Old timer showed me a better way to layout stair stringers last weekend

I was working on a basement remodel in Portland and an older carpenter named Dave saw my layout marks. He pointed out I was measuring from the wrong side of the tread depth. He said I should always measure from the rise line not the tread edge. I tried his method on the next set and saved myself from ripping out a whole flight. Has anyone else learned a simple trick from an old timer that changed how you do basic math on site?

2 comments

2 Comments

murray.cole12d agoMost Upvoted

So does that mean I can finally stop pretending I know what I'm doing with a speed square?

black.wesley11d ago

Wait, @murray.cole, you measure from the tread edge or the face of the rise?