Outdoor Stairs that will last -30 degrees

[Pranav Bhatia]

Hello folks,

We recently bought our first duplex and we are obviously house hacking.

A small problem though, we have an outdoor staircase which is very unstable and ready to break off anytime someone is on it.

Question: how to fix this problem ? What kind of material should we use to build the staircase? Should we build it from scratch or try to find a ready made one?

Note: we’re in the Montréal, Quebec area and it’s -35 degrees in winters with lot’s of snow, so the material need to be bought accordingly.

[Raymond L Tennal Jr]

@Pranav Bhatia My first question is what are the original stair built from and how long have they lasted.  Lets suppose that they are built from wood, hopefully pressure treated.  Lets further supposed that the replacement cost is $1,000 with like and kind.  Now lets compare this to @Genny Li system with an install cost of, say $4,000.  The next questions then is, are you willing to pay 4 time as much to get something that will last 50-75 years instead of 10-20 years with a cheaper system.  

In Washington State and often in BC these stairs are built with PT4x12 stringers and concrete treads.  I have seen a service life out of these that is roughly 20 years.  Some of the failure mechanisms are rusted connection hardware, crack treads, spalling from freeze-thaw cycle, and decay from moisture.  

Those Stairs that Genny Li has in the photograph likely would last at least 50 years.  Even longer if a maintenance plan is in-place to inspect them yearly and remove rust and refinish.  I did an inspection of a stair system constructed with metal and concrete that was only 25 years old.  The salt environment of the cost led to rust and now these need to be replaced.  

I would consult a few local contractor.  Get some estimates and have conversation with them to see what they recommend.  They can be a great resource.

Lastly, I would look around the neighborhood and see what others are doing.  Between what the contractors say, what you see around the neighborhood and research I am sure you can find a cost effective method to replace the stairs.  I would not consider repairs if there is significate decay of the existing materials.  You would just come back later to fix the little failure, thereby, nickel and dime you.  Lets hold on to those Loonieys and Tooneys.