Thread: deck stairs

How do you like this stringer attachment?

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Originally Posted by John Dirks Jr

How do you like this stringer attachment?

JDJ: Wunerful, wunerful . . . .

Originally Posted by John Dirks Jr

How do you like this stringer attachment?

Is this really that bad?

Simpson LSCZ. They're not that expensive but most big box stores don't carry them therefore deck "builders" aren't likely to use them.

Definitely should have a mechanical fastener such as a angle plate.

Toenails are actually sufficient (well, when done properly they are - those in the photos do no fit that category) as the angle of stair stringers works to transfer some of the loads laterally at the deck. The problem with toenails is that I've never seen them done properly. Wrong fastener size, wrong angle, wrong spacing, wrong number, insufficient header, and insufficient top riser height are the usual culprits.

I always use mechanical fasteners to attach stair stringers to the deck, whether they're inside or outside stringers. Why gamble?

Toenails are actually sufficient

CW: Not necessarily true. A nail's holding power is a function of its diameter, how far it penetrates the wood, and the type of wood it penetrates.

And a framing nail is not just a framing nail. There are hand-driven nails, both common and box, and then there are the more often seen pneumatic nails with smaller shanks and some with clipped heads. All of these nails perform differently regarding their withdrawal strength load values.

http://senco.com/pdf/facts/ner272.pdf

It is also notable here that Senco, for one, recommends only stainless steel fasteners for framing exposed to the elements, especially when using pressure-treated lumber.

The problem with toenails is that I've never seen them done properly.

CW: I have, but no longer remember when.

Originally Posted by A.D. Miller

It is also notable here that Senco, for one, recommends only stainless steel fasteners for framing exposed to the elements, especially when using pressure-treated lumber.

Yes, I have their stainless nails. Cost more than the tool if I recall...