Multi-Story Exterior Stairs Rebuild

Weathered stairs, several stories up

The back of this house had old exterior stairs and decks running up several stories. They had weathered badly and were due for replacement. On a stair that tall, every landing and connection matters, so patching was not the right call. A new stair built as one piece was the better job.

Rebuilding it level by level

We took the old stairs and decks off and rebuilt the whole structure in new pressure-treated lumber. That is the core of our exterior stairs work: frame the stair runs and landings, then build up one level at a time.

We framed the new stair up the side of the house, landing by landing, with the truck and lumber staged below. A tall stair is mostly careful layout. Each run has to land at the right height for the next one, and the landings have to line up with the doors they serve.

Once the framing was in, we added the treads and railings. Then we closed in the base with lattice skirting, which gives the whole structure a finished look at ground level.

How it turned out

It finished as a full-height wood stair with landings and railings at every level and a clean lattice base. The old stairs were worn and mismatched. What replaced them is one consistent structure in new lumber.

Rear stairs and upper decks usually go together. If yours are showing their age, our decks and porches page is worth a look as well.