Help me, Im slowly destroying my home.

Brent Dowell said:

Newel post = The thing at the end of a staircase railing that keeps you from sliding down the staircase railing when you are a kid.

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It never completely stopped us, just had to learn to jump off before you got there.

Allan, you can do this, easy, the ideas here are flying fast and thick, that is a good thing

Sheetrock is not hard, buy good tools, not cheap crap, watch a few videos online, it is not hard at all to do what you have to do.
I like the idea of you turning your own pieces to put in there, go for it!

Oh, and for "Demo", trust me, you have not got nearly as far as some of us have!

the wife wants to keep it simple, to be uniformed with the rest of the room once we paint and put up new molding.
I kinda like a raised panel, even a flat one, can use some trim molding to give it a nice look, but she wants flat, doesnt want to draw any attention to the area, keep it simple and straightfoward.
I didnt intend on using many ballisters, hoping only one or two for mainly design, not relying on them being functional, its a short rail.
Wall first, I have to notch it out near the stairs, Ill try to work on it tomorrow.

Darren Wright said:

It never completely stopped us, just had to learn to jump off before you got there.

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Them's didn't learn, them went soprano.

allen levine said:

the wife wants to keep it simple, to be uniformed with the rest of the room once we paint and put up new molding.
I kinda like a raised panel, even a flat one, can use some trim molding to give it a nice look, but she wants flat, doesnt want to draw any attention to the area, keep it simple and straightfoward.
I didnt intend on using many ballisters, hoping only one or two for mainly design, not relying on them being functional, its a short rail.
Wall first, I have to notch it out near the stairs, Ill try to work on it tomorrow.

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Allen there are certain rules and codes to the instilations of stairs and the spacing of ballisters. Safety is number one and it may not effect you now but it can. If a child gets his head stuck between the ballasters you could be facing other legal issues. This is why people hire contractors for the jobs. They know the local codes. Go to the municipal office of the building inspectors and ask for the info. We just can't throw anything up as we see fit in building homes. We have to get permits and get inspections and have to adhear to all the rules ( not just the ones that we like) . These rules are in place to protect home owners and future home owners. I wish that I could just throw up what i wanted, it would make life so much simpler at times.

Tim Hofstetter said:

Them's didn't learn, them went soprano.

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So true

Darren Wright said:

You should have 1/2" drywall Allen, should just have to butt to the old drywall, tape, and mud over. I'd feather it out about 12" on each side. I've drawn some pics of the framing I'd suggest. Nail the jack wall studs to your stair stringer to sturdy it up.

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+1 on Darren's suggestion.

I would also frame up a stub wall flush with the top of the stringer. Fasten it to the stringer, drywall it. Then put in the post + handrail.

I'm not seeing the 'nightmare' of the 60YO house. Let me help with pics of the 30YO part of MY 60YO house...

Kirk, that brings shivers with the memories of what I used to do for a living. Yours is pretty mild yet, I've seen some bad places.

Allen, You should be able to find some pretty slim balusters at the home store, but I'd suggest not going more than a 4" gap between them. From the looks of your treads they are about 8", so probably between the newel post and the wall, you'll most likely need about 6 or 7 balusters. I can't tell from the pictures, but you may need a short hand rail with a support baluster off the newel for the first step, but a hand rail on the opposite wall would probably suffice too.

Darren Wright said:

Kirk, that brings shivers with the memories of what I used to do for a living. Yours is pretty mild yet, I've seen some bad places.

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I can do better than these. Don't wanna derail the thread.

According to the residential code a handrail is only required on one side of a staircase if it's 36" wide or less. You could put a handrail on the opposite side and return it around the lower landing and be in accordance with code.

If your wife wants the least noticeable solution I would suggest a simple low level stud wall with a sloping top at the same height as the guardrail would be. Drywall the framing
and then use a 1x6 trim piece on the top and the face where it meets the first tread.

this is what I got , I might have to let my neighbor the contractor take a look and make sure I can proceed with putting compound on it.
I bought mold resistant board, one board isnt going to hurt in cost.
I got the basic look I want, the wall is stronger than the original wall, I just dont know much about construction.
IM learning off the internet, and here.
Handrail-I had or had no intentions of putting ballisters in on the stairs.
My house never had a handrail past the one up there, the bottom few stairs new had one.(Im going to attach a homemade post at the bottom of the stairs and the new wall bottom)
I want to run one handrail at same angle the wall I built, above it, with only 2 ballisters connected to the top of the slanted top of the little wall I put in now.
They are mainly decorative ballisters, and put a handrail into the flat part of the wall, then have another handrail replace the one thats there, but Ill make one, a very simple one, and mount it on brass arm brackets.

wow, sorry about the picture quality, I will get better shots eventually, I didnt shut the spotlight off, I need bright light to work in, and I cant see the lcd picture on my camera.

2 days for a 3 foot piece of wall. I dont know why anyone calls this woodworking. I make campfires and throw wood into them, thats not woodworking.
This is a good advertisement for the contractors and handymen of America, we still need you guys, alot.

Looks great Allen!

I agree, looking good Allen!

Looking good, Allen. Pretty soon you're gonna have to add "drywaller" to your list of acquired skills.

Drew Watson said:

Allen there are certain rules and codes to the instilations of stairs and the spacing of ballisters. Safety is number one and it may not effect you now but it can. If a child gets his head stuck between the ballasters you could be facing other legal issues. This is why people hire contractors for the jobs. They know the local codes. Go to the municipal office of the building inspectors and ask for the info. We just can't throw anything up as we see fit in building homes. We have to get permits and get inspections and have to adhear to all the rules ( not just the ones that we like) . These rules are in place to protect home owners and future home owners. I wish that I could just throw up what i wanted, it would make life so much simpler at times.

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I know youre 100% correct about code violations and improper installation.
ONe thing noone does on LI, is go and present questions to code officers.
These guys out here go through your garbage at night and hope to find a coke can so they can write you up and you have to stand before a judge in night court and explain why one can got past you and not into recyclables.
They are raving lunatics with code out here.

That last set o' pics says it - you're on it, Allen. That's just what my mind's eye saw. Now... many would have sheetrock on the top but I see that as a place that'd pick up marks like NOBODY's business... so I'd cap it with wood trim.

Ya makin' that house BETTER, ya are... makin' the ghosts happy again.

Looks great Allen! Those corners aren't an easy to put together - especially for your first job.

Oh, one bit of advice a contractor once gave me - sight or run your finger along the beads. If there is a dimple (from the screws or otherwise) it will telegraph into the mud. Easier to catch and fix before mud than after.

Wes

Hey, don't drywall it, wood back (against the stairs) and shelves towards the room, sloping like you have with a nice piece of cherry or walnut, be an eye appealing addition for sure.

Jonathan Shively said:

Hey, don't drywall it, wood back (against the stairs) and shelves towards the room, sloping like you have with a nice piece of cherry or walnut, be an eye appealing addition for sure.

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Thats the way to go. You will eliminate having to tape , compound and sand forever. Plus it will look real classy.

Nice job Allen