PVI Modular XP Stairs

A ramp serves the wheels in a household, but the people on foot still want the short way in. Where a PVI Modular XP system puts a landing at the door, the PVI Modular XP Stairs add a direct stepped route from the ground to that landing, so a visitor, a caregiver carrying groceries or an ambulatory resident is not sent the long way round the ramp. Each 2 to 6 step unit is an all-aluminum assembly of stringers, 40 in wide treads, posts, knee rails and handrails that stands on its own adjustable legs and fastens into the channel of a Modular XP landing base.

It is a stair for a Modular XP landing, not a stand-alone porch step, and it is sold by step count: the 2 to 6 step units serve total rises from 12 in to 48 in with risers adjustable between 6 in and 8 in, while the 1 step unit is a different piece, a single step base with its own handrail and bracket that covers a rise of 4 in to 6 in on one bracket hole and 7 in to 10 in on the other. PVI publishes no load rating and no assembly time for the stairs, and its stair manual carries no part numbers, so the match between the manual's step table and the price-list step counts is by step count alone.

Key Features

• One to six steps: Pick the unit by total rise: 12 in to 16 in for 2 steps, 18 in to 24 in for 3, 24 in to 32 in for 4, 30 in to 40 in for 5 and 36 in to 48 in for 6, per the PVI Modular Stair manual.
• 40 in wide, 12 in deep treads: Every tread on the 2 to 6 step units is 40 in across and 12 in front to back, with a riser that adjusts from 6 in to 8 in to meet the landing height exactly.
• One step unit with two rise settings: The single step base uses the lower hole in its attachment bracket for a 4 in to 6 in rise and the upper hole for 7 in to 10 in, per the PVI One Step Stair manual.
• Handrails and knee rails on the posts: The price list includes the handrail with every stair; on the multi-step units a handrail assembly bolts to each stair post with a carriage bolt, washer and selflock nut, and knee rails fill the gap below.
• Freestanding on adjustable legs: The manual describes the stairs as independent of the existing structure: legs attach to the posts and set height through their selflock nuts, with long leg support straps fitted front and back of each leg.
• Drops into the landing channel: A ramp attachment clip sits in the landing base channel and the stringers are fixed to the landing base through a stair attachment bracket and long leg blocks, so the stair and landing move as one system.
• Aluminum for salt and cold: PVI says the aluminum alloys resist salt corrosion and need no periodic painting, and recommends a noncorrosive or pet-safe deicer in coastal and winter climates.

Who It Is For

Households building a PVI Modular XP ramp where someone also walks: the stairs give a spouse, visitor or home health aide a direct climb to the door landing while the chair user takes the ramp. They suit porches and raised entries with total rises from 4 in up to 48 in, in the ranges listed under Dimensions, and clinics, churches and rental properties that want the stepped entrance to leave with the ramp when the system is taken down. A house without a Modular XP landing has nothing for the stair to attach to; a wheelchair or scooter route of any rise is a job for the ramp sections, not the stairs.

Dimensions

• 1 step: rise 4 in to 6 in or 7 in to 10 in by bracket hole; PVI publishes no run, tread or weight for this unit
• 2 steps: rise 12 in to 16 in, run 23 in to 24 in, 48 lb
• 3 steps: rise 18 in to 24 in, run 34 in to 36 in, 62 lb
• 4 steps: rise 24 in to 32 in, run 45 in to 48 in, 80 lb
• 5 steps: rise 30 in to 40 in, run 56 in to 60 in, 93 lb
• 6 steps: rise 36 in to 48 in, run 67 in to 72 in, 108 lb
• Treads on the 2 to 6 step units: 40 in wide, 12 in deep, risers adjustable 6 in to 8 in

Measure from the ground to the top of the Modular XP landing deck the stair will meet, pick the step count whose rise range contains that figure, and check that the run, measured out from the landing edge, fits the clear ground in front of it.

Installation

PVI gives no assembly time for the stairs. Its Modular Stair manual lists a ratchet, a 1/2 in deep well socket, a 1/2 in wrench, a 1/4 in masonry bit, a tape measure and a bubble level, and says a van, pickup or small trailer carries the components. Hardware is 5/16 in carriage bolts, hex bolts, flange bolts, selflock nuts and washers, with landing long leg blocks and long leg support straps; the 1 step unit comes with its 12 in modular leg, end loop, handrail splice and plastic cap.

1. For the 2 to 6 step units, the manual's sequence is:
2. Splice the stringers with the stair splice if the run calls for it.
3. Set the ramp attachment clip in the landing base channel, rest the stringer on it, set the riser height and tighten, then block up the bottom step until the legs are on.
4. Fasten the stair attachment bracket to the stringer and to the landing base with the landing long leg blocks.
5. Attach the stair posts to the stringers with the hardware left loose.
6. Bolt a handrail assembly to each post, then fully tighten all handrail hardware.
7. Fit the knee rails between the posts.
8. Attach the legs to the posts and set their height through the selflock nuts.
9. Add long leg support straps to the front and back of each leg.

Manufacturer documents: Modular Stair manual, 2 to 10 steps (PDF), One Step Stair manual (PDF).

Warranty

PVI Manufacturing Limited Lifetime Warranty

Limited lifetime warranty, which applies to all end purchasers other than residents of the State of California: PVI Manufacturing warrants to the original end purchaser of the product that the product is free from defects in material and workmanship under normal use and service. This warranty does not apply to any product that has been subject to misuse, abuse, neglect, alteration, accident, usage not in accordance with product instructions, acts of God, or improper installation, or that has been used for rental purposes or repaired by someone other than PVI Manufacturing. This warranty does not cover normal deterioration of the product due to wear and exposure.

Five year warranty, which applies to residents of the State of California: For a period of five years after the purchase of the product by the original end purchaser of the product, PVI Manufacturing warrants to the original end purchaser of the product that the product is free from defects in material and workmanship under normal use and service. The same exclusions apply: misuse, abuse, neglect, alteration, accident, usage not in accordance with product instructions, acts of God, improper installation, rental use, repair by someone other than PVI Manufacturing, and normal deterioration due to wear and exposure.

Remedy: This warranty is limited to repairing or replacing, at the option of PVI Manufacturing, any product that is returned to PVI Manufacturing and is reasonably determined by PVI Manufacturing to be defective. The repair or replacement of a defective product under this warranty will be made by PVI Manufacturing without charge for parts or labor. This excludes shipping or delivery charges to and from PVI Manufacturing's place of business. If the product has been discontinued, PVI Manufacturing may replace the product with a new product of comparable value and function. PVI Manufacturing also reserves the right to refund the purchase price as its exclusive warranty remedy.

Claims: Any claim alleging that the product fails to conform to this warranty may be made only by the original end purchaser and only while such purchaser owns the product. A defective product that is covered by this warranty must be returned, at the purchaser's expense, along with proof of date of original purchase (such as a receipt, check or other document PVI Manufacturing deems acceptable that shows the date of purchase and the identity of the product and purchaser), along with a description of the alleged defect, to PVI Manufacturing, 2620 Industrial Drive, Fairbury, Nebraska 68352.

Except as set forth herein, PVI Manufacturing makes no warranties, expressed or implied, and PVI Manufacturing disclaims and negates all other warranties, including, without limitation, implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, conformity to models or samples, or any warranties or indemnities against intellectual property infringement. Some states do not allow limitations on implied warranties, so these limitations may not apply to you. In no event will Prairie View Industries, Inc. be liable for any indirect, special, incidental, or consequential damages or for any liability in excess of the purchase price of the product.

Before using the product, the purchaser must first determine the suitability of the product for its intended use, and the purchaser assumes all risk and liability whatsoever in connection therewith. No person, agent, distributor, dealer or company is authorized to change, amend or modify the terms of this warranty. This warranty gives the purchaser specific legal rights, and the purchaser may also have other rights that vary from state to state. The purchaser may not assign the purchaser's rights or obligations under this warranty without the prior written consent of PVI Manufacturing.

PVI warranty document (PDF)