Deck stairs look simple until you cut your first stringer wrong. I have done that, and one bad cut can waste a whole board. Building deck stairs is one of the most useful DIY projects you can take on.

For ambitious DIYers, deck stairs are a natural next project after building a stylish floating wood deck. Or perhaps your old stairs have worn out from years of exposure to the sun, moisture, and use.

I read your recent column about building stairs for a deck. I can handle that, but I’m worried about how to make all the complex cuts required for the deck stair railing. Can you give me a few ...

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 ...

DEAR TIM: I read your recent column about building stairs for a deck. I can handle that, but I’m worried about how to make all the complex cuts required for the deck stair railing. Can you give me a ...

Dear James: My old wood deck is deteriorating, and the stairs could be hazardous. What is the easiest way to install new ones for an inexperienced DIY-er?—Shantell K. Dear Shantell: You are correct to ...

Add Yahoo as a preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. three spaces designed with decking steps If your backyard is split level or terraced, you can use decking steps as a link to help ...

A recent Houzz survey reports that 1 in 5 homeowners who underwent home renovations in the last year made exterior upgrades to their property. Breaking it down further, 1 in 8 of those weekend ...

To lay out a set of stair stringers from scratch requires a little math, but not much. Equally important is some quiet time to run the numbers and at the same time to think about the construction ...

The key is a fastener that won’t loosen or “back out” of the wood. Is there anything more annoying than that squeaky spot on your stairs? You try and try to avoid it, to no avail. And especially true ...