Measuring for Handrails /Staircases

Prior to measuring for your staircase, you need to think ahead to your finished flooring material. You must make these selections for both the top and bottom of the stairs. The reason for this is simple: the stair builder needs to know the height dimension between the two floors from finish floor to finish floor.

When measuring between floors, you cannot simply drop a tape measure from the balcony above in a straight line to the floor below. Why? Well, the first floor subfloor may be out of level. It wouldn't be the first time this sort of thing happened.

The stair builder will tell you that you need to know where the stairs will start and where exactly they will end. It is this vertical distance that is crucial. So how in the world do you do this? There are several ways, but I prefer to make a level line along the wall which the stairwell will climb. If the staircase makes a turn, no problem. Start the line at the subfloor at the upper landing. Continue the line until you are directly above the spot where the stairs will end. Measure between the two points and you will have the magic number!

If you are getting ready to build a new home, talk with the rough carpenter. Make sure that they use the straightest floor joist materials around the staircase. Also, stress how important it is for these floors to be level.

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Staircase & Handrail Installation

If you purchase a high-quality staircase and provide accurate dimensions as called for by the stair builder, your staircase will install with no problems.

Plan on having two or three people handy, some clamps and an assortment of power tools. There will be no need for precise drilling on the stair parts. This will already be completed.

The most important thing to do is to take whatever time is necessary to read the directions from cover to cover. Then, hand them to your Number One assistant and make them read the instructions. Sure, this may take an extra 15 minutes, but it will pay off.

CLICK this image and listen to the second call on the podcast. I talk to Tracey about how to find traditional stair parts and who to install them. Copyright 2018 Tim Carter

Do exactly as the stair builder says. Do not take shortcuts. If you begin to assemble the handrail and skip a step, you may be unable to install one piece or another. Sometimes you cannot go back a step!

Above all, take your time. Patience will be rewarded with a beautiful installation.

Finishing

Many stair builders suggest that their products be finished as rapidly as possible. You may be required to perform hand sanding to give the railing and all parts a really smooth feel.

Ask the manufacturer to supply you with scrap pieces of handrail and or fittings for test staining purposes. Test various stains, let them dry and then apply the finish of choice to see which color you will like. Don't experiment on your finished handrail!!

The key to finishing lies in the amount of hand sanding. The smoother the wood prior to staining, the better it will look when complete. It may be to your benefit to sand many of the pieces prior to assembly. This will eliminate the hard to sand spots where one stair part meets another. If you choose to do this, you need to constantly work with clean hands to avoid smudges on the wood.

All that will be required when complete is a quick finish sanding. Be sure to sand between coats of urethane. Plus, consider applying four to five coats of urethane for a long-lasting finish.

Balusters

Would you like a really unique handrail system? One that will be the envy of your friends and neighbors? It's easy to do. All you need to do is use the balusters (commonly referred to as spindles) in your handrail system as a decorative element.

Balusters come in various shapes and styles. Many of them are the same basic shape, but with alternate carvings or turnings. My wife designed our handrail system. It always is the center of attention when someone enters our house.

She used three different kinds of balusters in our system. They simply repeat as you go up or down the staircase (1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3......) It is a very dramatic effect. You can also install three balusters per tread for a dramatic look. Most staircases only have two. The last old house I lived in had three per step. It was extremely distinctive and beautiful.

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Architectural interior and exterior millwork can really make the difference on a home. Have you ever been in an older house? What makes an old home different from a new one? The walls are usually the same - that is, a smooth surface. The ceilings are the same too, although in an older home they might be one or two feet higher. The only difference is usually the woodwork. Older homes had generous woodwork and millwork. Labor and the wood itself was abundant and cheap. As we know, these things have changed! Labor costs are outrageous. It can cost you a king's ransom today to attempt to recreate in wood the detailing you see on an older home. Urethane millwork, however, has come to the rescue to minimize labor costs.

Compound Moldings

When you look at crown moldings on the inside or outside of a house, you are often looking at three or four different pieces of wood. In some instances there are hidden rough pieces of lumber that are needed to fill out gaps and provide a nailing surface for the exposed pieces. The labor cost to install all of these pieces can be enormous. Urethane millwork can often duplicate these compound moldings in one profile! You only have to install one large piece of trim.

Just Like Wood

The urethane products are in many ways just like wood. You use the same tools to install it and shape it. Most people already own the few simple tools you need to work with this wonder material.

Here is a typical list of tools you need:

To install and finish the urethane millwork, you will need the following materials:

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Limitations of Urethane Millwork

Many of the pieces of urethane millwork - especially exterior pieces - look as if they could support weight. Columns are examples of this. Urethane millwork is NON-structural. This means they are for decorative purposes only.

Each manufacturer often has unique installation procedures. They are not difficult to follow. However, I recommend that you read the instructions twice before attempting to install your millwork or before the carpenter does. You want to make sure that it is done correctly!

Keep the millwork out of direct, hot sunlight while working with it. Urethane millwork can and does expand. This expansion needs to be accounted for. If you install a piece that has lots of retained heat and has already expanded, it may shrink and leave a gap. The manufacturers give you specific instructions on how to deal with this.

Urethane and Vinyl Siding

Urethane door surrounds and other trim pieces look great with vinyl siding. You can get into problems though if you are not careful. When you install urethane over vinyl, you need to incorporate an extra step in the fastening process.

Vinyl siding expands and contracts with changes in temperature. If you nail it tightly in place, it will buckle when it gets hot. Nails that penetrate from the urethane into vinyl siding need to pass through enlarged holes in the vinyl siding. To achieve this, you have to tack the urethane trim in place so it makes holes in the vinyl. You then remove the urethane trim and enlarge the holes in the vinyl. It is best to enlarge the holes at least three times the diameter of the nail shaft.

Once all the holes are drilled out, you then fill them with caulk. Immediately, reposition the urethane trim and drive the nails into the enlarged, caulked holes.

Patience and Measuring

Some urethane millwork trim is expensive. If you make a mistake, you often have an expensive scrap piece of trim. Take your time when measuring and cutting.

Many of the products are supposed to be cut long and snapped into position. Sometimes you are supposed to cut the pieces 1/4 inch extra for every 10 feet of length. Remember, you can always cut off more! Cut a piece a little long and test fit it. If you are working with another person, ALWAYS calibrate your tape measures! If the hooked end is bent (from dropping it), you can be off by 1/8 to 1/4 inch easily!

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Urethane Millwork Manufacturers

This is a growing industry. Urethane is a unique material in that it is unaffected by water. You can't say that about wood! It can also be formed into any imaginable shape with minimal or no material waste. Once the mold is constructed, urethane foam is injected into the tightly sealed mold. To duplicate this with wood, you often have to start with a block and cut, route and shape. This produces waste wood in the form of shavings and sawdust. You pay for this dust when you buy your wood moldings. Granted, the dust is often used in some other process or product, but it still adds to the cost of a wood molding.

There are hundreds of designs and profiles. There are just too many to list. Look at all of the manufacturers listed. Wait till you see the HUGE variety of moldings, trim, etc.!

I can just about guarantee you that you will find the urethane millwork you need to add that finishing touch to the interior or exterior of your home.

• Chemcrest Architectural Products
   
• Balmer Architectural Mouldings

• Focal Point Architectural Products
  

• Fypon

• Spectis Moulders, Inc.

• Style Solutions, Inc.

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Can you imagine having a staircase with breathtaking wainscoting? How about a family room wall? A dining room, a study or den, even a living room? The possibilities are endless. These types of finishing details used to be available only to those flush with cash. Advancements in technology and materials are allowing folks like you and me the opportunity to adorn our houses with this splendid interior treatment.

Dust, Straw, Glue & Veneer

Traditional wainscoting was made from solid wood. This was fine when hardwoods were abundant. Solid wood is nice, but it has its problems. For one, it is a hygroscopic material. This means that it responds to changes in humidity. In other words, it can shrink and swell. This type of movement can cause cracks in raised panels and it can create cracks in the finishes where the panels slide into the horizontal and vertical rails that surround the panels.

This problem has been solved by at least one innovative company - New England Classic Interiors. The wainscoting they make uses lots of engineered wood products. Certain parts are made with medium density fiberboard. The raised panels are actually made from recycled wheat straw. All parts are then covered with high quality wood veneers or paint-grade melamine. The net result is a stable, solid, affordable product that will set your house apart from all others in the subdivision!

Cost Comparisons

What does this wonderful wainscoting cost? It depends on how you decide to finish it. Paint grade material is far less expensive than wainscoting you intend to stain. You can get paint grade wainscoting from New England Classic Interiors for about $6.00 per square foot. This is what I am using in my dining room. If you want their stain grade cherry, oak or maple, be prepared to go as high as $20 per square foot. If you think these prices are high, wait till you see the closest competitor's price sheet!

Click here to watch a video on installing Wainscoting.

Design Services

Both companies that I found who can readily supply wainscoting offer design services. The New England Classic Interiors system is very user friendly. You can go to their website and design your own system and price it out at the same time.

Related Link:

Wainscoting – Distinctive Wall Paneling

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Installation

Can you install wainscoting yourself? If you start with a simple room that has straightforward walls, the answer is "Yes!" Difficult jobs should only be tackled by a finish carpenter or after you have gained some experience.

The tricks with working with wainscoting are the following:

1. Be sure the layout and all design dimensions are accurate. Double and triple check before ordering the material.
2. Be sure the base rail of the system is level. If it isn't, as you add panels and such, they will be out of level and out of plumb when you get to corners!
3. Measure twice - cut once. Mistakes with this material are costly and can slow down completion times.
4. Start on a small wall to see how the components fit together.
5. Pre-paint all components if that is the finish. Be sure no paint buildup is present where pieces interlock.
6. Watch out for electrical boxes. You may have to move an electrical box to make sure it ends up on the flat portion of a panel. This is not the end of the world. Who cares if you destroy a little drywall? The panel will cover it!
7. Consider renting a pneumatic or impulse nailer. Hand nailing this material is tricky. You don't want to make a mistake. Air nailers countersink the nails automatically.
8. Back cut stiles that end up in corners. Only the face of the material has to touch the stile on the other side of the corner. Set your table saw at less than a 90 degree angle to accomplish this.
9. Follow all directions to the letter. If you don't understand something, call the manufacturer!
10. For stained systems apply stain and clear finish before filling nail holes. Use a matching color putty and a small brush or Q-Tip to apply clear finish to the color putty after it has dried. NEVER apply nail filler to wood before staining.

Click here to watch a video on installing wainscoting.

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Wainscoting Suppliers-Manufacturers

There are hundreds, probably thousands of manufacturers of wainscoting in the USA. The trouble is, many are small shops. In fact, a really good finish carpenter armed with the right tools can make his/her own on the jobsite! I know because I did it about 20 years ago.

At the time of publication of this Bulletin, I could only find two companies that offer any type of acceptable design and fabrication services that are homeowner friendly. I did a Web search using various search engines, but the results were dismal.

Perhaps the most interesting thing is the difference between the two companies. One of them happens to be located in my city - Cincinnati, Ohio. This company's product is similar in many ways to traditional wainscoting. They use solid wood rails and stiles, veneer covered raised panels, and then additional hold down moldings that frame the panels.

The other company is located in Portland, Maine. Their system is more environmentally friendly and has fewer parts. This is the system I am using in my dining room! The finish level of the product is superb.

Click here to watch a video on installing wainscoting.

• Hyde Park Lumber Company
  Hyde Park Raised Panel System
• New England Classic Interiors

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Cutting and installing woodwork is not easy, especially if you want it done right. You need to have a high level of hand-eye coordination and you need to have some high quality tools. If you think that you are going to produce expert miters using a $19.99 plastic miter box and saw, you are crazy. I know some carpenters who just can't do it. They simply do not possess the level of precision required to make perfect joints.

Millions of Words

There are hundreds of books, articles and videos out there that try to show you how to install woodwork. Some of the finest books on the subject are published by the Taunton Press. They also produce Fine Homebuilding and Fine Woodworking magazines. You can read many of these and read all I have to say, but the bottom line is that you must jump in and start to hack away and practice. Of course you need the right miter box before you begin.

Tools - Ouch!

If you are serious about installing baseboard, casings and crown molding, you need a good miter box saw. The minimum saw you need is one with a 10 inch diameter blade. It will work fine for all but the largest moldings. These tools will cut off your fingers in a heartbeat, so you must use them only when you are alert and after you have read all of the warnings.

You will also need a razor knife, a rasp (a wood file), a coping saw and some wood chisels. All of these tools could easily set you back nearly $400. A good source of tools online is Coastal Tool Company.

A Simple Frame

I feel the best place to start is to make a simple rectangular picture frame out of standard door casings. You need to cut 4 pieces of trim - say 10 inches long - when measured from the outside corners of the 45 degree miter joints. If you cut them right, then when fitted together there will be no gaps. Make a mistake of just 1/16th inch on any one cut or measurement, and you will have problems.

Laying Flat

You may cut perfect miter joints for door or window casing that fit together fine on a workbench but when placed on a wall, the joint opens up. This often happens because the wall surface next to the door or window jamb is not in the same plane. The rough studs behind the drywall may be twisted.

Keep in mind that when you look at a mitered wood joint, only the finished surface area of the trim needs to touch tightly. If the wood just below the surface was hollow or didn't touch, who would be the wiser? You can remedy this problem often by back cutting the miter joint. In other words, use a razor knife to trim away the wood on the saw cut edge of the miter joint. Be careful as you whittle this wood with a sharp razor knife! Try a practice one to see what I mean. You will be amazed at how this allows you to create very tight miters.

Baseboards

These give people lots of problems, especially in new drywall jobs. The corners often look good when you fit the wood, but after they are nailed, there is a large gap at the bottom of the joint. Why? The drywall for 99 percent of all jobs is hung horizontally. The tapered edge of the drywall at the floor level is often never filled by the drywall finisher. To make matters worse, sometimes there is a hump of mud at the bottom that creates all sorts of problems. You have to chisel out any humps of mud and if the tapered edge is not filled, you may have to place thin shims at the bottom of the baseboards to get it to come together perfectly. Woodwork installation requires lots of patience, don't you agree?

Things Must Be Square

If you are installing casings around doors and windows and are cutting ordinary 45 degree miters, then you better make sure the door or window frame is perfectly square. If it isn't, your 45 degree cuts will be off, or when your miter joints are tight, your reveal along the edge of the jamb will be off. You can use a framing square to check these things, but straight pieces of trim cut at 45 degree angles will work as well. No two trim jobs are the same. You will find yourself constantly adjusting and whittling!

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Sources of Custom Trim & Woodwork

Koetter Woodworking Inc.

This company creates enormous amounts of custom trim that is sold to traditional lumber yards and some home centers. They make all sorts of trim and they might have a stock profile that will suit your needs.

Paxton-The Wood Source

This is a company that sells very unique woodwork made from unusual wood species. They are limited in their national distribution, but you might be lucky and have one near you or they may ship to you. They are in the following cities: Albuquerque, Austin, Cincinnati, Denver, Des Moines, Grand Prairie, Kansas City, New Orleans, Oklahoma City, and Tulsa. There is no single phone number for all.

Molding profile possibilities are infinite. A woodworking mill can design and create any profile you desire. It is just a simple matter of making the cutting knife that fits into the shaping machine.

In my home town of Cincinnati, we have no fewer than five mills that will readily make any molding knife that you want. They will then mill just about any wood species you want with that knife. So, if you want walnut woodwork, or cherry, or zebrawood, it is yours for the asking.

The high-strength steel knives that shape the molding can be ground by hand or they can be made with highly sophisticated milling machines that are computer controlled. One set of knives can remain sharp enough to cut thousands and thousands of linear feet of trim.

The best place to start looking for custom trim is your local lumberyard. They almost always have contacts for custom trim. If you want other places, use the Search feature on this page and type "Woodwork" or "Woodworking Mills" or a similar type heading. Put on your Columbo trench coat and start acting like a detective. Get comparative prices and remember that the more trim you buy the cheaper the price is per linear foot!

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