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I have a 21" plumb from my deck to the concrete below. My problem is that the concrete is not even, it slopes away from the house. I'd like to use two stringers (2x10) and then bracket two steps between them. How do I measure the distance of the stringers, as they will be different?
The measurement of the total rise is from the deck level to the point where the last tread will sit. If the ground is sloped, don't measure straight down below the deck; measure out where the bottom step will sit. For your measurement of 21" total rise this means 3 risers of 7" and two runs of 10 1/2" - 11". So your bottom step will sit either 21" or 22" out from the face of the deck. Measure down at this point level with the deck surface and adjust your calculations slightly for the total rise. Now when you cut your stringers allow for the slope of the concrete and scribe this slope on the bottom of the stringers.
It just dawned on me that the slope you are talking about could be going across the stairs instead of what I presumed, sloping away from the deck. If you are talking about the slope going across the stairs, ie. if one side of the stairs is higher than the other, this requires a measurement on either side where the stringers will sit. Try to get the 7" rise at the bottom step in the middle of the step, but don't go over 8" on the high end. (See also Deck Stairs on Uneven Ground.)
