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Hot take: Stop using 2x4s for deck stair stringers | Carpenters - The Community Guide

Hot take: Stop using 2x4s for deck stair stringers

I keep seeing guys in my area cutting stair stringers out of standard 2x4s for decks, and it drives me nuts. A 2x4 has almost no structural strength when you notch it for steps, and I had a set crack on me in Portland last summer after just 2 years. Use at least 2x6 or better 2x8 pressure treated lumber for stringers. Has anyone else noticed this becoming a trend or am I just seeing bad work in my corner of the PNW?

2 comments

2 Comments

grant9014mo ago

You must be looking at some pretty bad work, because I've been building decks for around 15 years and have never had a 2x4 stringer crack on me. People have been using them forever for low decks that don't have heavy traffic, and they hold up fine if you use good, dry lumber and don't cut huge notches. Half the time a crack is from using a wet board that shrinks and twists, not from the 2x4 itself being weak. Plus, a 2x4 is way lighter to handle than a 2x8, so for a small deck with three steps it just makes sense to save the hassle and the money. Maybe the problem in Portland is the constant rain getting into the end grain, not the size of the wood.

the_barbara4mo ago

Honestly I think we're all missing the real issue here, which is how many people forget to put gravel under the stringers. I've seen perfectly good 2x4 setups rot out in two years just because the bottom sits in mud and moisture wicks up into the wood. You can use the best kiln dried lumber in the world and it won't matter if it's touching wet ground half the year. A couple inches of crushed stone and some pressure treated blocking underneath would solve way more problems than arguing about a 2x4 versus a 2x8. It's like everyone focuses on the wood size but ignores the foundation work that actually keeps things stable.