Upgrade from carpeted to oak stairs
My partner just got a referral on a stair job that’s on the outside edge of my competence.
The client wants to go from carpeted stairs to formal oak stairs. We haven’t laid eyes on the job yet, but I suspect we’ll have to redo the newel post and all the balusters. And I wonder if we can save the handrail.
Any and all suggestions are welcome.
Replies
Depends
Is this a post to post or over the post with fittings. Will the new stairs have the same style balustrade. Is the old rail drilled for round balusters or is it plowed and filleted with square top balusters will the new stair and balustrade have the same baluster layout? Do they want 2 or 3 balusters per stair tread?
Does the currant stair have an open tread or not? Will the new stair?
All these things need to be considered
Also there are code issues. an existing stair may not meet code but if you modify it you will be required to bring it up to code. And you will have to meet today’s code on the rail at least a 4” ball can not fit between the balusters you may be required to have a continuous rail. And the rail height may need to be changed.
Don’t get me wrong if you have done a lot of finish trim work and cabinet work you can probably do it. But I question if you can’t determine if the rail can be reused if you have the knowledge needed to do this job right now.
You might be capable but I would suggest that the first stair you do not be for a paying customer unless you fully disclose to your customer that, that is the case. You may be able to do a fine job by just reading a few how to articles on finehomebuilding to get the know how as long as you have the carpentry skills needed. Stair work has a few specialized details but it is still just cutting wood to fit so you might do fine if you get a little knowledge.
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Thanks MF, I used to be a snoby, elitest trim carpenter for the rich and shamelessly self indulgent in a former incarnation... but my boss on that crew hogged most of the good stair work. I just did treads and risers and served as a human clamp when he was fitting handrail to volutes, etc. And that was four or five years ago... hence the inquiry.
As I said, we haven't even looked at the job yet. I just wanted to bounce it off you guys to get my head right to deal with the lady.
Got you
But to be honest although I know you are being funny I tend to love doing fine work and if the rich are the only ones willing to pay me to do it I sure am not going to call them shamelessly or self indulgent. It is not very productive to bite the hand that feeds you. :)I hope the job works out for you seems I am getting flamed a little today for some comments in another thread. It does not bother me though funny thing about this forum is answers to a lot of the questions can be found in at finehomebuilding.com but people post here before looking at the articles. At least the articles have been proof read and the credentials of the writer are known here anyone can call them self an expert Even Me :)
Sure its nice to have people who can afford to be patrons of the arts. But the arts would get done anyway because people care about that sort of thing.
Some rich people are smart and have impeccable taste, others have no taste but are smart enough to realize that they have no taste and rich enough hire designers that do... then there are the unfortunates who have more money than good sense.
I’m 61 years old and I am in despair over some of the changes I have seen during my lifetime. Micky Mantle, one of the best baseball guys that ever lived used to have to have an off-season job just to make ends meet. Now the least of those guys spit on anything under a multi-million dollar contract and CEO’s drive companies to the brink and get fired with 40 million dollar severance packages. Meanwhile I would be willing to bet that a lot of posters here can’t afford regular medical care.
I'm not a pro, but I did this at my folk's place, they had walls on both sides (so not exposed spindles or end caps). But it was all rough plywood for the treads and risers under the carpet. We had to remove each plywood tread and custom fit each new oak one, to get things to fit without gaps on the sides. Old houses ain't square!
If I had the luxury of removing the wall skirt boards on each side it would have been a little simpler to hide a little gap under it.
It took a while just because every stair was a custom piece.
If you have balustrades to customize around, it might take a bit longer then expected.
There's also the whole tread height thing for the new bottom tread and top tread: the carpeting thickness will change the first and last riser if you go to a wood tread. I think I did gradual shims at my folk's place, so that I "blended" to only be 1/8th inch difference, riser to riser. Blend the bottom and blend the top.
Thanks Jason.
Anythings possible.
The bigger question is: what do the clients want? They might want all new. Ask that question....and watch Mommas eyes.
Bob's next test date: 12/10/07
Thanks Jim.
If the flooring above or below is also changing, the stringers will need to be adjusted.
If there is level run handrails at the top of the stairs and new hardwood to be installed, set the nosings before the hardwood.
Check the treads now to see if they are oversized.
With carpeted stairs, sometimes the top stringer.tread is cut back to 8" to eliminate the need for a riser. If this is the case the entire stairway will need to be blocked out 3/4" at every riser. This can frig up the re-use of the ballustrade.
Gord