After a recent renovation, we had a 2ft drop from our dining room down to the new patio. There were temporary stairs which were removed when we added the patio. It was a hazard.

I had envisioned adding back simple stairs on stringers like the ones we had before or maybe I’d get fancy with some stone slabs I found online. Of course, I modelled it all in SOLIDWORKS so my wife and I can preview the concepts.

When I took the image to the city, they said that I needed a landing because the storm doors at the top of the stairs opened outward. That was going to eat up some patio space, but it was good to find this out before I got into the job. They also said I don’t need a railing at this height, but it would be safer.

After a few iterations, I ended up with a platform that had stairs coming down 2 sides. Even though it took up more space, it kept everything feeling open and accessible. As a bonus, it would eventually double as a stage for my daughters.

I wanted an outdoor space for lounging, so I needed to make sure there would still be enough room for the outdoor furniture. I gathered some dimensions from a set we liked and placed it in. It’s tight, but it still works:

The end result was a very smooth project without the surprises and regrets I’ve had in other projects that I did not plan in CAD. Here’s the model vs the finished stairs:

By modelling everything up in SOLIDWORKS Connected beforehand, we knew everything would fit well. It also made the scope of work clear when I approached the city and the contractor who eventually did the work. Visualize Connected helped us all, well, visualize what the project will look like. The added bonus of the Connected versions is that my models are stored in the 3DEXPERIENCE platform where everything is indexed. I never invested in a good organization system at home, so it’s handy to just search.

Credits:

The human model above was provided by Sergio Skaletti through 3DContentCentral

The grill model was provided by Rabi3 thuglife through GrabCAD.