Finish Staircase

C.C.R.

I'm getting ready to install a finish staircase in a log home. My question is the framers glued the "temp." treads and risers (I don't know why) and it seems to be set up for carpet but no overhang on the treads. I talked to the inspector about the heights (one way or the other something will be off). In about 50 staircases I've never run in to this. If I take the ply treads off the top step will be low. If I go over them the bottom will be high. I have 3/4" pine flooring at bottom and top of staircase. Plus if I go over the plywood I have no way of shimming from underneath. The discrepency will be greater without the plywood. So I'm wondering if anyone has ever gone over plywood with finish treads. And why would any framer think this was a good idea.

Is this something common in log homes? (My 1st. log home)
Any comments, advice, or tips would be appreciated.

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reveivl

The stairs I have built in log homes were VERY temporary for a few years due to the settling of the logs over time, which can be as much as 3/4"/ft! This requires the stairs to be completely rebuilt once the house has settled to it's final level. If you're lucky you might wind up with simply cutting off the top riser, but this is pretty darn lucky. What are the stringers? How 'buried' are they in the structure? Has the house finished settling yet?

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C.C.R.

The 1st floor of the house is actual log. The 2nd floor is stick framed. The staircase is an open "L" design. The stringers aren't realy buried at all just sheetrock on the outside perimeter. And no the home is, I think, far from settled. The frame was just completed mid-October. Do you have any insight as to why the framers would glue the treads and risers on a staircase that the plans, that we all had, calls for finished treads?

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StairBuilder

If you would list the existing rises and the total finished rise here it would be helpful. Also whether there is a landing or pies. It sounds like you have a nice mess on your hands.

The first thing I do when I have a mess is calculate the rise (finished floor to finished floor) so I know what the rises need to be. Then I will measure each rise and write down the existing finished rise on each step. Then you know "what you have" and "what you need" Then you have to figure out the best way to get there, or at least close.

I know one framer who glues his "temporary" treads, but not risers. He knows what he is doing so it works with the finished treads.

For shimming the treads I will cut a bunch of 1/16" and 1/8" straight shims. After installing the risers, torpedo level from front to back and add shims as needed. If higher in the back, then just raise the riser to level.

Hope this is helpful.