New Stairs - Day 7

I was so happy with having actual wood on the stairs instead of particle board that I sort of dismissed the impact that the railings would have.  Not because I was somehow immune to the dangers after nearly a month of having no banister, but just because I thought that they would be nice but not so different from what I was used to.  I can't understand why I would think that.

In fact, when the process started I was a little sad to see the wood being drilled and heavy duty bolts being stuck into it.  "We just got it in!," was my instinctual reaction.  "Do you have to?"  Well, yeah, he sort of has to.  But it was still something of a painful moment.

When I next checked in, he had removed part of the wall to add a cross beam between the existing studs to anchor the new rail into.  A light bulb went off in my head as to why the previous rail had been so wobbly.  It wasn't actually anchored to a stud.  Just to wall.  Really?  (I keep thinking about all of the times I leaned on it to open the window because my arms are too short to reach without leaning over on my waist.  Yikes!)

He put it back together, though without drywall patching (not a problem, just something we will have to deal with in hopefully the near future.)  And now this rail is solidly attached to our house.

And to our new floor.  I kind of like this image.  It looks like some sort of modern art piece that we are displaying in our living room.

Full of craftsman details.  We got this rail from our friends who moved to Sweden.  I think it looks really nice.

And, true to form, Travis made absolutely sure that these puppies aren't going anywhere.  They are really secured.  Even standing by themselves they are solid posts.  (Not that I tried to kick them down or anything.)

Being as precise a guy as he is, he also taped out and measured (with a three dimensional laser level, which was pretty cool) where all of our balusters will go.  These were marked on the ground on the painters tape and we were given strict instructions not to move the tape.  Honestly we never would have, but it somehow became a lot more tempting when he told us not to!

And the lovely return of the rail into hallway wall.

The baluster markings on the steps.  Now I start to feel a little more excited.  Things are really coming together and they look cool.

And I love finishing touches.  He just whipped this up while he was outside.  With tools he brought in a trailer and set up outside our garage.  And it is astoundingly beautiful.  I had to stop myself from running my hand over and over and over it.  I didn't want all my hand oil to get it dirty.

Then he brings in the newel caps.  I knew we were getting them, but I didn't really know what we were in for.  They are so pretty.  Little rooftops on our fabulous new banister.  And he milled these at the shop before he came to our place.  I was a little worries that we shouldn't have had just square newels, that we should have made a fancier choice, but at the end of the day I couldn't be happier.  I love the newel caps.  Even though the one at the base of the second run of stairs keeps cutting my arm on the same place.  (I am just not used to them yet.  Give me a break, though, we haven't had rails for a month!)

Here's another view.  Just because.  What I should've done was get a picture of him drilling the baluster holes.  To get them at the right angle he flipped this upside down laid it on the stairs to that he could reproduce the pitch of the run.  Of course, he did!  But it's not something I would have ever thought of.  Not that I am planning on going into stair construction, by any stretch.

And the beautiful, but deadly, newel at the landing.  So pretty.

And the rail on the wall!  Before we had that awkward rail bend, but this way we have two elegant rails - one down the second run, and one on the wall.  They are fantastic.