Fine Homebuilding Magazine

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Out of Print • BUILDING BEYOND THE MAGAZINE’S PAGES

Contributors • THE VOICES OF EXPERIENCE

Fine Homebuilding Magazine

Letters • READER FEEDBACK

Tips & Techniques • HANDS-ON ADVICE FROM READERS IN THE FIELD

Tools & Materials • NOTEWORTHY PRODUCTS, FIXTURES, AND GEAR

Go Pro to Grow • The TrexPro program can boost your business with marketing support, qualified leads, extended warranties, and the backing of a trusted decking brand

New Stairs For An Old House • Tips and tricks for safe, goodlooking stairs in out-of-square and out-of-level conditions

FIXES FOR PROBLEM CONDITIONS

CREATE A FULL-SCALE LAYOUT • Full-scale layouts help locate landings, stringers, treads, and risers so that step height (the height of the riser) is consistent for all of the treads and onto the floors and landings. We keep treads near uniform depth (within 1/4 in.) for a safe, code-compliant stairway.

CUT AND FIT THE CLOSED STRINGER • The closed stringer is fastened to the wall studs and receives the treads and risers, which are fitted tightly into mortises in the stringer for a clean, traditional look. I make the stringer from 5/4x12 primed poplar and cut the top and bottom plumb to meet up with the base trim.

CUT AND FIT THE OPEN STRINGER • The open stringer has overhanging treads that will later receive balusters for the railing. It is fastened to an existing wall that was part of the original staircase. We added 6x6 blocking to the end of the wall for attaching the newel post later.

CUT AND FIT THE TREADS AND RISERS • With the stringers in their correct spots, I install the risers and treads, starting at the bottom and working up. For a tight fit, the risers are beveled where they meet the open stringer and scribed where they meet the floor, the landing, and the treads. Cutting two or more risers to length and positioning them helps make the stringers parallel.

FIT THE TOP TREADS AND RISERS • On this project, the run of stairs from the top landing to the main floor has one partially open tread and then fully closed treads above it. Typically with two closed stringers, treads and risers are slid in from the back side, but the back of the top tread on this run is inaccessible because of a bearing wall (a common scenario), so I install the top tread from the front. This stair run ends on a near-level floor, so there’s no need to cut sloped treads or tapered risers at the top.

Do Safer Strippers Work? • We put 10 methylene chloride–free paint strippers to the test to determine which one is the best

STRIPPER POLL WHICH ONE TAKES IT OFF THE BEST?

SUCCESS WITH STRIPPER

The Revolutionary Kitchen Workstation • How sinks with accessories are changing the way this kitchen designer approaches her work

RETHINK THE SINK • When the author remodeled her kitchen, she had no idea how much the 48-in. workstation would change the way she and her husband use the space. After living with the new kitchen for a while, she reports that if she were to start again, she’d change the design slightly, giving up the counter space she thought was essential for more ergonomical wall ovens.

Beyond the Basin

OUT-OF-SIGHT WORKSTATIONS

Student Housing • A sleek, sustainable, and energy-smart home on a tight infill lot is designed and built by a cohort of architecture students

IN AND OF THE ELEMENTS • Drawing on the site for inspiration and with sustainability and durability in mind, the student team designed...