Wood stress in riser boards tech question

**STEVEMORSE69** · 15th March 2021, 08:43 PM

Hi all. I’m a carpenter and have built tons of external stairs With green hardwood but only one set with riser boards. All merbau 42 mm bullnose treads 19 mm risers At the base of the riser board I screwed horizontally into the back of the tread below it I did not attach the top of the riser to the tread above it. I simply let it float inside the rebate I cut in the base of the tread above it. If I securely screwed the upper connection I fear that expansion and contraction in the weather may cause the riser board to split. That was years ago. I have no nasty phone calls so I assume all is well with that project. Later this week I have another job of reinforcing an internal merbau staircase that was done very poorly By I don’t know who. They are sloppy and coming apart in lots of places ( units , builders always pay tradesmen on units extremely poorly ) .....I will be glueing and screwing the bases of the riser boards to the back of the treads but allowing the upper junction to float. That is what I told the home owner I would do. But Now I’m having a rethink. Internally , with no moisture , and merbau being very stable, I now think I should be reinforcing the upper junction as well. With a 800 mm long glued piece of 31x31 shot with my bradder up into the tread, and shot horizontally into the back of the riser ...your thoughts please ?

**verawood** · 16th March 2021, 08:37 AM

Welcome to the forum

**old1955** · 16th March 2021, 03:42 PM

Welcome to the forum.

**aldav** · 16th March 2021, 05:53 PM

I think you're on the right track. Helps keep any unwanted critters out too.

**rustynail** · 16th March 2021, 06:19 PM

Normal practice is to glue and back block risers to the grooved tread. If left unglued creaking may become a problem, particularly if the treads and risers are not wedged.

**STEVEMORSE69** · 16th March 2021, 08:52 PM

Thanks men. Sounds like I’m on a winner ....I really love turning a job done by someone else into something right , customers love you for it and don’t mind paying for great results

**woodPixel** · 16th March 2021, 11:45 PM

Id be interested to see how this goes.

My experience with stairs is that the riser is glued to the back of the stair, but not the top of the riser (underside of the stair above). This is for a few reasons, but 1) horizontal movement of the stair 2) glue coming out the front and dribbling down 3) repairs and tucking in carpet/etc 4) squeaking!

Wonder what the "rules" say about this. I'm curious as putting blocks on the sides and back of the riser (glued/pinned) would be smarter way to distribute stress.

Put up pictures of your job!

edit : man, it absolutely boils my p1ss that these specs aren't free. AS1657 used to be available, but getting the PDF of 2018 is hard. Stupid, utterly stupid, that a frickin government generated thing like this costs money.

**STEVEMORSE69** · 17th March 2021, 09:54 AM

I hear u wood pixel .... accessing aust standards and building code for free would be so helpful. If we are trying to access the law it shows we want to do it right ....it’s hardEr when they want to make us pay for info. Product suppliers often make available installation recommendations/ instructions. Be nice if our govt did the same

**Beardy** · 17th March 2021, 04:17 PM

The reason the gubberment doesn’t make it available free is because the gubberment doesn’t own the standards
Standards Australia is a company that is now listed on the stock exchange. Standards Australia - Wikipedia I agree though that it should be readily available, it is a nightmare to work through all the compliance issues when you have the Building Code of Australia, Australian Standards and Fair Trading in the mix as a reference

**Mobyturns** · 17th March 2021, 05:25 PM

Originally Posted by STEVEMORSE69

Thanks men. Sounds like I’m on a winner ....I really love turning a job done by someone else into something right , customers love you for it and don’t mind paying for great results

Yes, been there a few times, however it is difficult to fix a really shoddy original job. I turned a multi piece newel to retrofit to an internal stair that used the steel balusters with the open spiral mid feature. The original maker used 4 such balusters as the "newel" but not braced in any manner. The home owners kids made short work of that weakness by swing a "Uie" from the ascending / rising volute going up or down the stairs.

**woodPixel** · 17th March 2021, 09:55 PM

Originally Posted by Beardy

The reason the gubberment doesn’t make it available free is because the gubberment doesn’t own the standards
Standards Australia is a company that is now listed on the stock exchange. Standards Australia - Wikipedia I agree though that it should be readily available, it is a nightmare to work through all the compliance issues when you have the Building Code of Australia, Australian Standards and Fair Trading in the mix as a reference

Makes for a very cosy protected-industry, doesn't it.

Poor Home owner can't ensure job complies, so must hire YET another professional/inspector AFTER the chippy/professional does the job... which is AFTER the designer/architect/council/mafia clip the ticket on the way through.

Palms are greased at all levels...

Its corruption via bureaucracy.

The poor bloody chippy, the sod doing the actual WORK only gets the blame!.....

**STEVEMORSE69** · 19th March 2021, 08:28 PM

I did the job today. It went really well .....home owner was over the moon with the result. Got rid of all the gaps movement and squeaks. ......I think when original staircase installers know their product is goin to be carpeted it only gets done to a very basic level .....I really like working for nice people. They are the best

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