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Tuesday, January 1, 2013

Ripping carpet from the stairs!

I cannot believe it has been this long since I've blogged.  Those with 4 kids will understand.  Life gets really really busy.  I wish I had the time to write like I used too, but I am homeschooling 3 right now, and teaching an Intro to Spanish class at co-op and a Middle School Literature and Composition class at my home. Not to mention Lego Robotics that just wrapped up!  Our team took 2nd place OVERALL in the state!!  A-Maz-Ing!
Okay, so our family celebrated Christmas, and my one present I asked for was that the carpet be pulled up off the stairs so I could stain them or paint them.  Great idea right?!  Um.... well, unfortunately we did not find anything good under the stairs.  Just builders quality pine boards.  Ugly.  At least it was wood, though.. right? However,  the builders left large gaps between the stairs and the wall.  We were going to have to address some major details.  We weren't going to be able to just sand and slap some stain on these bad boys, no... we had some things to figure out.  (The hard way).
The King Fish didn't want to pull out all the treads, but our stairs squeaked and creaked so badly, that it just made sense to deal with that problem now... rather than leave it.  Gosh he was not very happy! (But it was the right thing to do!--- he even says so .... Now.)
If The King Fish and I are nothing else, we can be resourceful. Unfortunately, we learn a lot by trial and error.  The stairs project has been no exception. Not only did we have the gaps to deal with, but the builders had drywall sandwiched between the stairs and trim.  That needed to come off too if we were going to expose those stairs.  I wish I had a picture of that, but dh was quick to pull it down.
The stairs are thankfully back up, and I am happy to report that they are SQUEAK FREE!  If we don't go a step farther, that was worth it just to have silent wood stairs to climb up and come down. We just not stained or painted yet. My color issues are coming into play again as I realize we have 5 inch cherry planks at the base of the stairs, and I have to watch that the color doesn't go too dark.  So my original stain choice is out the door, and The King Fish is getting new samples as I type. If I end up hating everything and how they look stained, then I am going to paint the stairs with a runner. 
Below are some photos of where we are now in the process, plus some inspiration photos as well. 
~Jackie









2 comments:

InMyOwnStyle said...

Hi Jackie -

Thanks for the nice note. I love hearing from others. My steps are far from perfect, but I am so glad I took the plunge and did them. They make the house look much more modern and fresh. You are doing it right - by taking your time.

I can totally understand why it would be hard, nearly impossible to blog with all that you do. My girls are grown and I have all day to do what I want now, and I find it hard. God Bless you for being a hands-on mom and teacher.

I live about an hour and a half from the Poconos. My friend has a vacation house on one of the lakes there. It is quite serene seeing the water and mountain view. The area has not been built up too much which is nice.

Thanks again for connecting with me.
I hope 2013 is a wonderful year for you and your adorable family.

My best- Diane

Dede said...

I love the look of the last inspiration picture. I can't wait to see how you finish it.

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