I'm happy to report, the stair rail and hardwood components are now in place! And boy are they gorgeous.
And here we have on the left, installer extraordinaire Ken. It was an absolute pleasure to have him around to banter with and watch him work his magic. And then there's head slappin' owner John. I know John, I can relate. I'm sorry it's over so soon too. As they say in paradise... "Wish you were here!"
And no project goes unturned without Vic's friendly influence. I owe ya some gas in that ride of yours, my friend!
So, back in December 2008, we were at this stage. The hardwood components needed some tough love.
First, I gave the pieces a slight beating to remove the perfectness.
Many a night was spent staining and varnishing the pieces. I gave them two coats of stain to deepen the tone and between 4-6 coats of varnish until you could no longer feel the woodgrain with light sanding in between coats. This was a long and labourous task but well worth it. The end result is gorgeous.
Next, came the spindles. Not desiring what the stores carried, because I was after a more industrial feel, I fabricated my own out of 5/8" steel rods trimmed to size on Dan's chop saw. Then a grinder was used to knock off the sharp edges.
The exsisting steps were then notched out to allow for the stair edging placements. ALOT of work!
Here, Ken drills the holes for my custom fabricated spindles. I had to add that part in because I'm so spittin' proud that I had a part in this project!
MY spindles get installed! Weeeeeee!!!!!! Oh and they turned out exactly as I imagined. Abit of rust, black and steel shine through. The warmth of the wood against the cold steel is a very cool illusion.
The incredible handrail goes in next. Ken braces things up for a flawless install. Having been without handrails for nearly 2 years, I can't tell you how much I adore these simplistic things most would take for granted. I don't think I ever will.
Gasp....gorgeous!!!!
Such beautiful edges!
This was one very tricky corner to cut. Ken is my newest hero.
And this is where things stand today. Incredible! All that's left is the carpet running down the center and they are done! Once the carpet is installed, I'll do a before and after on this project.
This was the last major thing left on the house to complete! I honestly think I'm dreaming here.
It's been great having the guys over to make some noise again. I so appreciate this beautiful newest addition. Just more stories and memories to add to the ever growing list around here. Thanks again, all!
