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Posted by Van Chocstraw on September 17, 2009, 8:11 am
I need new steps for the front door. Why can't I make them with cement
blocks. Seems easy enough to just stack them to form steps. The first
layer the full length of the steps, the second layer out to the first
tred and so on. Never seen any like this is it taboo?
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Posted by willshak on September 17, 2009, 8:19 am
on 9/17/2009 8:11 AM (ET) Van Chocstraw wrote the following:
> I need new steps for the front door. Why can't I make them with cement
> blocks. Seems easy enough to just stack them to form steps. The first
> layer the full length of the steps, the second layer out to the first
> tred and so on. Never seen any like this is it taboo?
You can, as long as you anchor the base steps and cement the blocks to
each other, otherwise you will get movement from traffic, rain, and
freeze and thaw cycles.
--
Bill
In Hamptonburgh, NY
In the original Orange County. Est. 1683
To email, remove the double zeroes after @
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Posted by LouB on September 17, 2009, 11:04 am
Van Chocstraw wrote:
> I need new steps for the front door. Why can't I make them with cement
> blocks. Seems easy enough to just stack them to form steps. The first
> layer the full length of the steps, the second layer out to the first
> tred and so on. Never seen any like this is it taboo?
Where do you live?
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Posted by Jules on September 17, 2009, 1:32 pm
On Thu, 17 Sep 2009 08:11:29 -0400, Van Chocstraw wrote:
> Never seen any like this is it taboo?
There might be local rules which dictate minimum tread depth, riser height
etc. and also whether you're allowed open risers (I'm not sure if you mean
solid cement blocks or the ones with the pair of large holes in - local
rules may say that those holes have to be filled if so). Your home
insurance company might have something to say about that, too, so check
with them as well.
Other than sticking to any rules though I can't think of anything
inherently 'wrong' with it though - except as Bill says, vibration,
freezing etc. will all cause problems unless it's all securely fixed.
cheers
Jules
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Posted by Joe on September 17, 2009, 2:35 pm
wrote:
> I need new steps for the front door. Why can't I make them with cement
> blocks. Seems easy enough to just stack them to form steps. The first
> layer the full length of the steps, the second layer out to the first
> tred and so on. Never seen any like this is it taboo?
Bad idea. Some fool did my old back steps that way and there have been
numerous falls because of them. The reason is that common sense and
most building coder follow the 7 - 11 rule, 7" rise and 11" run. Even
theater people follow this rule to prevent on, or off stage disasters.
Last time I bought cement block they were 8" x 8" x 16". Most DIY
projects wind up as 8" rise, x 8" run. Even if you stack to an 11" or
12" run, people will trip over the 8" rise. Maybe there is a smart
block maker somewhere that has 7" x whatever blocks for steps. Seems
to me there should be a nice little niche market there.
Joe
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> blocks. Seems easy enough to just stack them to form steps. The first
> layer the full length of the steps, the second layer out to the first
> tred and so on. Never seen any like this is it taboo?