Building a solid concrete staircase with landing

A solid concrete staircase without “nosing” (the “nosing” refers to the overhang on the front of steps; “without nosing” means that the stair nosing does not extend over the riser) is simplest to build because the casing is easier to assemble. However, this type of construction is applicable for a maximum of four or five steps only, including the landing. It stands to reason that the more steps included in a solid concrete staircase, the higher the staircase and the greater the quantity of concrete required.

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1. Calculating the Number of Steps and their Height
2. Calculating the Width and Depth of the Staircase
3. Drawing up a Plan
4. Preparing the Site
5. Building the Casing
6. Solidifying and Installing the Casing
7. Pouring the Cement
8. Removing the Casing
In cases where more than five steps are required, the base of the staircase would not be made of solid concrete. Instead, a “bed” (graded plywood sheet placed under the stairs) used to support the poured concrete would be installed along with reinforcement mesh to ensure overall stability. For this type of staircase, it is recommended that you use the services of a professional.

Finally, a handrail is required for staircases with more than two steps (not including the landing).

1. Calculating the Number of Steps and their Height

1.1 

Remove a square patch of sod beneath the doorway where the staircase is to be located, then use the tape measure to measure the height between the newly uncovered soil and the bottom of the door sill. Subtract 2.5 cm (1 in.) from this measurement to ensure that the staircase landing remains below the doorsill.

If, for example, the height between the ground and the bottom of the sill is 75 cm (29.5 in.), the height calculation would be as follows: 75 – 2.5 = 72.5 cm (29.5 - 1 = 28.5 in.).

1.2 

The ideal height of steps for an exterior staircase should be between 15 and 18.5 cm (or 6 and 7.28 in.). For the purposes of calculating the number of steps in our example, we will use 17 cm (6.7 in.).

Divide the height determined in step 1.1 by 17 cm (or 6.7 in.). Using the same example as before, this would give you: 72.5 ÷ 17 (or 28.5 ÷ 6.7) = 4.25 steps. Needless to say, building 4.25 steps would not be feasible; step height may be adjusted during the next step.

1.3 

Divide the height of the staircase, determined in step 1.1, by the number of steps calculated in step 1.2 (round the number off to the nearest whole number); this will provide you with the exact height of the steps. Using our previous example, your calculations would be based on a total of four steps but we will provide calculations for the five step scenario as well so that you may see the difference.

Therefore: 72.5 cm ÷ 4 steps = 18.12 cm (28.5 ÷ 4 = 7.13 in.) while 72.5 cm ÷ 5 steps = 14.5 cm (28.5 ÷ 5 = 5.7 in.). As you can see, a five-step staircase would have a step height below the minimal standard of 15 cm (6 in.), thus validating the four-step configuration.

Using the numbers from our example once again, step height would therefore be 18.12 cm (7.13 in.) and the staircase would include four steps. Don’t forget that the landing takes the place of the fourth step (3 steps + 1 landing).

2. Calculating the Width and Depth of the Staircase

2.1 

For security and convenience purposes, the landing must be at least 40 cm (16 in.) wider than the width of the door (8 in. on either side). If the door is 91 cm (36 in.) wide, the landing must be at least 131 cm (52 in.) wide. On this type of staircase, the width of the steps and the landing is typically the same (step width is called “tread length”).

2.2 

Staircase depth is the sum of the depth of each step (also called “tread”) added to the depth of the landing. The tread should be between 25 and 30 cm (or 9.8 and 11.8 in.).

You can play with the depth based on the space at your disposal but 28 cm (11 in.) is considered the optimal tread.

Landing depth is up to you but must be at least 30 cm (12 in.) deeper than the width of the door when open. Add 5 cm (2 in.) to this minimum measurement in order to compensate for the thickness of the wood used to form the riser. If you do not add 2 in., the landing will only be 10 in. deeper than the width of the door, and not 12 in.

Based on the above example, the depth of the base (steps + landing) would be at least: 3 steps x 28 cm tread + 91 cm (width of door) + 30 cm + 5 cm = 210 cm (82.5 in.)

The width and depth of the base would therefore be: 131 cm (52 in.) x 210 cm (82.5 in.)
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