Onorato Landscaping: The #1 Englewood Cliffs, NJ Masonry Stone Stairs & Stoops

When you’re remodeling your home, a great way to add curb appeal to your home is to have a beautiful staircase or stairway made of stone or other natural materials. Many homeowners choose to remove their old steps and stairway to make way for more modern alternatives. However, you don’t have to give up your existing stairway or stoop if you’d like to have a more attractive entranceway. There are many ways to make your entryway more attractive, including pavers, stone, landscaping, and more.

If your stairs or stoops are in bad shape or cracked, you should contact a masonry stone stair repair service to make the necessary repairs. Cracked masonry can cause tripping and falling accidents, and Sabba’s Landscaping specializes in repairing and rebuilding masonry stone stairs. Their specialized masonry work allows them to develop new stair designs and stoops to meet your needs.

When constructing a stoop with multiple steps, a 2’x8” board anchors the stoop to the home. The board also reinforces the bottom step, and supports the interior stringers. If the stoop has three or more steps, you’ll want to install railings on both sides. If you’re planning on having several steps, consider adding an apron, which conceals the open area underneath the stoop. A concrete apron typically consists of latticed panels or crushed stone.

The height of the stair’s stringers is determined by the rise and run measurements. You’ll also need to make cuts in the stringer ends based on the landing location. For example, if you want the top anchor to be 18” from the top anchor, you’ll need to cut out an additional 18” of stringer to make sure the landing area is level. The bottom riser will drop by the thickness of the tread.

Stoops have become ubiquitous in American homes, and the stoop was originally built by Dutch settlers in New Amsterdam, where row houses were often built close together. The iconic stoop has spawned suburban and country imitations. Stoop designs have come in many shapes and sizes over the years, with stone slab thresholds and wide landings, reminiscent of a front porch. Whatever the style, stoops always make a first impression on your home.

When building a stoop, you’ll need basic carpentry skills, a basic knowledge of porch mechanics, and some math. Generally speaking, the tread depth is known as the unit run and should be 11 inches deep for exterior steps. The height of the steps should also be level, and the ground beneath should be level. Measure the ground several times along the pitch line and average the measurements before you start building the stoop.