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Most likely you have planned one or two flights of stairs from your deck to the surrounding yard. Steps can be built a number of different ways depending on your aesthetic preference, however most municipalities have specific codes that must be taken into consideration when you design and build your steps. For instance, many cities require a minimum width of 3 feet for the stairs.
From a design standpoint, your stairs can have notched stringers or solid stringers. You can have deep tread runs of 16" or a more standard run of 11". At the foot of the stairs, you can use posts on concrete pads like the rest of the deck or build a solid base of concrete or stones. Design stairs that suit your style.
To understand this tutorial, note the main illustration and the following terms: • Vertical rise - distance between 2 steps. Usually 6" to 7" • Run - depth of each tread. Can range from 11" to 16" • Vertical drop - height of stairs from the ground to the deck surface • Span - distance the stairs cover from the deck to the foot of the stairs