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Found 20 results for the keyword ‘Stairs’

  • Softwood stair railings - a legal problem in Ontario.

    Until recently there were no residential code requirements in Canada about the strength of stair railing, and still none in the residential part of National Building Code. There are requirements about the spacing of spindles -- no opening larger than 4 inches to keep a baby's head from passing t...
  • Trimming carpet around stair spindles

    For some people, it is a mystery how to measure out the hole you need to cut in a carpet for the spindles or balusters on a stairway. Actually the key is to not measure at all. I recommend that you first practice with a piece of paper. Of course the real rug will be harder to deal with, be...
  • Weather Restrictions: Concrete Surface Patching

    Connect to your favourite weather forecaster and look for the following conditions:   Category: Concrete     Product: Surface Patching Temperature Limitations: Above +5 C (+40 F) and below +30 C (+85 F) Rain Limitations: Protect from rain until concrete is set, 2 to 6 hours (so rain won't was...
  • Weather Restrictions: Concrete - site mixed or delivered.

    Connect to your favourite weather forecaster and look for the following conditions:   Category: Concrete     Product: All site mixed or delivered concrete Temperature Limitations: Use above +2 C (+35 F) Rain Limitations: No rain until surface is firm -- several hours Wind Limitations:  n/a ...
  • THE CASE MODULAR ADJUSTABLE STAIRCASE SYSTEM

    To see an introductory video on the Case Modular Adjustable Staircase System, click on the photo above.  Modular and other pre-fabricated staircase systems all fail to assure an even rise from top to bottom usually having a short step on the top, bottom or both. When people walk on staircases th...
  • How to renew worn stairs without replacing them.

    David in Toronto sent us a photo of some very badly worn steps that he wanted to recover with wood without removing the old stairway. It is not easy, but it can be done. First sand or cut the round nose of each stair square. We will put a new round nose on as the last step. Clean the stair off ...
  • Renovation Planning

    There are many reasons why detailed planning is essential in renovation and construction.  Good planning avoids a lot of changes as you go, and often changes are very disruptive if you have to go back and rebuild something already done.  Good planning gives you a chance to see the whole picture, ...
  • Outdoor basement stairs -- CAUTION!

    Can I cut in a door where the basement window is presently? Ed and Shirley from Dundas, Ontario want to put a door into the basement right where there is presently a window. Can they do it? If the door is the same width as the window, there will be no structural problems above. If you make the ...
  • Speciality Ladders

    Aren’t we all tempted by all the speciality ladders we see?  Two of the ladders below I showed on my TV show a long time ago.  Checking out these ladders sent me on quite a study of ladders, and updating this article over the years shows how some things die and get reborn.  Ladders sold for home...
  • Working with stairs

    Paul from Vancouver wants to put some new stairs down to his basement, but he has a very limited opening in the floor above. He wants to know just how do you determine the slope of stairs. In the first photo you can see on the model the triangle formed by stairs as they go to the basement. The t...