Stair safety (toddlers)
Nick Smart
7 years ago
Featured Answer
Sort by:Oldest
Comments (6)
zaffa
7 years agoNick Smart
7 years agoRelated Discussions
Need understair shelving ideas please
Comments (20)It seems that 2 story houses are becoming much more the norm here. At least in the metro areas. People are wanting bigger houses and builders can get more house on less land. Mattresses, box springs and dressers have to be the WORST things to get up stairs ;-) I love the look of staircases and love the view a 2nd story provides. I'll tell ya though - we're not elderly (YET!) but I love not carrying laundry and other items up and down stairs ;-)...See MoreDifficult patio space
Comments (2)You can go far enough out on your slope so the vertical distance from the ground at your existing terrace and the slope is 3' or less. There are lots of retaining wall systems you can DIY there at the 3' limit and backfill to level a larger area. You might take in dirt when someone excavates for a pool, for instance - contact the pool contractors in your area and offer to take dirt for them as spring comes. you can also borrow the dirt from your own land further out. Once you make a larger flat area, treat the area where it slopes off from it with some thoughtful planters surrounding 6-10 wide / 4' deep "stairs" . Your leveling above will make the transition area a bit more steep . . so use this area for kitchen garden / raised beds that you sit at from the terrace side and walk up to from the bottom. The slope between should be stairs and on the outside edges you can use groundcover or plant more edibles. Then you'll always have herbs near the kitchen. The stairs will be large and wide enough to provide more seating or even be a play stage with audience arrayed below. Consider shade and where you want it when you plant trees. Deciduous trees are wonderful in colder climates as they give shade only in the summer and then provide architecture but no leaves for allowing winter sun in . . . Think of the land as a series of "rooms" with functions. The larger flat area will allow you to provide a dining terrace behind the grill area and expand your seating where you have the french doors. Your dining area might benefit from a pergola / open frame / trellis above that eventually you grow some lovely pole beans up on. . ....See MoreNew kitchen, but just not working.
Comments (448)fragle0 ... congratulations on the new addition to your family. Have been following your lovely changes. You probably won't have time to work on the decor for a while. Just wanted to suggest that you try pulling the nesting tables forward to be more in line with front of the chairs & placing your floor lamp to the back of them. This will give a bit more light at night for reading in that area.Also switching the plant by the fireplace & the one on the corner by the sofa....See MoreStairway revamp
Comments (15)You can leave the handrail the same distance from the wall as it is now. Leave it connected to the newel post at the top; remove the newel post at the bottom, and add what's called a 'return' to anchor the bottom end to the wall. Then add a couple of brackets going up the stairs. The challenge is that the return should match the profile of the handrail, in order to blend, but check at the home center or a lumber yard/mill to see if you can match it (take measurements/drawings/close-up photos, etc.). As for painting the stairs--be careful with "fun" graphics. The treads and risers need to be clearly defined and regular. For example, a plaid or check that doesn't match the tread and riser exactly at each step is a trip hazard and may not meet building codes. People need to be able to see the treads clearly even without paying attention to them. Walking is an unconscious activity and we need to make it as easy as possible. Confusing patterns are a menace. In NYC, they put new edges on treads on one stairway at one train station that were designed to make them less slippery. However, they also made it more difficult to discern the edge of the tread. In 6 weeks, more than 1,400 people fell down those stairs. Then they redid them. Over 90% of injuries on stairs happen during descent. I highly recommend Bill Bryson's great book 'At Home--A Short History of Private Life'. The NYC anecdote above came from Chapter 14--'The Stairs'. Fascinating and amusing book. My house is 100 years old, so I feel your pain dealing with the changes and additions that happened over time....See MoreNick Smart
7 years agoMiami Stainless
7 years agoGet Andy Building P/L
7 years agolast modified: 7 years ago
Sponsored
Reload the page to not see this specific ad anymore
Miami Stainless