheelchairs or those who have limited mobility. Ramps can take up quite a bit of room. They need to be built with a gradual slope and must be at least 36 in. wide. The slope rate is usually a 1 in. vertical rise for every 1 ft. traveled horizontally. So if the door entrance is 16 in. above ground level, the ramp will need to be 16 ft. long.

Before you begin to build, you should also know which railing design you plan to use. Drive around a few neighborhoods and you’ll

Framing con­nectors are worth checking out. If you haven’t discovered the vast variety of fram­ing connectors that are available, try to do so before building a porch or a deck. A well-stocked lumberyard or building supplier will sell connect­ing hardware designed to reinforce all kinds of joints among different framing members.

certainly come upon some interesting railing designs to inspire your own efforts. Finally, consider your electrical wiring needs. Overhead light is important for security reasons, but you may also want to install some low-voltage lights on or around the porch or in nearby walkway or garden areas.

Gutters are sometimes required by code. When com­bined with downspouts and their associated fittings, gutters help keep water away from the foundation, pre­venting serious erosion and reducing water accumula­tion under the house. Gutters, downspouts, attachment hardware, and other components are available at most building-supply outlets. Also, consider buying and

installing gutter guards, especially if there are large trees nearby. Different types of gutter guards are avail­able, but they all perform the same function of keeping leaves, seedpods, and other debris out of the gutter while allowing water in. This eliminates the annual (or more frequent) chore of having to climb up on a ladder or onto the roof to clean out the gutters.

Combining an enclosed soffit with a gable-end roof overhang means that you need to con­struct a boxed return. The return creates the nailing surfaces required to bring the soffit and fascia trim around the corner of the house. Here’s how to do the job:

1. Use 2x lumber to make the framing for the boxed return, which consists of a triangular piece cut to match the roof’s pitch and a straight board that vertically extends to the gable wall.

2. Fasten this assembly to the bottom edge of the barge raf­ter and the back wall. The soffit paneling must be attached prior to the aluminum cladding.

3. Run electric cable through the corner soffit for an outdoor light. Slip the gutter board cladding under the roof’s drip edge trim, then bend it at a 90-degree angle to cover the end of the soffit. Test-fit the cladding for the return before you nail the prebent piece in place.

4. To install gable-end siding panels, nail white J-channel trim along the rake. Trim the panel ends to match the roof’s pitch.

We have to set up scaffolding to finish the siding and soffit work; by this time, the house is really looking great.

After a break to admire our progress (and clean up the spare pieces of vinyl siding), we start to cut and bend the aluminum cladding that will cover the fascia boards and the barge rafters.

A big bending tool, called a brake, creases the aluminum perfectly straight.

When it slides into place over the wood, it looks like it be­longs there.

The cladding that covers the boxed return is a bit more complex, but the bends can be made with a hand brake. At the ridge peak, run one piece of aluminum past the centerline, then cut the second piece plumb to give the trim a finished appearance.

Any time you use aluminum to cover gut­ter boards, posts, or beams, make absolutely sure that no water can get behind the alumi­num. You can do this by overlapping adjacent sections of cladding by 3 in. to 4 in. and by ensuring that a higher section of cladding (on a barge rafter, for example) always overlaps a lower section.

Vinyl soffit material has small holes to allow air to enter freely. Before attaching this material along eave walls, make sure that all the baffles between rafters are in place to keep insulation out of the eaves and allow airflow into the attic. On this house, we cut the vinyl soffit sections into short lengths that overlap each other and ran them perpendicular to the siding. Insert the ends of each soffit panel into vinyl J-channel trim nailed to the wall and nail the other end to the bottom edge of the gutter board.

Gable-end soffit details

Soffit work is also required to finish off the un­derside of the roof overhang on the gable ends of a house. Remember the J-channel trim that you installed along the rake to house the ends of the gable-wall siding panels? The inboard edge of the soffit trim can rest right on top of that J-channel. This detail is shown in the illustration on p. 149. The outboard edge of each soffit piece is nailed to the 2 x2s fastened along the barge rafter.

It’s common practice for some builders to build boxed returns at the bottom corners of the roof to bring the soffit around the corners of walls. One part of the return (made from 2x material) is cut to match the angle of the roof’s pitch and is fastened to the underside of the barge rafter. The other part of the return should then be fastened to the angled piece and to the wall (see the sidebar on the facing page).

STEP 8 COVER EXTERIOR TRIM WITH ALUMINUM CLADDING

Aluminum trim, often referred to as coil aluminum because it comes in a coil or roll, can be shaped and used to cover rough exte­rior trim, such as gutter boards, barge rafters, and beams. This sheet metal comes in various widths and colors. The small nails used to install the material are available in matching colors. Softer than steel, coil aluminum can be cut with tinsnips or a utility knife. The same long, flat worktable that was used during vinyl siding installation is just as valuable for sheet – metal work. To make the precise bends that give the finished cladding its clean-lined ap­pearance, you’ll need a hand brake as well as a large sheet-metal brake, which you can borrow or rent (see the bottom right photo on p. 174).

To wrap a 2×4 gutter board, cut a 6-in.-wide strip of aluminum and bend it at 4 in. into a 90-degree angle. The 4-in. leg slips under the roof’s drip cap and covers the front of the gutter board. Attach it with matching l-in.-long nails every 24 in. along an imaginary centerline (see the left photo on p. 174). The 2-in. leg fits over the vinyl soffit, covering the nails used to secure the soffit to the bottom of the gutter board. Be careful not to drive nails so hard that you leave a hammer imprint in the metal.

The last piece of siding at the top of an eave wall can be fastened in different ways. If the eaves will be left open, use strips of undersill trim and cut and fasten the final panel in the same way as the one under the window. If the eaves will be closed with soffit material (as was done on this house), then the uppermost siding panel can simply be nailed in place above the level of the soffit. The

J-channel trim for the soffit, and then the soffit itself, will cover the top siding panel.

Siding gable-end walls

Begin by nailing 2×2 blocking between the lookouts and along the barge rafter. This allows J-channel to be nailed up the rake, where it can receive the angled ends of the siding panels. Some builders prefer to hold the J-channel /4 in. down so the soffit pieces can simply lie on top of it.

To ensure accurate angled cuts where the siding panels meet the rake, make a pattern from a short scrap of vinyl siding, with the angle cut to match the roof’s pitch. If you really want to save time, however, set up a circular saw guide at the proper angle on the worktable.

As you cut and fit these pieces on the gable end, be sure to leave a /4-in. space between the siding and the inside of the J-channel. If there are gable-end vents, cut and fit pieces around the vents, just as you did for those around the windows and doors. The last small piece at the peak can be cut and secured to the wall with a small screw or nail.

Precise cutouts are sometimes required for certain situations, such as fitting siding panels over vents or electrical outlet boxes. Careful layout is the key here.

1. Place the siding panel directly below where it will be in­stalled. Mark where the sides of the box hit the panel.

2. Reposition the panel to one side of the box, clipping it into the panel just below the box. Mark where the top and bottom of the box hit the panel.

3. Outline the cutout where the horizontal and vertical lines intersect, then cut the opening with a sharp utility knife.

more than 1 in. to fit, you must fur out or shim the undersill trim. The deeper the notch in the siding, the thicker the shim you’ll need. By fur­ring out the undersill trim, you can prevent the surface of the siding from bowing in beneath the window. Try not to have any joints between panels located beneath or above windows.

To determine a notch’s location horizontally in the panel beneath a window, measure from the last piece of siding to the opening and mark it on the panel (don’t forget to add 1 in. for the overlap). For an accurate height measurement vertically, lock a scrap of siding into the nail flange of the piece below, then slide the scrap against the window edge. Mark where the scrap hits the bottom of the window and transfer the mark to the panel you’re cutting. Finally, measure the length of the opening and transfer it to the siding, leaving /4 in. on each side for ex­pansion. These notched cuts can be made with a utility knife, a hacksaw, or tinsnips. Use a snap-lock punch to create crimps, or tabs, /4 in. down from the top edge of the notched siding and make crimps every 6 in. across the length of the window. The crimps must face out to lock into the undersill trim.

The panels that fit over the tops of windows and doors are marked and notched in the same way as those on the bottom. The horizontal part of the siding slips down into the J-channel. To make cutouts where the siding fits over a dryer vent, an electrical outlet box, or another protru­sion, use the techniques discussed here and on the facing page.