Cut a stair stringer wrong on a job in Bend and had to redo the whole thing

I was framing a set of basement stairs for a remodel out near the Old Mill District. Measured the total rise, did the math for the run, and laid out my first stringer on a fresh 2x12. Cut it all out, only to realize I'd messed up the bottom step height because I forgot to account for the thickness of the finished tread. My helper just looked at it and said, 'That's not gonna fly.' Had to eat the cost of the lumber and start over from scratch, which set us back almost three hours on a tight schedule. It was one of those dumb mistakes you make when you're rushing. I ended up using my speed square to double-check every mark on the next set. Anyone else ever have a simple math error throw a whole morning into chaos?

3 comments

3 Comments

hannah4222mo ago

Oh man, that sinking feeling when you realize the cut is wrong. Been there more times than I'd like to admit, usually because I'm trying to beat the clock. My own personal rule now is that rushing just means doing it twice. Speed square is the best friend you never knew you needed for stair work, for sure.

piper_reed2mo ago

But honestly, sometimes you gotta just go for it... I've pulled off some decent cuts under pressure when the light was fading or I had to get something done before the store closed. That rush can make you focus harder, and a speed square can slow you down if you're trying to move fast on simple stuff. A quick mark and a steady hand has saved my butt more than once.

robinson.angela2mo ago

Used to think a quick eye and a sharp pencil was all you needed for stuff like that. Figured all those extra checks were for people who didn't trust their hands. Then I messed up a whole sheet of plywood on a closet because I was in a hurry and my math was off by half an inch. Now I get it, you know? That little bit of time with the square saves you from the big headache later. Makes you wonder why we ever fight it.