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DIY Forum >> Carpentry Questions >> Drilling holes in stair stringers?
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Message started by Lectrician on Feb 13th, 2012, 5:04pm

Title: Drilling holes in stair stringers?
Post by Lectrician on Feb 13th, 2012, 5:04pm

Customer has asked me to install some 20mm LED lights into the stair stringers, one for each step.

Is it wise to drill to a 20mm hole into the stringer on each step?

Title: Re: Drilling holes in stair stringers?
Post by TIMBA-WOLF on Feb 13th, 2012, 5:13pm

Depends on where in the stringer, and how close to the top section, also how much weight are the stretchers taking....(ie, are they on an open plan staircase... weight top and bottom only..or are they fixed to a wall both sides at various intervals down the length of the stretchers:


oops, nearly forgot, what cross section are they!!

Title: Re: Drilling holes in stair stringers?
Post by Lectrician on Feb 13th, 2012, 8:31pm

It is a standard off the shelf set of 13 tread stairs, typical closed set.  Fixed to wall on one side, currently open on the other from top to bottom, but to be filled in on the bottom half.  Holes would be central to the stringer

Title: Re: Drilling holes in stair stringers?
Post by scotspark on Feb 13th, 2012, 8:38pm

done this loads of times

was all the rage up here a couple of years ago lol.

no problems

Title: Re: Drilling holes in stair stringers?
Post by TIMBA-WOLF on Feb 13th, 2012, 9:30pm


scotspark wrote on Feb 13th, 2012, 8:38pm:
done this loads of times

was all the rage up here a couple of years ago lol.

no problems


And too close to the nosing area, and over time if cheaper timber, i have seen loads start to split!!!  
(damned sparkies.... ;D ;D  but hey, you help keep us i work...LOL!!!!)

no closer than 40mm to a tread or nosing or to edge of stringer.... and its a safe spread....  basically you have to think along the lines of drilling joists etc....

in Parts of Canada, there was/is a set spec, a bit like the "Zones" in a bathroom... Zone 1 a complete NO NO.. etc etc ...

common sense really!!!

Title: Re: Drilling holes in stair stringers?
Post by scotspark on Feb 13th, 2012, 11:41pm

we always did them in centre of the triangle at each step.

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