Determine the Total Rise

What happens in this clip

Measure the total vertical distance from the *finished* lower floor to the *finished* upper floor. If the subfloor is exposed on the upper level, place a sample piece of your finished flooring on top of the subfloor before taking the measurement. Similarly, if the lower floor is not finished (e.g., dirt), place a sample of the intended finished flooring (e.g., patio blocks) before measuring. For this project, the finished concrete floor on the bottom and a finished pine floor on top result in a total rise of 36.5 inches (927 millimeters). Additionally, check if the floor is level further away from the stairwell header by extending a level beyond the header and measuring down; use the measurement from where the stringer will actually sit if there's a difference.

Goal: Accurately measure the vertical distance between finished floor levels

What's used

Tools

• Level
• Tape Measure

Materials

• Sample Finished Flooring (e.g.
• pine
• hardwood
• tile)

About the full video

This project provides a detailed guide on how to figure out the dimensions, lay out, and cut stair stringers for a basic set of stairs. It covers essential terminology, mathematical calculations for total rise, total run, unit rise, and unit run, as well as considerations for attachment methods and tread thickness. The instructions culminate in the marking and cutting of a wooden stringer using a framing square, circular saw, and hand saw.

Step 1 of 3: Measure the total rise of the staircase

Using a tape measure, accurately determine the total vertical distance from the finished surface of the lower floor to the finished surface of the upper floor. This measurement is the total rise of the staircase.

Open this step in the guide

Every video in How to Find the Angle of Your Stairs

1. Step 1: Measure the total rise of the staircase

   • 0:15–0:29 Measure Total Rise
   • 2:54–4:34 Determine the Total Rise (this video)
   • 0:01–0:28 Measure Total Vertical Rise

2. Step 2: Measure the total run of the staircase

   • 2:54–4:47 Measure Straight Stairs
   • 0:15–0:29 Measure Total Rise
   • 2:06–3:02 Measure Total Run

3. Step 3: Calculate the stair angle

   • 0:31–1:14 Retrieve Default Stair Parameters
   • 0:00–0:35 Understand and Calculate Stair Angles
   • 1:21–2:07 Determine Staircase Angle