Stairs, Stairs, Stairs

First in 2024, we added the stairs from the basement to the main floor. This was huge because we could go back and forth from the basement where we were living to the main floor without going out in the sometimes rain and deep snow, making our living area larger.

2026

2026

Stairs, Stairs, Stairs

Then in 2025, we added the stairs from the main floor to the loft level once the loft floor was finished. Giving us access to the loft without going up an extention ladder.

Now, in 2026 we are about to build stairs to the last and final level.

And that is to the cupola room. Now in this picture there was no first-floor framing, no loft, no loft rooms framed, and no cupola floor. Just a multiple level scaffolding and a long climb.

But that has changed, and we are about to embark on building the last access to the last floor.

Uh, hey guys, these stairs don't go anywhere. what's up with that?

By the end of New Years Day, Dan had the first section of stairs completed. 

And the landing sheated.

Next, it's time to build the cupola floor. Correctly locating where the master joist goes is the first step. It is parallel to the cupola wall above.

The master joist determines the edge of the staircase, and the rest of the joists are measured off of it.

To get the other joists in place, they have to go up and over any joists already in place. 

Once all the joists (except for the ones that will box in the stair opening) are in place, sheathing can begin. 

The inch and an eighth plywood also had to go straight up past the joists then laid flat.

Very little room to move it around and mark the edges without hitting the ceiling of the dome.

My red rubble road was drying to a color lighter than I wanted, so I applied another coat of colorant to it.

Once I put up more chicken wire on the top section, masked the wagon wheel, and the gray rock, I began the red rock road.

Making progress. The red rubble takes less time to put up than I thought it would.

Ready to go back to the gray rock.

But it didn't stick around long and soon we were back to warmer days and it all melted away.

In the first week of January, we finally got some snow. Over about 6 days we got about 20 inches of snow.

But Remi tangled with a coyote, so I will be caring for her for a while and put the gray rock on hold. 

After getting the cupola floor installed, we went up and looked out the windows.  

Oh bummer! We misjudged the floor height. We wanted the windows low enough to see out of comfortably while sitting, but we went a little too high on the floor. Making the windows too low.

And then compounding the error, we thought for sure we had decided on 2x12 joists, when in fact I had drawn 2x8 joists. I guess that's what happens when a period of time goes by between drawing and building and you don't double check.  

First, they pulled, cut, and ground off the nails (ring shank nails don't give up easy) and cut off a strip of plywood. 

Dan decided he couldn't live with the results and so began the lowering of the cupola floor project.

Next, they put up two beams across the underside of the floor.

They added braced support posts beneath the beams with jacks secured at the top of the posts. And strapped the beams to the joists for good measure. 

The beams can't go through the wall, or they will be in the way of the lowering. So, a removable cleat is added above the beams.    (red arrow)

Then all the wall studs are cut most of the way through from the inside of the pentagon room.

Using a Sawzall, the studs are cut off from the back side.

Once the studs are cut a new top plate is added and corner support blocks are temporarily put in place.

To lower it safely and to keep it from tipping they went around and around replacing the corner support blocks with shorter and shorter blocks.

It was down!

Until finally..........

And we are very happy with the result! It's perfect when we are sitting, and acceptable when we are standing.

Now onto the last            ! As soon as they are complete, I will post a panoramic view from the cupola!

stairs

stairs

You may have noticed in the drawings of the cupola staircase that the top set of stairs is a little odd looking. And you may be wondering what they are and why we are using them. And are they legal?

Technically they are called "alternating tread stairs", but are often referred to as Monk stairs.  

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Alternating tread stairs are steeper, they dictate which foot you can begin with, and you cannot bring both feet together while descending or ascending. 

But, alternating tread stairs take up half the room of normal stairs and unlike a ladder you can descend facing forward.

OSHA classifies them as non-standard stairs but allows their use in some applications. Studies show they are safer then ships stairs and reduce the risk of falls compared to ladders. They can take up less room and be safer than circular stairs depending on the radius of the circlular stairs.

Alternating tread stairs were found in old church steeples and in monasteries, earning them the name of Monk stairs. 

Although sometimes normal stairs that were exceptionally steep are also referred to as monk stairs.

These stairs are also sometimes call Witches Stairs. They were quite popular in 17th century New England, causing many to believe that the stairs origins' were associated with the Salem Witch Trials. The belief was that witches were unable to climb them and therefore a way to protect a household. But of course, that myth has been debunked and the staircases were just a space saving idea providing an alternative to rickety ladders when there was no room for a traditional staircase.

And now they have become popular with the tiny home and creative space saving followers.

For our build, the Monk Stairs are more about the ability to rise up into the cupola, getting past the edge of the dome with headroom, and not take up the whole cupola floor.

And while code says that this staircase can be as narrow as 20", with tread depth as little as 5", and with riser height as much as 9.5" we decided to use what room we had to make them a little more user friendly. 

Because monk stairs are a little harder to traverse than standard stairs, we chose to use them only when we had to. So, with ample headroom under the main dome, we started the staircase with standard stairs up to the landing.

Then Dan cut the first stringer. Using the run (tread depth) of 10" we wanted, and the rise of 7".

Because monk stairs alternate sides the rise on one single side is double. Making the cut into the stringer pretty deep. Dan was worried that the stringers wouldn't have enough board left to have the strength to support steps. So, he added a plywood gusset to them.

Then using the stringer, he could perfectly position the header.

Not only are they unusual stairs, but they come off the landing at an angle and go through the bedroom wall.

Then after the treads are in place we get to take our first trip up to the cupola without a ladder!

Once the skirt boards and all the stringers are in place he can begin placing risers and treads.

First comes some of the risers and we are getting to visualize our monk stairs.

But the views out the windows were awesome. 

I tried taking a panoramic picture, but I couldn't get back far enough. 

Then they insulated under the landing and the backside of the steps to deaden the sound of footsteps.

March 11th. Watching Dan remove snow from his car.

Normally a stairwell with walls is built first then stairs are added,

but the monk stairs had to be built first. Now we are adding the walls.

After the backside of the stairs was sheeted, the bedroom wall was framed and sheeted.

April fool's day! 

Warm sunny days with bulbs blooming and flowers budding.

Then the scaffolding over the stairs from the main floor was removed and we didn't have to duck under it to go up to the loft anymore.

The risers and treads are cut from plywood because they will be carpeted to cut down on the noise throughout the dome when being used.

We started April with a trip to Disney with kids and grandkids! 

Meanwhile, I finished the stone on the lower portion of the pellet stove surround,

finished the gray stone on the top part,

and got the last element, the sun, at the top of the wall.