That could have ended badly...

[Crossbow]

Ok, let's start with the statement that I'm fine. No major injuries.

Now that that's out of the way, let me ask you a question: how many of you have had a staircase collapse under them?

Ok, it was just one step, not the entire staircase. I was climbing up the stairs after getting the laundry out of the dryer, stepped on the third step from the top, and heard a loud CRACK as the wood completely failed around the nails. Thankfully, the step below it caught the wood, so all I got for my toruble was a bruised shin and a pulled muscle. Had it not caught the step below, I would have ended up with a broken leg, at the least. And I don't want to think about what would have happened had I been going down the steps...

Now, to be honest, I knew that step needed to be repaired. It was already a bit wobbly. I even had everything I needed to fix it, except for one thing- my friend had borrowed my drill. I was going to fix it as soon as I got my drill back. It just decided not to wait.

I have the drill back, but not I have to replace the step as well as reinforcing it at the sides...

[Ironclad Alibi]

That was a close call. The steps on my deck are failing. One of the stringers broke at the bottom, but I nailed it back together. Then one of the steps split, and I nailed it back together. Soon I will have a new deck and not have to worry about it.

[Aria]

Ok, let's start with the statement that I'm fine. No major injuries.

Now that that's out of the way, let me ask you a question: how many of you have had a staircase collapse under them?

*lifts hand*

It was the ENTIRE staircase. I still have a mark on my leg and I am sure I will have it until the day I die. Fortunately I have strong bones so I didn't actually break a leg. I am sure the bone was damaged, though... the mark on my leg has hard things in it that I suspect are bone fragments. Oooooh well. Took me weeks to recover.

After we found that the whole damned staircase had been secured with one straight nail. It was a disaster waiting to happen. I guess it could have been worse... dad redid it with proper screws and he claims it will never move again. I'm still wary of it.

[Crossbow]

After we found that the whole damned staircase had been secured with one straight nail.

Ok, and I thought MY builder was an idiot. The stairs aren't well designed, but at least he used more than one nail!

I'll forgive the steepness of these stairs. Where they're located, there isn't really much that can be done to fix that without some serious reconfiguration to the house. Fine, I'll deal with steep.

Here's where I blame him, though: First- rise and run are inconsistent from step to step. The rise varies by as much as an inch from one step to another. Doesn't seem like much, but you really have to pay attention to not trip. And the depth of the steps themselves varies by probably almost as much. Makes walking down interesting...

Second, the sides (no central stringer) are straight 2x10s. No notches for the steps to sit on. The steps are nailed (yes, nailed) into the step endgrain through the stringers. 5 nails it, and they're not even very big nails. No blocking support underneath at all. Nor is there anything securing the stringers from spreading apart. That's what caused this issue. The stringers have started to pull apart a little bit, letting the steps get loose. That one step just finally had enough.

This weekend is going to fix a bunch of the stability, if not the consistency issues...

[XCashier]

After we found that the whole damned staircase had been secured with one straight nail.

What idiot thought that a load-bearing item like a staircase can be secured with one nail?! A kindergartner would know better!!! I'd be tempted to go sue the pants off the builder, but he's probably long gone.

[Aria]

What idiot thought that a load-bearing item like a staircase can be secured with one nail?! A kindergartner would know better!!! I'd be tempted to go sue the pants off the builder, but he's probably long gone.

Calgary buildings erected during the height of the red hot economy... they were shabby, to say the least. Fortunately ours wasn't made right at the height, a bit earlier, but they were still rushing. I'm glad I'm in a condo and the upside of the downturn is I doubt they hurried this one.

[catcul]

About 5 years after my parents bought their house, my mother almost fell through when a board on the deck broke. My mother was slightly overweight but she didn't weigh more than the average male. That deck was built with untreated wood. Untreated wood with central North Carolina weather is not a good combination. We had to replace it shortly after that.

[Kogarashi]

I had an attic ladder try to fold up under me once. Not quite as dramatic as the collapsing staircases here, but still unexpected.

As I was climbing the ladder and moving something around just inside the attic, I guess the lower hinge (bends upward) had just enough weight lift from it to loosen up. This made it so that when I put my weight on the step lined up with the upper hinge (bends downward), it tried to fold up underneath me and drop me to the floor. Luckily I'm tall enough that I was able to grab onto the attic floor and hang on until my husband could come straighten out the ladder for me. I'm not sure what I would've done had he not been home at that point.

[mathnerd]

Not a staircase, but a 14 foot step ladder. I was painting the outside of a house and the ladder toppled over, knocking over the 5 gallon paint bucket on the way down. Of course the paint spilled all over me. I was a bit bruised, but nothing major. On the other hand, I was still picking paint out of my hair months later.

[eltf177]

That deck was built with untreated wood. Untreated wood with central North Carolina weather is not a good combination. We had to replace it shortly after that.

Same here. Nice house but the deck for some inexplicable reason was built of untreated lumber and was literally disintegrating after only some 3-4 years (it's in Northern VA).

My dad had me paint it which only bought us one more season, finally had to rip it down as it was completely unsafe. He, my brother and I built a new one from flagstone directly on the ground. It's still there some 40+ years later...

[Tama]

Why exactly is untreated wood bad? I mean, I have a vague idea but I'm curious about the particulars.

[dalesys]

Why exactly is untreated wood bad? I mean, I have a vague idea but I'm curious about the particulars.

Insects (termites, carpenter ants, ...) and fungi (dry rot, wet rot, ...) say "Om nom nom!"

[Crossbow]

Insects (termites, carpenter ants, ...) and fungi (dry rot, wet rot, ...) say "Om nom nom!"

Not usually as big a deal indoors, but outdoors, yes. Untreated wood left outside will deteriorate rapidly.
Most interior wood structures are untreated because the chemicals used to treat the wood are toxic and any off-gassing in an enclosed space is not good. Nor is it good to use treated lumber as firewood.

[CorneliaMarieRocks]

well, I've had to incidents involving staircases, though neither incident were due to collapsing

the first one happened in high school, in our gym we had a balcony that housed teacher's & coach's offices & stuff with staircases at either end. the staircases themselves were metal with the steps themselves poured concrete. Anyhow, as this was a private school we had to wear uniform skirts, on this particular day I was wearing dress shoes. I was at lunch period waiting to talk to our drama teacher who had her office on the balcony, I saw her go to her office & as I was heading up the stairs I slipped & banged my knee on the stairs, my kneecap was a pretty black & blue the next day.


the second incident happened earlier this year, we have brick steps leading out the back door onto our enclosed back porch. I had just gotten up & was carrying our chihuahua to take her outside (she 100% blind so she has to be taken out rather than just opening the door). I went to take the first step down from the threshold & as I did I twisted my ankle, which resulted in me tumbling down 3 brick steps & hitting the concrete floor while I was holding the dog no less. I managed to twist my body on the way down so the dog was on the opposite side of me instead of between me & the floor.

I have a scar on my elbow from hitting the steps & my face didn't feel too hot either