Amateur carpenters who have laid out the cuts in a stair stringer (the zig-zag structural support for the steps) know the queasy feeling that bubbles up at the prospect of this job. There’s the simple ...

Picture a stair slope in your mind to estimate about a 40-degree slope and guess at a landing point. Rest any straight piece of deck lumber on the deck and level it over to the landing point. Measure ...

We’ve got the frame, the boards, and the weatherproofing—now it’s time to finish strong! In Part 4 of Building an EPIC Deck, ...

Q: I have to build a simple set of steps, but I’m totally lost. I don’t understand how to calculate what the distance should be for the risers and the treads. Help me understand the thought process of ...

Q. I have to build a simple set of steps but I'm totally lost. I don't understand how to calculate what the distance should be for the risers and the treads. Everything about building steps seems ...

DEAR TIM: I have to build a simple set of steps but I’m totally lost. I don’t understand how to calculate what the distance should be for the risers and the treads. Everything about building steps ...