A landing pad can be located at the bottom, top or
anywhere within the stairway. It's usually where a set of stairs makes a
transition from one direction to another. The picture below provides you
with an excellent example of a stair landing pad, located at the top of
the stairway.
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Exterior Landing Pad
It's not uncommon to use a landing for a stairway on the exterior or
outside of a building. They can be built out of wood, metal or a variety
of different building materials.
However, they need to be protected from the elements like moisture,
mold, mildew and those pesky insects known as termites. The picture
above represents something that you should avoid doing or at least do it
correctly.
If you look at the front of the landing pad or the last riser, you will
notice that it's suffering from wood rot damage. This tells me that it's
only going to be a matter of time, before this floor and possibly the
rest of the stairway needs to be repaired or replaced.
Stair Building Tip: Try to avoid covering any exterior wood framed
materials with protective coverings that don't work well or weren't
designed to be used in that manner.
Another problem I find with exterior landing pads and stairways is what
I would like to refer to as the handyman solution. This is where an
inexperienced construction worker provides a building owner with a plan
to cover up the damage, instead of making the necessary repairs, in
order to solve the problem.
Even if this particular floor wasn't damaged, before someone chose to
use this flooring method, it will be in the future. In a situation like
this, sometimes good intentions, end up creating problems for the
property owner in the future.
I know it's difficult to do, but try to hire people who have knowledge
and years of experience, instead of someone who's full of confidence.
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