Skip to main content

Day 3 - The First Step

The First Step

Once the cut portions of our wood was finally dry, we were able to begin actually building the steps.  Because we had some heavy rain prior to our being able to put the steps in, we covered the exposed soil with hay from a local feed store so the soil would not get washed away.  Once I got it raked away, hubby roughly leveled the location for the first (bottom) step.

Prepping for the bottom step
When the area was relatively flat, we placed two of the three timbers from our soon-to-be u-shaped bottom step.  We drilled a screw into the two timbers to keep them together, placed them again, and used play sand and a leveler to get it roughly level. We then took it up and added the third timber to complete the u-shaped step, and then with the play sand and leveler, we got the u-shaped bottom step laying perfect.

Getting the screw started


Drilling in the screw


Use play sand and a leveler to get it level
To discourage weeds from growing through our steps, we used a roll of landscape fabric to line the floor of each step.  We thought it important to lift the step to get it under the timbers too.

Use landscape fabric to discourage weeds

Here is the bottom step all finished for this phase!


Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Day 6 - Top Connections

Top Connections We knew the top would be tricky because the steps would need to connect to an existing concrete walkway that is sloped down.  Although step design should attempt to keep the rise and tread the same for all steps, or at least in a pattern so as not to surprise the walker, we split the top step into two with shorter treads.  This allowed the very top step to act as a leveling "off ramp" from the walkway.  Splitting the last step into two steps also allowed  us to make a sharper curve in the staircase. Connecting to a concrete walkway that is sloped Splitting last step into two shorter steps increases curve We were very happy that the original calculations worked.  Things apparently don't have to be exact for these small steps.  If you are off, you can add a step or split one into two.  My calculations indicated we would need 4 steps that were 4'X4".  It ended up with 3 steps that are 4"X 4" and two steps that are roughl...

Introduction to Building Steps Up a Slope - Assess, Plan and Calculate

After researching how to build steps up a slope or hill, I was unsatisfied with the lack of detail on instructions or the presentation of information in a step-by-step format with related pictures or videos.  This is my attempt to provide that as we build our own steps to solve a drainage issue. I hope you will learn something from my posts, or at least laugh at my mistakes so that your project will go perfectly smooth. Day 1:  The first related project that we tackled was a terraced drainage wall in the front yard.  We put sod above and a rock garden below, and it seems to be working well so far in holding some of the water coming from the rest of the neighborhood to straight under our rental townhouse. The one bad thing about rock gardens in this area is that leaves will get in there and diminish the effect.  Oh, well.  It would have been too soggy for grass. Picture of 1st terrace in front yard complete: On to step 2 - the side yard where a lot of t...