Well-designed steps create a great first impression, and when properly built, they will last for years. Popular Mechanics Senior Designer Michael Stillwell and his father Tony Stillwell recently ...

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 ...

I read your recent column about building stairs for a deck. I can handle that, but I’m worried about how to make all the complex cuts required for the deck stair railing. Can you give me a few ...

DEAR TIM: I need to build some simple outdoor steps to replace ones that fell apart and rotted (even though they were made with treated lumber). I’m fairly handy and have a decent grasp of the math ...

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. Help me understand the thought process of ...

DEAR TIM: I read your recent column about building stairs for a deck. I can handle that, but I’m worried about how to make all the complex cuts required for the deck stair railing. Can you give me a ...