Finishing the Staircase

The main remaining task concerning the staircase was attaching the top end to the upper floor. To a certain extent this happens automatically, because the top stair (actually just a 3" wide strip of nosing that integrates into the upper floor) has a housing joint into the upper newel post and the end string. Effectively the stairs can "hang" on this. However, because I had allowed a generous gap for the stairway to be installed (partly so I knew it would fit, and partly because I wanted to allow sufficient hand clearance on the handrail), this top nosing did not reach the upper floor joist, hence nothing to hang from.

This was easily solved by an additional length of joist bolted to the existing two with 4 lengths of M12 threaded bar, nuts and washers. The nosing is then screwed down into this from the top.

In addition I wanted to attach the Newel post to this, but without drilling all the way through it and having a bolt-head showing up the stairs. In the end I decided to use two more lengths of threaded M12 bar as "dowels".

A spacer was cut to take up the gap between the third joist and the newel, and all was held in place with my trusty car scissor jack, this time operating in horizontal mode. A freshly purchased, extra long multi-purpose 10mm drill was then used to drill 2 angled holes through the three joists, the spacer, and into the newel. Being 10mm, the hole is 2mm under-size for the M12 bar, so this was able to screw in, cutting a thread as it went, when spannered up with a double lock-nut (and Vaseline !). My assistant will demonstrate, thus :

Once the two bars had been wound in, and two monster coach-screws put through the joist at the back into the end-string, the whole assembly was rock solid. Hopefully it will remain so !

The picture that follows shows the finished staircase from below. It was taken a couple of days later (last Tuesday evening, July 31st), after the old staircase had been removed.

The two dark wood struts are temporary supports for the upper corridor. The permanent support for this is a green-oak beam, but at the time this picture was taken it had only just been set in position. It is largely obscured in this picture (evening flash) - I will try and take some better ones soon.

The corridor upstairs can be seen her, with a luxury temporary handrail to stop the sleepwalkers toppling off :

There are two steps down to meet the level in the existing house. You can also see, above the handrail, a portion of the old roof of the house, now indoors. The walls to either side of this are now built up with studwork, and eventually this space will be lost behind plasterboard. The light fitting on the right hand side used to be up the old stairs, but is now at knee height.

The view from the top of the new stairs is like this :

I think I have said before how pleased I was with the quality of construction of the staircase. However, having taken the old one out in one piece, I can see that it is made of much sturdier materials. The treads are thicker, the risers are made of real wood (the new stairs use 9mm ply risers). A pity we couldn't have re-used it really. However, it will not go to waste. If I can work out how to get it out of the house it will be up for sale, or at worst on the local "Freecycle" list. It is even up for consideration as a (temporary) staircase down to the basement room - pending the spiral. Watch this space.......

Last thing for tonight is once more about plastering. I asked the builder for his suggestions regarding the plastering. He too would recommend sand/cement first coat, again possibly with some lime thrown in. Definately not hardwall. His other suggestion was to dry-line with sheets of plasterboard "dabbed" onto the wall (spots of glue). This definately avoids cracking problems, and significantly speeds up the whole process. The only downside is getting secure anchorage for fittings, pictures, radiators, shelves etc. There is not enough of a gap to use specialist plasterboard fixings, and rawlplugs have to go through into the solid wall, not the board.