Create a use map
Give deck field, stairs, fascia, seating and other applications separate lines. Add candidate identity and the document addressing each use. The same material description does not establish the same support or attachment requirements. The responsible reviewer should resolve unsupported uses before procurement.
Revisit every use after substitution
A preference worksheet does not design joists, beams, guards, connections or foundations. Obtain qualified review for unresolved structural conditions. If a board changes, revisit every use and retain the old candidate record so the team can identify which instructions and assumptions changed.
Treat the stair as a separate application
A board accepted for a deck field is not automatically resolved for stair treads, risers or nosings. Identify the exact application and obtain the relevant product and design requirements. Keep the supporting structure and connection questions separate from surface appearance.
List the stair pieces by role. A tread, riser, fascia and landing border can have different profiles and attachment conditions. Counting all of them as ordinary field boards can hide both quantity and compatibility issues.
Compare the stair package
| Part of the review | Evidence or decision |
|---|---|
| Tread product | Exact board and application instructions |
| Support | Project-specific accepted arrangement |
| Nosing or edge | Documented detail and required special pieces |
| Attachment | System appropriate to that role |
| Transition | Relationship to landing and adjoining surfaces |
In a fictional shortlist, one candidate offers a documented stair detail and the other has no relevant information in the supplied packet. Mark the second unresolved. Do not infer its stair suitability from a photograph of a deck.
Have the responsible project team establish the applicable requirements. A material comparison worksheet cannot approve stair geometry or structural capacity.
A change in decking priorities
A board selected for the main deck is proposed for a bench. That additional use remains open until the responsible designer and supplier provide its basis.
Hypothetical planning example.
Technical context
ASTM D7032 distinguishes several product applications in its scope. Actual product documentation must establish the permitted use.
ASTM D7032-21: Public scope