There seems to be a great deal of reluctance among renovators to tackle any kind of stair rebuilding. I have seen many beautifully renovated homes with sagging staircases, loose balusters and makeshift railing supports. People who wouldn't think of leaving cracked plaster cracked or sagging floors unshored will put up with staircases so crooked they would make a sailor seasick, and squeaks so loud they wake the whole family at night.Procrastination and lack of understanding of the mechanics of stair construction are at fault here. No one seems to know quite where or how to start, or who to call to do the job. To be sure, attacking an ailing stair takes courage, resolution and perseverance. It is one of the dirtiest and most disruptive renovating jobs.The stairway is the spine of the multistoried row house. It links the sometimes minimal area of individual floors into what can be a spacious and accommodating floor plan. Because changing the stairway can seriously affect the physical flow of people and spoil the aesthetics of the whole interior design, it is far better to renovate than redesign or reposition.
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