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Staircase Ideas

by Andrew Kozlov

Ideas abound about how to highlight the unique qualities of old staircases. However, your first concern is probably to rehabilitate your classic staircase and make it functional again. For instance, you may have inherited an old house that features an ornate staircase, complete with carved balustrades and hand hewn handrails. So how should you test for the structural integrity of your staircase, and what should you do about replacing decayed or broken components?

To start, measure the strength of your treads and risers. Treads are comprised of two boards that measure approximately two by six inches. If your tread is weak, it could be that one of these underlying boards may not be functioning. You can replace this board by itself, or remove the entire tread and riser section of that step.

Ideas for Rehabilitating Your Staircase

If you're having a "shaking hand rail" problem, it could be that your newel posts simply aren't doing their job. I've read online about people trying to provide stabilization for their balusters in the hope of adding integrity to their hand rail systems. However, spindles are primarily attached to the hand rail to prevent fall accidents--they're not really anchoring the balustrade itself.

Thus, you may either need to replace the newel posts altogether or to reassemble the hand rail baluster system piece by piece. Unless you're ordering a pre-made baluster hand rail assembly, it may behoove you to contract this work out to a carpenter. After all, even professionals require at least four to five days of dedicated work to tighten a baluster hand rail system.

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