36
Those wooden circles are plugs that will pry out of the holes in the balusters. Under that would be a pre-drilled hole for a screw (typically). I would have never used nails on this in the first place.
The correct fix is going to be to remove the nails and replace them with screws that fit into the existing holes snugly. If there is really just a nail ...
24
Those look like temporary steps to me. For carpeting you usually see 1-1/8" bullnose particle board treads and 1x8 or 3/4" plywood risers.
Rarely is two-by lumber left as a final product, as it's heavier-duty than necessary and creates very thick and squarish nosings when carpeted. We'd commonly do something like that, or doubled scrap plywood, until after ...
21
How about using baby gates to keep your baby off the stairs entirely?
20
No. It's all or nothing. Imagine a visually-impaired person (or someone in the dark) coming down your stairs and the rail ends. What's the assumption? That they've reached the bottom. That can end badly.
19
Dog-Leg stairs
Structurally, the flights of a dog-leg stair are usually supported by the half-landing, which spans the adjoining flank walls.
Image: Bill Bradley. CC by SA 3.0
In this arrangement, the stringers are joined to a newel post. The lower landing is also partly supported by the newel post. The upper by only the flanking walls and, I guess, ...
15
If it's structural (the tread/risers are supported by it), it's called a stringer.
If it's not structural, it's called skirting (or simply a skirt).
Source (PDF)
14
I would also say those look like temporary stairs, but lets ignore that for the moment. You correctly observe that there are gaps on every stair between the tread and riser and the photos show that the gaps are even. Now having well made stairs is very important in that uneven or other badly made stairs are a safety risk. gaps are often a pointer to uneven ...
14
Sand and Paint
Veneer or replace treads - that's a lot of work.
Carpet - relatively easy - but you said you don't want that.
Don't try to sand and stain - the level of sanding will be much more than for painting and I suspect in the end you will find so much old paint that staining won't work well.
Which leaves Sand and Paint as the best option.
No ...
10
If you're using an extension ladder, they sell Ladder leveling feet.
I also stumbled across this product The PiViT Ladder tool, though you'd need two for a step ladder.
8
Typically a riser bracket is used, it would help if the stair return was longer but a piece of lattice cut to follow the zig-zag of the stair may work too.
EDIT 1-5-2016
Here is another angle....
7
The height is generally from the front of the tread straight up to the top of the handrail.
To get the brackets at the right height, you'll need to do some measuring and marking.
Measure the bracket top to bottom (if its height isn't already stated in the literature). You can allow for the thickness of the handrail by resting it on the stairs and ...
7
Move the anchors to a stud and attach them with long screws. Use a stud finder (preferably with a deep scan capability since you mentioned plaster) to locate your studs. Or you can drill some small test holes since you already need to patch the wall.
Don't use drywall screws, you need something with more shear strength. I wouldn't use anything less than a 2"...
7
If you had an professional engineer design the whole unit as an assembly it may be possible to have the railings and metal concrete reinforcing members in the steps and risers work as a trussed span structure that was only supported at the bottom step and at the top step.
This is definitely not a project for any local neighborhood handyman, general masonry ...
7
With the limited space on the right side. Here's a couple ideas that may help you.
Buy or build yourself a pair of stair posts. If you choose to purchase, they come in all sorts of different sizes and designs.
Example
Build a half wall or full wall on both sides.
Lots of ideas bouncing around the Internet.
Be creative.
7
The riser is installed first for the reason that you want a nice tight fit along the top of the riser to the tread above it. There is always the possibility that there is a small variation in the width of the riser boards or the height of the notches cut in the stair jacks. The back edge of the tread can then be slid right up to the riser for a nice tight ...
7
If you can no longer see the openings in the drywall your contractor did a good job, molding is there to cover the ends at the floor and edges at openings so there is no need to go back it will not change anything as every house I have remodeled and built has some spaces that are covered by molding.
6
There's no such thing as US building codes, there are state, county, and municipal codes which vary widely between areas. The only way to know is to ask, which is what I'd recommend you do. There's no harm in it, simply call the office that is responsible and ask. You don't have to say you've already done it if you're worried about it, you could say you are ...
6
A few options.
1 - Grip/tread tape (easy/cheap but maybe ugly):
2 - Rubber treads (modern/industrial look):
3 - 'tread/grip' additive for paint (easiest to 'blend in' to decor):
3b - DIY 'tread/grip' additive:
6
If your house will always be occupied by sedate adults and slow seniors, then you should install newel posts or stub half-walls (per Doc306).
But if you have teenagers, or children who will become teenagers, then such half-measures will not survive. Teenage humans move quickly and will use any available handholds to change direction quickly. Posts and half-...
5
Much like DA01 said, a ceiling fan generally acts to circulate air within a particular space of the home. This evens out the temperature of the air in the room by preventing "stratification" (where the air settles into noticeable "layers" so it's warmer at head height than at the floor), and also provides an illusion that the air is cooler by constantly ...
5
The best way to deal with a low rail for toddlers is to add a second one. That way adults won't be surprised to find a rail at the low end of the range, and toddlers won't have to reach up. In theory you could remove the second rail when your children are taller. In my experience, parents of 8-year olds sometimes don't get around to removing inoffensive ...
5
I had oriental carpeting which wore along the front edge of the steps. My clever Mom told me what they used to do in the old days was to move the carpet a half step so the worn part would then be the crease on the next step down....so I did it and it worked perfectly, I still have that nice antique carpeting which I love and was cut to order, but it's not as ...
5
After consultation with my master-carpenter-looking-over-my-shoulder, Dan, the following solution was arrived at:
1.The newel post - built up from 1x3 clear oak boards glued together. Two are full length, one is beveled (before gluing) to sit on top of angled knee wall. Attached by two lag bolts at base and one lag bolt into handrail.
2.Base - shoerail ...
5
It looks to be exactly like a garage door. I take it lowering the stairs tensions a spring attached to the drums so it is easier to raise. Exact same system as sectional garage doors. The springs can be very dangerous to someone unaware of their potential. I think you should look for someone experienced with sectional garage doors, they will understand this ...
5
While local codes certainly vary, in general there's nothing wrong that I know of with that installation. Your door is not on the stairs, it's in the hall.
5
This isn't a spiral staircase, but rather a helical staircase. The difference is the lack of the centre pole (As you noticed. It's otherwise known as a newel) and that it has handrails on both sides, whereas a spiral staircase only has a handrail on the outside.
I was able to find this example of what appears to be a similar design, though it looks wider ...
5
Spindles (also called balusters) on a staircase are supposed to be properly spaced, structured and attached to prevent a toddler (or anyone else) from falling under the railing.
Typical spacing is 4" on centers, too narrow to fit even a small head between, but check your local code. Obviously children could insert a limb and get hurt, but collapse is ...
5
Absolutely do not use an expanding gap filler, it will make matters worse. If you have verified that each step is level so that it doesn't need to be re-secured to the tread than the gaps can be filled. Also verify that the steps are not loose or shifting. The easiest and most used product to fill each gap would be a latex caulking. A cartridge (or tube) ...
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