DIY guideDeck and fence
Loose deck stairs: what you can tighten, and when it's structural
Find what's moving, tighten the screws and bolts you can see, and know when it's the stringers or posts, which are a pro's.
- 15 to 45 min
- 7 steps
- Every step animated
7 steps
Tap a step to watch it again.
Step on each tread and shake the handrail. Watch whether one tread, the rail, or the whole stairs move.
Look at the screws or nails in each tread, and the bolts holding the rail posts.
Drive loose screws home with a drill or screwdriver until they sit flush.
Pull a nail that's working loose, and drive a deck screw in just beside its hole.
Tighten the nuts on the rail posts' bolts with a wrench until the post stops moving.
Step on each tread and shake the rail again. Everything should feel solid.
If the stringers or posts are loose, cracked or soft, keep off: they hold the stairs up. Ask Handyman for a deck builder.
Keep everyone off the stairs until they're fixed.
What you need
- A drill or screwdriver
- Outdoor deck screws
- A wrench
- A hammer and a pry bar
Call a pro if
- The whole stairs sway when you climb them
- A stringer or post is cracked, soft or pulling away
- Treads are soft or split
Handyman says: Stringers or posts? I'll find a deck builder.
Free for every home. Handyman asks a few questions, then books a pro it trusts.
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Rather have
a pro do it?