The stairway in my basement has several problems--splitting treads, inconsistent rises, worn wood in the stringers, etc. I'd like to re-build them, but a narrow floor opening and anchoring have given me some quandries.

My main problem would be anchoring the new stringers. I wanted to ask if it's safe and acceptable to attach a 2x12 nailer board to the existing joists (which run perpendicular to the stairway) and anchor the stringers to that. Basically, I need to do that to have enough vertical space.

Any suggestions would be most welcome!

Thanks,
Kelly