"Wayne Whitney" wrote in message
...
Hello,

I need to build a rough half-staircase to exit from my basement to
grade. It will be in a corner of the basement, so one side will be up
against a concrete retaining wall. I understand how to build the
stringers and that anything with a face in contact with the concrete
should be rot resistant. But I'm wondering how to make the various
attachments:

Side wall stringer: directly to the concrete retaining wall? 3 3/4"
tapcons OK? How many?

At the top of the stringers: a ledger board on the concrete wall?
Joist hangers to attach each stringer to the ledge board?

Bottom of the stringers: directly to the concrete slab, or to a
furring strip on the floor? If directly, does this mean each stringer
needs to be rot resistant? How does one fasten the stringer here, in
either case? Toenailing into the furring strip?

Thanks,
Wayne

P.S. I imagine wanting to finish the stairway in the future if I every
finish the basement. Anything I need to plan now?

I'd build the thing pretty much as a stand-alone self-supporting unit (think
mobile home steps), and maybe anchor to the wall with a couple of lag bolts
set in anchors. Hell, even a stack of appropriately sized 2x8 and 1/2"
plywood boxes, construction adhesived and toenailed together, would work.
Yes, any wood touching slab needs to be rot-resistant, and if these steps
face an outside weather door, you probably want the whole thing to be
treated wood. Deck department at big box may have a precut stair kit, if
your door is at a common deck height above interior slab. At the price of
good wood these days, especially if this thing is 'temporary', I'd also
check with the local mobile home and fire escape dealers and precast
concrete stores, and see if they have a scratch'n'dent or used prebuilt item
that would fit your needs, assuming you have a way to get it into the
basement. Don't forget that if there is a door at the top, especially one
that opens in, you want a landing. Inspectors frown on doors that open into
space, these days- dunno why.

aem sends...