9 ESSENTIAL STAIRS TIPS

1- STAIR ALWAYS GO FROM BOTTOM TO TOP

When drawing a stair path, you start at the low point and end at the top of the stairs. If you did it backward, flip the stairs by clicking the Flip button or clicking the arrow.

2- HAVE A CLOSE LOOK AT OPTIONS BAR

When entering stair creation mode, have a look at the options bar. For example, you can change the Location Line to decide if you want to draw the stairs based on the side or on the center of the run. You can also change the Actual Run Width to go above the minimum you specified previously.

3- USE 3D VIEWS AND SECTIONS

Using 3D views with plan views and sections is a great way to build and understand stairs. Use Selection Box to isolate the stair in the 3D view if required. To create stairs from a 3D view, make sure the Workplane is set to a plan level, else you will receive a warning.



4- UNDERSTAND WHERE TO FIND ALL PARAMETERS

STAIR TYPE

Inside this menu, you can set the dimension rules of your stairs, like riser height, tread depth and run width.  

Inside Stair Type, you will get access to the Run Type, Landing Type and Support type.

To modify these types, either go to Stair Type, or use TAB to individually select a run, landing or support. Then click Edit Type.

RUN TYPE

Inside this type, you can modify Tread Thickness and set a Nosing Length to your treads. You can also set Riser Thickness and decide if you want them slanted. Also, use this panel to set materials for treads and risers.

LANDING TYPE

By default, this will be the same as Run Type. Uncheck the box Same as Run to customize landing material, thickness, nosing, etc.

SUPPORT TYPE

Use this menu to specify whether to use Carriage or Stringer style support. You can also set support Material, Width and Depth. See advanced tips for more information.



5- LANDINGS ARE AUTOMATIC BY DEFAULT

Revit will automatically add a landing to join the two stairs if you draw two runs next to one another. You can uncheck this feature when in the options bar while creating the stairs (see tip 2).

Landings at the top or the bottom of the stairs are never automatic, and they have to be created manually. Use the Landing Component and select Create Sketch button. Then draw the outline of the landing.

6-  ADJUST “DESIRED NUMBER OF RISERS” TO CHANGE STAIR SLOPE

By default, Desired Number of Risers will be equal to the lowest number of risers you need to not go beyond Maximum Riser Height. However, you can specify more risers to get a softer stair slope. Don’t ever put less risers than the calculated minimum, else you will receive a warning!

7- ADJUST “ACTUAL TREAD DEPTH” FOR A LONGER RUN

If you want a softer slope, you can put a larger value to Actual Tread Depth. Changing this value will make the run longer. But, again, don’t put a number below the Minimum Tread Depth, else, you will receive a warning. Warnings are annoying and mean that you are not following your own rules.



8- ADJUST “BEGIN WITH RISER” AND “END WITH RISER”

In the image below, RUN #1 has the default settings: it begins and ends with a riser. However, we changed the settings for RUN #2, which begins and ends with a tread instead of a riser. You can change this option by clicking on a run and checking/unchecking the parameters.

9- SELECT RAILING TYPE WHILE CREATING STAIRS

While creating stairs, railings will automatically be added to your stair. The default type will be the last one selected. To change it, click the railing button and select another type, or select None for a stair without railing. Chapter 13 is dedicated to the creation of railings.