What Materials Should You Use For Filling Steps? - Landscaping Stair Boxes 

Just what I needed to watch for my project

This video is very good thank you very much. I have been remodeling homes for such a long time but never in my life had to build outdoor stairs towards lake. I own cabin in Vermont and now it time I definitely will use this method with concrete plus a rebar. Again thank you

Here is an idea.... Gravel is fine. Wear shoes and don't run up them. Another thought go ALL concrete and forget the wood (except forms). Or just make it all from wood...

I also don’t want a steep rise on each step because I bring stuff out of my shed like wheelbarrows and such.

I have a question. I want to build stairs into the side of a sloping hill. Do you know if I use anything underneath the stair box? Also, would it be possible to add rock, soil, and ground cover for a living type step?

Put the wood treds on top of the boxes ?

How many years would you get out of “wooden boxes”. Eventually, they’ll rot….maybe that’s a stupid thought. But while I can see doing this once…a lot of work…I’d rather not do it twice! Great video, though…your explanation and graphics? Bravo-Zulu, excellent! Well done!

What is the best fill for freezing weather with snow and ice? Thanks for your presentations!

This along with the rise and run video was very helpful. I'm attempting to build a dry stack walkway down to a customers dock. Thinking of using 4x8x16 concrete blocks as the base, backfilled with paver base then finally topped with paver sand and a 2ft x 2ft slate stepping stone. Do you have any suggestion. Customer wants it cheap and quick! Its a rebuild of existing stepping stones layed in dirt. Thanks again!

I am using 6x 6 pressure treated wood. Only concern about risers hights. As 6” will be enough for building code or what should I do?

I've walked on stairs like this and I'm not a fan. One set with sand and another w/ gravel. Generally, I'm not a fan of this style because of the potential for a 'lip' developing on a step and that seems like a major safety hazard. I found myself walking up and down the steps like I would stones across a stream...asking myself "where's the stable footing?" Thanks for the videos!

Excellent video thank you! Would you lay the wood directly on the soil, or put plastic sheet down first? Or use ground contact PT wood?

Could you elaborate more on how to make a drainage system for the bottom stair? I was thinking I could put stones underneath the bottom plant to act as "weep holes" for the stair, but I wasn't sure if there was a better way.

should you put weeping holse in the bottom of the bottom stair? Or would the gravel underneath be enough drainage?

I am interested in the stair boxes using wood frames and concrete. We have a rather steep hill down to the water where we keep a boat in the summer. I need to find something simple and rustic like the wood frames and concrete. Due to the grade do we need to anchor it using poles sunk in concrete. Or your suggestion for keeping it in place. I need this info to show to a handy man to build for me. I will need a rail also and thought a metal pole rail would probably work the best and just sink it into concrete. Any thoughts

great video. very easy to follow. I am wondering about stack these boxes, do you anchor it at each step on the edge so make more secure? thank you

Thanks for the great videos. The question I have is we had a retaining wall built on a slope, my husband decided he wants a ramp instead of stairs. our garden supply shed will be the bottom. I can find no videos on an outdoor ramp. Is it even possible? right with nothing there we are losing all the dirt right down this open space. Thanks for any advice!!!

Most landscape architects prefer 6 foot rise or less because peoples eyes wander outside the run depends on stride & should be more than 11 for a 6 inch rise. Decomposed granite compressed properly perks well enough for residential traffic.

Thank you very much.great info

What would something like this cost?

Love this video. Thanks

i want your opinion on step by step to build steps. I'm always trying DIY

What about filling them with dirt and soil and planting a high traffic grass seed? That’s what I thought of doing next year on the side of my house.

If doing this in Canada does the cement still work or are we concerned for the frost line ?

Do you have any information / videos on building natural stone steps into a slope like this? I can't find any videos that show how to lay the gravel or crushed stone base the stones sit on and how to integrate them into the slope. I know how to calculate the number of steps I would need but I cant find info on actually laying the stones on the slope itself.

What kind of building material would you suggest for a staircase going down to a lake, that would be submerged underwater for a few months of the year?

Would this work for a steep hill? Are there better methods? Currently the stairs down the hill of my house are piece of rotting wood with rebar nailed through them installed by the previous owner

Do you have a video on actually building the steps. There were steps there originally that were infested with weeds because they were made with landscape ties and rebar, the ties mostly rotted and pieces of slate rock. I pulled some of that out. The step rise was also too steep. Should,I pull the whole thing out and the rebar and start again. I’m trying to do this as simple and easily as possible. It’s just steps from my garden shed, so not a very visible or seen area. I like the idea of the squares and cement. So no weed problem. Thank you.

How does the step fill material behave on really gentle slope vs very steep slopes? Is there better material for certain steepness?

if using concrete finish with a 'brush finish'

Thanks for the video. Any idea what kind of stairs you would want to build on a steeper hill?

We have steps like this and we used pavers. I live in NH. Every year the pavers sink down. Any suggestions for what to use under the pavers? We mostly use stone dust. Maybe that's where we went wrong.

Thank you

Very good informative video. Question, I have a flagstone 1in thick and I don't want use a box wood. Can I use bricks or something like that? If so, how can do that, how many pieces of bricks I need? Thank you

How do you attach one box to the next ?

I am a littel confused I leave 3.5 to 4 inches for the concreate or is that how much gravel in the bottom?

Hi that was an great explanation.I would like to know if you have any recommendations for actual building of the steps. thank you

I've seen other videos that suggest building "U"s rather than boxes and stacking those... Is that design problematic?

Thank you!

What about if you was building stairs to a decent size creek?

How to calculate the # of steps need on slopes please?

I would fill it with cobbles stones. 40 D x 40 W x 60 H One colour or even something like a chess

1.5" modified + bluestone pavers on top

Filling those steps with concreted is the best

Everyone is entitled to their own opinion but if you are building steps out of wood then for the aesthetic why would you fill it with concrete? I think it should be something more natural like gravel or crushed stone.