pre-cut stringers

**bob14-0** · 05-01-2008, 06:50 PM

I have no problem calculating and cutting my own stringers, but for exterior deck work, where you only need 2 - 3 steps, those pre-cuts I see at Lowes and Home Depot look like a bargain.

Any disadvantage to using them?

Bob

**m beezo** · 05-01-2008, 07:00 PM

Problem is that it has to be the right height for the steps to work. I thought I could use them several times and find out that often I need something just a bit different in size. Last one I needed something like 6 3/8 risers to make it work out. Still ended up cutting my own stringers.

**Justin Thomas** · 05-01-2008, 07:06 PM

A stringer is a stringer all made of pressure Treated material but you are probably not going to get the desired layout for your deck and need to fill dirt in under the last step to make up for the difference.

Depending on how you lay out and build your stringers the riser and tread material may not work out to what you need either.....I usually do a 10 3/4" Tread and try to get a 7" rise but that doesn't always work.

This way I can get two 5/4x6 deck boards on the tread over lapping the 1x riser board and give a small nosing on the tread........

**Justin Thomas** · 05-01-2008, 07:07 PM

m beezo,
beat me to it!

**S. Donato** · 05-01-2008, 08:11 PM

nevermind... stack a few together and i bet you have differences of upto 1/4" in the cuts i used them a few times and had to plane them to match each other.

i don't use them anymore i just use my prazi and cut mine all exactly the same on the first try.

**BigLou80** · 05-01-2008, 08:22 PM

Sal,
thanks for pointing that out. I will know tomorrow if I have 32 decks to frame and I was thinking those would be a real time saver. Guess not

Lou

**S. Donato** · 05-01-2008, 08:31 PM

Big Lou

if your doing that many decks grab a prazi - if you don't already have one - trust me you will not be sorry. i can't tell you how much time it saves... especially with stringers.

one down side with it is be careful with the blade they can dull real quick if you touch some metal. i am about to buy a chainsaw sleeve or make one to protect the blade.

god i love tools ;-)

i think someone is working on a prazi review in for a future JLC ;-)

**m beezo** · 05-02-2008, 01:20 PM

Originally Posted by BigLou80

Sal,
thanks for pointing that out. I will know tomorrow if I have 32 decks to frame and I was thinking those would be a real time saver. Guess not

Lou

That is a lot of decks. All at one time? If you do that I want to hear back on some of your techniques to make it go quicker/easier/better. I have never built more than 3 decks a year, each one so different from the next that it is almost a new learning experience each time.

Was wondering if you can consider coming up with one design and then get it down to where each one gets a little faster to do?

**bob14-0** · 05-02-2008, 03:00 PM

You guys are right - I relocated the steps on a deck last spring and came out with perfect rise/run with the help of a Construction Master calculator. Pre-cuts would not have worked.

And I've seen some DIY jobs where the first step is a 12" rise, followed by several 7" risers, ending with a top step of 4.5" - try getting those passed.

Regards, Bob

**BigLou80** · 05-02-2008, 03:30 PM

Sal,
thanks for the advice I will definatly do that

mbeezo
they are more or less all the same its for a condo association. to make this profitable we will need to get a lot of production. Thanks to this site and people like Tim Uhler and others I now feel confident in out ability to do this .

Lou

**Joe Carola** · 05-02-2008, 03:31 PM

Originally Posted by bob14-0

Pre-cuts would not have worked.

Bob,

That's because they are precuts and they are cut a a fixed rise. If you don't have that exact rise, they wont work. You could however use them if you were adjust the grade to make them work.

And I've seen some DIY jobs where the first step is a 12" rise, followed by several 7" risers, ending with a top step of 4.5" - try getting those passed.

I've never once used precut stringers or ever once seen a contractor use them. The only people who I've seen use them are DIY'ers.

**Greg Di** · 05-02-2008, 04:31 PM

Do the precut stringers come with the bottom riser 1" shorter?

I bet not knowing Home Dopey.

**JMS BUILDERS** · 05-02-2008, 04:39 PM

Originally Posted by Greg Di

Do the precut stringers come with the bottom riser 1" shorter?

I bet not knowing Home Dopey.

Now don't go helping the 1000's of lurkers watching this thread now lol

**A.P.G.C.** · 05-02-2008, 05:20 PM

The bottoms on those are cut 1" shorter. But they are never consistent.

What's this prazi you speak of?

**JMS BUILDERS** · 05-02-2008, 05:31 PM

Originally Posted by A.P.G.C.

The bottoms on those are cut 1" shorter. But they are never consistent.

What's this prazi you speak of?

Ahh a necessity to any one who works with multiple sets of dimensional lumber

http://www.google.com/search?q=prazi...ient=firefox-a

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