How to Build Porch Steps - Composite Decking

Hello and welcome back. In this video, we are going to be rebuilding patio steps. You can see the existing steps are getting worn and weathered and you can see as I am ripping up the boards it has been trapping moisture in here and the wood is starting to rot. The materials we will use this time is Pressure Treated Lumber and Composite Decking. When cutting the pressure treated lumber be sure to wear a face mask because the chemicals they force in here are not something you want to breathe in. You don't want to get that in your system, it's not good for you. Another big thank you to Lowe's for partnering with me in this video and providing these tools. This is basically all the tools you will need for this project. This is a BOSCH circular-saw, drill, and impact-driver. The difference between an impact driver and a drill is the drill uses drill-bits and an impact-driver is for fasteners. It has a hammering action. You can hear it when we are using it and it is driving in the deck screws or lag bolts. This bit is for the deck screws and if I want to use a socket, the beauty about this design is that sockets snap right on with no adapter. A really handy tool, you will use it a lot. It's really convenient to have one of these and not use a drill for the fasteners. You might see me using this square and that is to help get right-angle cuts. So it will look nice and professional when you are done. The big thing to consider is the height of each step. Measuring up from the cement I have exactly 21 inches (53.34cm) That is really easy, I just divide that up and I need to build two 7-inch (17.78cm) steps and that will take me right into the house. 7" 14" 21" and it gets me in and there is no variation in the height. That is a big difference if you're going from a 6" step and then you throw in a 7" step. People are going to trip. Lookup your local building codes and it will give you the height of the stairs the tread depth and things like that. To cut at a perfect right angle I'm holding the framing square firmly against the edge of the board and then running the circular-saw right against it. Now I am putting it all together with some specialty deck screws and the impact-driver. You will notice I have big flat surfaces at the edges of the steps and that is because I am going to turn the last board 90º and go right back against the house. That looks much more visually appealing when you cover up the endgrain of the board. It is more work but it will look 10X better. Now I will drill a hole through this part because we have an enclosed chamber and I want to make sure we have air-flow. I also want to make sure rodents don't make a home in here so I will staple on a metal mesh screen to keep them out. To give the bottom step the right height and keep it away from moisture, I'm adding a bit of scrap composite material to the bottom. It will help with air-flow as well. On the back of this first step, I have attached a 2X4 and that is for this 2X10 to rest on and give that the proper height. Just build two frames, the upper and lower, put one on the other and that will give you the whole structure. Attach the two together with deck screws. Now I'll attach it to the house using some specialty lag screws. To keep airflow between the deck and the house I am adding some small shims. It gives it an air gap and allows it to dry out. I have a separate video on how to use this tool. It is going to force a nail into the concrete. If you are just building one step maybe you just want to use a bit of construction adhesive in the corners and will not shift around when it dries. A third option would be to bolt it down using a hammer-drill to install an anchor. Next, I'm attaching an adhesive membrane. Especially because I have such a wide flat surface right here. It is going to help the water that once it passes through the treads, it going to hit the membrane and roll off to the ground. Next, I'll attach the facia. It's a good idea to attach it with just a few screws in the beginning to secure it and that way if by the off chance you need to remove it, you will only need to take out a few screws. Put in enough screws to keep it in position and then at the end you drive in all the rest of the screws. Using the speed-square you can use this 45º angle to cut the corners. Most of the deck material you buy now has a slot cut into the sides and that is for hidden anchors to eliminate screw holes on top and if I was building a large deck I would definitely use those but with this project I'm going to use a plug or maybe filler material later and fill in the holes. When installing the boards I'm putting a gap in between them and I want it to be uniform. Rather than measure each gap, I'm using a scrap of material I can insert as a guide in between the boards. I'm only using enough screws to keep it in place and then at the end I will put in the rest of the screws. That is it! Some beautiful patio steps without too much work and a minimum amount of tools. You can definitely do something like this yourself. If you have questions for me or want more information on anything you saw me do, leave your comments and I will do my best to answer. Again, a big thank you to Lowe's for supporting me and if you want to check out any of the products I used, go ahead and see the links in the description and it will take you right there. I will see you next time and have an awesome day!

Channel: AdamDIY

Views: 584,989

Rating: 4.8715568 out of 5

Keywords: Home repair, DIY, AdamDIY, how-to, composite decking, how to build patio steps, patio steps, Lowe's, Bosch, ChoiceDek, synthetic decking, porch steps, Impact driver, porch stairs

Id: S7Omqkos9ag

Length: 7min 50sec (470 seconds)

Published: Wed Jan 23 2019