The first part of this safety improvement project was rounding the corners of the ledge with a jigsaw. I didn't want to bruise myself again on the square corner. Anyway, I practiced using the jigsaw on some scrap wood before doing the real thing, which is advisable since "practice makes perfect." Then I sanded the edge to ensure that it was smooth. Then came the long process of applying sealant, letting it dry and repeating those steps with another layer of sealant and 4 layers of varnish for both the ledge and the banister. That completed the ledge, but I still needed to attach the banister for safety improvement number 2.
Mom came to the rescue again and held the banister many times, including when I needed to mark the spots for drilling holes for the other part of the handrail banister. After drilling those holes, I recommend putting on the piece most of the way so that there is just enough space to put the banister into place before finishing screwing it in place... Using a screwdriver from above is much easier than below in my opinion.
I can see how this would be a two person task. . . .way to go Laura!
ReplyDeletewas wondering how you managed to figure out how far up from the floor to place the rail for your stairway. Where did you find the measurements for that; did you base the height from the bottom of the bottom screw or from where you wanted the railing pole to be placed?
ReplyDeleteHonestly, I just did it by feel, unlike the 1/2 wall, which needed to be a certain height for safety reasons.
ReplyDeleteIf you are going by some measurement guidelines though, you normally use -the edge of the step to the top of the railing- as your measurement. After marking that, you can adjust below that marking for the screws.