Staircase Finally Usable

A big milestone today. The top step detail has been completed and floorboards leading up to it re-instated, so it can now be used. No more do we need to go outside to get to the basement !

This view of the underside shows the mini-newel posts and the proximity of the pipes. The left hand newel is not as wide as the other because the string is up against the wall. You are supposed to imagine that the missing bit is embedded in the wall, which it isn't, but you get the idea.

In fact the top of that newel is full size because the wall in the basement does not line up with that in the upstairs room. You can see this in the next photo, where there are now two joists sat on top of the basement wall. This is because the basement wall is built in front of the underpinning that was done for what was the exterior wall of the house. At first floor level a shelf will run along these two joists as well as across the width of the stairs at the far end of the stair-well.



A shaped oak tread sits on the top of the mini-newels and gives a clean flush finish to the upstairs. There is a temporary hand-rail to stop us toppling down the hole late on a Friday night !