Stairs are an essential part of any decking installation. Not only are they functional, creating a more versatile deck by allowing easy access to a yard, but they are also an important part of the design of the structure. Stairs face a lot of use and abuse, too, being exposed to the elements and supporting the weight of people walking up and down. If not properly supported, the stairs can shift or sink into the ground, requiring repair or replacement.
One way to keep them in place is to use 4x4 posts or concrete piers bearing on concrete footings to support the stringers. Another approach is to form and pour a concrete landing pad and attach the stringers to the pad. But in our area—Winnipeg, Manitoba—frost can reach 50 inches or more into the ground, which requires very deep footing holes and the labor to dig and pour them, and not all our clients like the look of a concrete landing. Instead, our company, Blue Chip Decks, has adopted a different approach for some of our deck stairs that incorporates Pylex adjustable screw piles.
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