Mono stringer stairs using the woods around me

My first ever project for the homestead harvesting the major materials from the woods around me. I used about $60 worth of very beefy and long GRK screws to hold it all together, much needed for the design and highly resistant to corrosion from weather and green wood. Ace Ventura earthquake tested very solid! Main tools used: chainsaw to fell, buck and freehand mill the steps and stringer; hatchet to chip and strip bark; impact screw and drill drivers. We will see how many years they last. Many years from now, as I lay dying in my bed, I will look back on this day and think, "those where some pretty dang sloppy stairs," and I'm sure my skill will have grown immeasurably. But these are my first stairs... there are many like them, but they are mine, and they will always be special in my heart.

I made two mistakes. I forgot to check my plans and cut the first step too shallow after I went and cut the bottom off. So I simply cut off another 2 inches from the stringer on the bottom step, but that left the entire stringer a few inches shorter than I planned, so you'll see a cookie added to the very bottom. Second mistake, propped up the stringer log as I cut the wedges out for stairs and eyeballed the correct angle that I had the log propped up. I also measured 60 over and 40 up, but hard to do on uneven and leafy forest ground. Anyway, it wasn't propped up enough, slightly too shallow, so you will see as I cut the wedges out that the bottom step has the most stringer surface area to attach to, but as you go up there is progressively less (see how the top stair barely hangs on). My eyeballing was good enough as there was just enough to attach to, granted I used beefy GRK screws. Third, not a mistake per se, but the top stair had the opposite of an overhang, so I failed my rise/run of 7/10 inches there... Used the logs I had, can fix in the future for safety. Also, I planned 1 inch overhang, but again, just barely had the diameter available with what I had at the time. I'm happy. All wood came from the trees that had to be sacrificed to make room for the yurt. Waste nothing, appreciate everything.

As I went along I knew it wouldn't be perfect, so the mantra was Happy Little Mistakes. Every mistake brings opportunity for creative solutions, which brings character, style, and a memory for future stories. A measure of a life well lived.

Enjoy the pictures and inspiration!




P.S. - Plans say stair width 4', but I went with an even 3' because the top stair had so little stringer to attach to, otherwise I would have done 4' and used 4 screws in each step. Alas, the door width was matched and less hardware used. Still a good day.

That looks really cool!

Ethan, thanks for sharing.

Looks like a cabin waiting to happen!  I would love to see more progress!

Your “mistake” on the bottom step looks like some good planning.  That added piece of wood adds protection from rot to the stringer.  It will be easier to replace a small piece of wood than the entire stringer.

Looks great, my only question/suggestion would be: any moisture seal around where the treads sit on the stringer? Unprotected wood on wood joints in a seasonally moist environment will start rotting pretty fast. I'd consider just adding a bead of caulking around the perimeter of that cut out surface before plopping the steps on top, to minimize seepage.

John F Dean wrote:Your “mistake” on the bottom step looks like some good planning.  That added piece of wood adds protection from rot to the stringer.  It will be easier to replace a small piece of wood than the entire stringer.

In my ecosystem, I'd have been watching for a flat rock to take the place of the added piece of wood - wood rots quickly in my ecosystem!
Either way though, I agree with John that this may be a 'happy mistake' in the long run!

Beautiful and practical - thanks for sharing!
I can see why you needed the expensive screws - there is a fair overhang on those treads. I wonder if you could undercut the support log to create an overhang that the treads would slot into to reduce the fixing requirement?

Excellent idea to let the log clamp and stabilize the treads. It would take more careful and precise work. It might also give more chance for joints to hold moisture and foster rot. I would want this stair made from locust or other rot-resistant wood, or sheltered from direct rain.