DEAR TIM: I have to build a simple set of steps but I’m totally lost. I don’t understand how to calculate what the distance should be for the risers and the treads. Everything about building steps ...

Expert DIYer April Wilkerson builds stairs the easy DIY way with simple, step-by-step instructions for safe results.

Q. I have to build a simple set of steps but I'm totally lost. I don't understand how to calculate what the distance should be for the risers and the treads. Everything about building steps seems ...

To lay out a set of stair stringers from scratch requires a little math, but not much. Equally important is some quiet time to run the numbers and at the same time to think about the construction ...

Amateur carpenters who have laid out the cuts in a stair stringer (the zig-zag structural support for the steps) know the queasy feeling that bubbles up at the prospect of this job. There’s the simple ...