Why A Concrete Landing For Deck Stairs?

If you are planning a set of deck stairs, you might want to consider installing a concrete landing at the base of the stairs. A concrete landing is simply a concrete slab that can act as your first step on the stairs and also provides a flat and stable base for people that use the stairs. However, before you install a landing at the base of deck stairs, there are some things you should understand about good concrete landing design and how a concrete landing can help strengthen and enhance your deck stairs.

Concrete Landings Make for Stronger Deck Stairs

A concrete landing for your deck stairs will always result in a stronger stairwell. By installing a concrete landing, you not only provide a very strong base for the bottom of the stairs, but you also help to reduce the load requirement for a posts pr beams that are attached to stringers on the stairs. These columns or posts are often inserted into a concrete footing underneath the ground.

Increasing the support along the base of the stairwell reduces the load requirement for each post and also helps reduce stress on concrete footings that support to support the deck stairs. Installing a concrete landing may also help you avoid using over-sized beams to support your stairwell because the load-bearing requirements for each post are considerably reduced. This will allow you to create better-looking stairwells while making sure they are able to safely support the weight of people using the stairs.

Size Considerations

If you're considering a concrete landing for your deck stairs, you might want to carefully consider the size of the slab you will be pouring for the landing. Generally speaking, the slab should be about the same width as the treads on the stairwell. However, if you want to create a more convenient and stable first step for your stairs, you might want to consider extending the concrete landing about 4 to 6 inches on either side of the stair handrails.

In addition to making a concrete landing a little wider than the stairwell, you might want to make the slab a little deeper as well. This will allow you to store items up off the ground underneath the stairwell. Also, it will help to further reduce the load-bearing requirements for each post or beam that will be used to support the stringers on your deck stairs. Simply put, the deeper you make your concrete landing, the stronger your new tech stairwell will be.

Planning for the Deck When Pouring the Slab

If you'll be adding a concrete landing to your deck stairs, you should pour the slab before you ever begin the construction of the stairs. When pouring the slab, you should take into account where the base of the staircase will be located and pre-install anchor fittings that can be attached to the bottom of the stringer with a steel bracket and anchor bolts. This is the safest and most secure way to secure your deck stairs to a concrete landing.