Here are the measurements:


My Riser will be near 12" in height once I install the two layers of 3/4" OSB and carpet/pad.

Width wil be 144" (including a 2" lip on the right side of the riser)

Depth will be 70" (include two 2" lips on the front and back of riser)

The 4 seats in the back will measure 134" in length (I may do a center love seat configuration down the road maybe possible and would decrease the length by a few inches).

I am designing a very simple 12"x12" square step (10" Depth x 10" Width and add matching 2" lip to front and right side of step makes it a 12" x 12" step)


please note that the step shown in pictures is just some loose pieces of wood that I am using to give you an idea.

I honestly do not have the time or even room space to make a nice fancy step, so I am going for a simple 12" x 12" square design (includes 2" lip). My riser is almost too big at 144" width and 70" depth, Especially since my room is 171" wide, so there is barely about 27" of walking room between the riser and adjacent wall. But I am still at the early stages of the riser where I can still cut and make the step wider or deeper, even though I would rather not even bother. So here are the pictures, please let me know what you think and honestly tell me if it would be even worth the trouble to go out and buy another $15 piece of treated 2"x10", cut it, make the big square holes for the 3 step lights and rewire the lights again. Last, The 3 front Coaster Showtime seats sit right against the front of the riser, so more than likely The only way to access the step will be from the right side. Plus the back row of 4 Coaster Showtime seats will take almost the entire riser's width, so is there even a logical need to increase the width or depth of the riser?

P.S: I have already passed my final inspection prior to doing the riser and stage. So don't regard this matter from a "passing inspection point of view."

http://i234.photobucket.com/albums/ee88/damnsam77/Home%20Theater%20Construction%202008/DSC05744.jpg

http://i234.photobucket.com/albums/ee88/damnsam77/Home%20Theater%20Construction%202008/DSC05745.jpg

http://i234.photobucket.com/albums/ee88/damnsam77/Home%20Theater%20Construction%202008/DSC05748.jpg

http://i234.photobucket.com/albums/ee88/damnsam77/Home%20Theater%20Construction%202008/DSC05740.jpg

code wise, steps must be either 30 or 36 inches (I forget which). So if this part is being permitted, you will need it to be wider.

code wise, steps must be either 30 or 36 inches (I forget which). So if this part is being permitted, you will need it to be wider.

Thanks Michael, at this point I am more concerned about aesthetics and ergonomics than inspection as I have already passed my final inspection, I chose to do the final inspection before building the riser and stage for that reason, because I think it's silly ti dictate what a platform should look like in your own home, especially since its a patio. Even the inspector said, just do it after I am done with the inspection and dont bother about it.

So I really dont care from an inspection's point of view. Plus if i make the width at 30" (almost 3 times as long as it is right now) then I have the option of making the 30" wide part on either the side of the riser or the front of the riser. It would look silly and pointless to make the step this wide on the front of the riser since the front row will block it, so this forces me to make the 30" wide step on the right side of the riser which is only about 70" deep, so making a step take half of the depth of the riser is almost out of the question for me. I was leaning towards adding another 5 inches to the depth, not 20 inches. My mistake was my decision to put 4 seats on the back row riser which forces me to make he riser nearly 12 foot wide.

-Sam

I don't think I'd feel comfortable with that small of a step, even with a riser light shining right on it. I just think it's too much of a tripping or ankle-twisting possibility (though I admit without seeing where the furniture is all going, it's hard to say that definitively).

I wouldn't necessarily go to a full code-compliant step, but I do think that putting the width of the step such that no one could reasonably step/trip onto the "side" of the step is a good idea.

Picture some worst cases: elderly parent walking off the stage and having to place their foot so precisely as to hit near the dead center of a small step, or a first-time guest leaving the riser quickly in the event of a room fire, or exiting the riser during a power failure in a dark theater. Code is often way over-conservative (and I think requiring 36" in a temporary residential furnishing fits that bill), but often is based in the experiences gained from prior accidents. IMO, no need to slavishly meet code for a temporary room furnishing, but you do want your family and guests to be safe.

That's pretty small, especially considering the normal low-lighting that is typical in a theater. I made two 18w x 12d x 6h steps, and even those seem pretty small. What other options do you have?

Also the step should divide the height change in equal increments. I looks to low in the picture.

Nothing says it has to be square. Give yourself a little more room to that corner that sticks into the room. Maybe make it an inch or so deeper than drawn.

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b393/bigmouthindc/DSC01729.jpg

I'd use CODE as a reference here. It's based on what is safe. More importantly in this case, it is what people are used to.

Code requires the following for stairs:

Min stairway width - 36" above handrail
Max riser height of 7 3/4"
Min tread depth of 10"
Nosing of 3/4" min and 1 1/4" max on stairs with solid risers
(nosing not required if tread depth is >=11")

Now, I know that a stair or two on a riser is not a stairway. Again, I bring these forward not because they are required (or not), but rather because these are typical of the stairs that people encounter every day. They are used to these and instinctly know the boundaries.

Good drawing Biggy. I'm going to have to get you to draw up my stage when I get that far. Of course, I'll send along the self addressed stamped envelope so you can return the original with an autograph. Your drawings are downright famous in these parts.

;-)


CJ

My 12" riser was in when I had my inspection and the inspector said I didn't even need a step if I didn't want one. I forgot what his reason was, but he didn't interpret it as a stairway, I guess. Nonetheless, I do have a 6" step on each side. Just walk it and see how it feels to you.

I like the mark-up above with the corner step. Gives you a wider step without intruding into the chair space.

I always get a kick out of Big's illustrations. :)

I think I would try to design the step from the "step down" approach.

I don't think you need a 36" step for a riser, but I certainly would go at least 18" in length. Anything smaller will feel odd. I agree with Bigmouth's suggestion to put the sep on a 45. You'll get more length that way. The other idea would be to notch the step around the two sides.

Thanks for all the input guys, if I didn't see anything wrong with it I wouldn't have asked, so this reconfirms my doubts. I know for sure that I will not do a 30" or 36" wide step since imo that is excessive, plus I dont have the space needed for it since the chairs will take the entire back area of the riser. Also I cannot add another step in the back, since that will eat up my already limited space and width constraints on the riser (134" row of seats on a 144" riser in a 171" wide room).


However, I like Big's idea and the measurements Scott and Jason provided (18" W x 12" D x 6" H) , so I will probably use a combination of both.

BTW, BIG, I will have a 6" step for the riser, like I had said in my original post, I just stacked a couple of loose pieces of wood temporarily to take the picture.

Big, I am assuming I would need to do a 45" miter cut for the corner piece? I am not very good with angled cuts, I always mess up the measurements.

Anyways, this means I gotta hit HD again for another 10 or 12 foot of treated 8x2 and got to recut and rewire the lights again. The fun never stops...

Thanks guys

-Sam

Also the step should divide the height change in equal increments. I looks to low in the picture.

Nothing says it has to be square. Give yourself a little more room to that corner that sticks into the room. Maybe make it an inch or so deeper than drawn.

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b393/bigmouthindc/DSC01729.jpg

That's pretty small, especially considering the normal low-lighting that is typical in a theater. I made two 18w x 12d x 6h steps, and even those seem pretty small. What other options do you have?

I don't think you need a 36" step for a riser, but I certainly would go at least 18" in length. Anything smaller will feel odd. I agree with Bigmouth's suggestion to put the sep on a 45. You'll get more length that way. The other idea would be to notch the step around the two sides.

This is more along the lines of what I was trying to get at:

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3252/2986078703_8438e1b1ba_o.jpg

Jason, so you want the step to extend out for the overall depth and width of the riser? That may not work for me as I will have the front row pretty close (within 6") in front of the riser, Plus I wanted the step to be more streamlined with the riser and appear as a part of the whole riser rectangle and not extend out.

Howver, I think I am going to extend the step about 5" or so on the front part and the right side, and I will then miter cut one long piece to close the angle and connect the front side to the right side (see Big's drawing). However, I am not sure about the round step, I would rather make a bigger square step to finish off the rectangle in the corner.

What sucks is that I actually wanted to go with a similar design like Big's but I sort of slacked off and decided to do something very simple and easy. Now this is going to cost me another $15 in material and probably 2-3 hours of extra work to cut and rewire the lights. I got a little over 2 weeks to do a month's worth of work! :eek:

Only $15?? You're practically making money in that situation :) A $15 expense in the HT world is like a credit of $50 in the real world :)

Yea, I was just suggesting that because it would give you the width you need without requiring the fool depth across the step. This would allow someone to plant their foot on a wider step and then transition up to the riser.

Personally, if you afford to cut into the riser, I would embed the step like you've already done. Assuming your riser is deep enough, it shouldn't affect rear row seating.

I originally was planning on going with a corner step on my riser, but it ended up not making sense based on where my HT entry was.

Just my 2 cents.

I see what you mean with the wider step..hmmm, sounds like a good idea and would save me some extra work. I gotta finish the riser, stage and window plugs by today and tomorrow (Friday) because I have start with the fabric track, furring strips, insulation, and fabric from Saturday through the following weekend. That's the only thing I would have left before doing the carpet. Someone is going to help me with the doors and baseboard trim, so that part shouldnt take too long. I just have to finish the riser and stage and move on to the walls no later than Friday so I dont want to spend a half a day reengineering my riser when 99% of the time no one is gonna be even on it. It's just the wife and myself, and 99% of that time it will just be me playing video games, lol.

Ok, I did some number crunching....

I will extend the step cut on each side (front side and right side) to 15" from the current 10" cuts. This will result in approximately a 21" wide piece to complete the 90 degree triangle (15" front, 15" right, 21" slanted back). That will generate a step that's as deep as 13" (with 2" lip) on the deepest end of the triangle step. I think making it round will generate extra work without a lot of benefits. I think the main key here is having an angled/slanted cut like Big had suggested. I was gonna go that route at first but like I said I slacked off and went with the easiest and simplest design possible.

Sounds like it should be fine, provided it is well lit. I think you've got it covered.

I know what you mean about the 99% of the time comment. I tried to design my room to be as nice as possible for 6 people, even though most of the time will just be me and my wife. The other times will be the kids, but they aren't going to complain (at least about seating). Other than that, we've got 2 extra seats for guests, and some other chairs I can pull out of the closet should we have a bigger event.

Off topic, but what kind of video games are we talking? I have the PS3 and 360 right now. Just need to eventually add the Wii to complete the trifecta! :)

I have all 3 consoles (360, PS3, Wii) I havent played on either one in almost 4 months since the start of the project in June. I think I will probably spent about 50% of the time watching movies, while the other 50% will be on gaming. :D


Sounds like it should be fine, provided it is well lit. I think you've got it covered.

I know what you mean about the 99% of the time comment. I tried to design my room to be as nice as possible for 6 people, even though most of the time will just be me and my wife. The other times will be the kids, but they aren't going to complain (at least about seating). Other than that, we've got 2 extra seats for guests, and some other chairs I can pull out of the closet should we have a bigger event.

Off topic, but what kind of video games are we talking? I have the PS3 and 360 right now. Just need to eventually add the Wii to complete the trifecta! :)

What is the best way to miter cut the edges of the slanted piece in Big's diagram? I am assuming running the two edges through a table saw ar 45 degree angle?

You can make it whatever you want, but it looks close to a 45 to me.

no 45s will give you a 90 angle. You want 22.5 degrees on the saw.

no 45s will give you a 90 angle. You want 22.5 degrees on the saw.

I was assuming you would be mitering the wood you attach as well to meet flush with the 2 45s you cut.

yes, that would work too. So many different ways math can screw you over...

In my diagram I used a butt-joint with 45 cuts, you could miter it and do the 22.3.

I think the butt-joint can be a little easier to screw together.

I was just going to miter-cut the two edges of the long 21" slanted piece at 45 degrees. But I will make a straight cut on the studs of the actual riser (front and side treated 10x2's) . So it will be a 45 degree cut on the slanted stud butting against a straight 90 degree cut or the riser studs. does that make sense? and I assume a table saw be the right tool for that...