Amateur carpenters who have laid out the cuts in a stair stringer (the zig-zag structural support for the steps) know the queasy feeling that bubbles up at the prospect of this job. There’s the simple ...

Q: I have to build a simple set of steps, but I’m totally lost. I don’t understand how to calculate what the distance should be for the risers and the treads. Help me understand the thought process of ...

Well-designed steps create a great first impression, and when properly built, they will last for years. Popular Mechanics Senior Designer Michael Stillwell and his father Tony Stillwell recently ...

Picture a stair slope in your mind to estimate about a 40-degree slope and guess at a landing point. Rest any straight piece of deck lumber on the deck and level it over to the landing point. Measure ...

DEAR TIM: I need to build some simple outdoor steps to replace ones that fell apart and rotted (even though they were made with treated lumber). I’m fairly handy and have a decent grasp of the math ...

This is key for how to build stair railing. In this article we'll walk you through this and other best practices for how to ...

Stairs are simple in function, yet incredibly useful throughout your journey in Minecraft’s blocky world. They can be used to reach heights that are outside the bounds of your jump or, equally ...