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HOW TO FIND NUMBER OF RISERS AND TREADS NEEDED FOR YOUR LOCATION

  1. Determine proper riser height for person using the steps. Consultation with therapists and trying out various heights is advisable.
  2. At the site you have chosen measure the vertical drop from the top landing by the door to ground level.
  3. Divide the vertical drop by the riser height you need. Example; 4" riser is needed and there is 30" of vertical drop. 30" divided by 4" equals 7.5. UNEVEN RISER HEIGHTS ARE NOT ALLOWED so round 7.5 up to next whole number. You have to have 8 risers.
  4. Determine the adjusted riser height for each of the risers in your stairs by dividing vertical drop by number of risers. 30" vertical drop divided by 8 risers equals 3.75" for each riser. .
  5. Determine the length of run (how far the treads will extend out from the landing). Multiply the number of treads by 34" which is the length of the module tread. You will have one less tread than risers. 7 treads times 34" per tread equals 238" or l9' 10".
  6. Measure 19' l0" from the top landing to where the bottom module will end. Determine the vertical drop from the landing to this point. A string level can be used for this measurement. IF THIS VERTICAL DROP IS DIFFERENT THAN THE DROP AT LANDING, DUE TO UP OR DOWN VARIATION IN THE TERRAIN YOU HAVE TO RECOMPUTE THE RISERS NEEDED, USING THE AMOUNT OF DROP FOR THE END OF THE STAIRS. SEE # 3 ABOVE this drawing shows how the 3 1/2" to 5" height range is accomplished. If a 3 1/2" riser is desired, the upper module will touch the lower module, as shown on the right. Higher riser heights are achieved by attaching the lower module to the 4x4 post as much as 1 1/2" lower. This range creates the ability to build equal risers that are best suited to a person's needs.
[sketch of side view of two tread modules attachments]
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