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Roperd
Junior Member
Joined: 31 Aug 2008
Posts: 6
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 Posted: Mon Sep 01, 2008 7:58 pm Post subject: awkward stairs for a banister - help please |
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Hello, we've just bought our first house and know very little about DIY. I want to replace the very dated banister/handrail on our stairs with the usual spindle type ones but the problem is that our stair well is narrow and the side where you would put the base rail doesn't run all the way up the stairs but sort of disappears into the downstairs ceiling/upper floors (hope that makes sense). I have seen pictures of where the spindles go up as usual but then get shorter and shorter also going into the ceiling but I have no idea how to do this. Could anyone tell me how to do this safely as I can't see how i can make it sturdy
Thanks
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Tryanything
Senior Member
Joined: 18 Aug 2007
Posts: 1535
Location: Essex
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| Posted: Mon Sep 01, 2008 8:37 pm Post subject: |
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Can you post a picture of existing handrail and spindles as it makes it so much easier for someone trying to give you advice
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fin
Senior Member
Joined: 16 Apr 2008
Posts: 314
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| Posted: Mon Sep 01, 2008 9:06 pm Post subject: |
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| there is a type of handrail kit that is available with iirc hinged joints at end of the hand rails etc. dead modern lookin like. cant remember the name though. if i go to my local timber place tomoz ill let ya know
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Roperd
Junior Member
Joined: 31 Aug 2008
Posts: 6
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| Posted: Mon Sep 01, 2008 9:32 pm Post subject: |
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Yeah i apreciate my description wasn't very clear! I'll give it a go;
hope those work[/url]
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Roperd
Junior Member
Joined: 31 Aug 2008
Posts: 6
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| Posted: Mon Sep 01, 2008 9:33 pm Post subject: |
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| Wow, they came out a bit big! Sorry about that!!
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ultimatehandyman
Site Admin
Joined: 16 Jul 2005
Posts: 9756
Location: Darwen, Lancashire
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| Posted: Tue Sep 02, 2008 8:13 pm Post subject: |
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This looks like a tricky one 
I'm concerned about the handrail as well as there is not much room for it, because of the landing
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joiner_uk
Senior Member
Joined: 08 Apr 2008
Posts: 257
Location: Sheffield
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big-all
Pro Carpenter
Joined: 16 Dec 2006
Posts: 2784
Location: redhill surrey an auld reekie laddie
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| Posted: Wed Sep 03, 2008 8:51 am Post subject: |
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yep exactly as joiner says you have no real choice as the handrail has to be central to the string 
you can also use a bit off string cap to top off the shortend spindles instead of handrail
also if the spindles are identical top and bottom you use the off cuts from the bottom of the "V" to fill in the top
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Roperd
Junior Member
Joined: 31 Aug 2008
Posts: 6
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| Posted: Thu Sep 04, 2008 2:23 pm Post subject: |
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Thank you all for your help so far - that picture is exactly what i had in mind! I can't see how it is done though - what is it that the spindles are going into as the bit that hangs down from the upper floor, the string, in ours is very thin? Is it just like another base rail with the spindles superglued in and is this secure esp if you cut them of mind way like it ? How is the hand rail fixed into the ceiling properly too?
oh and i meant to say, thanks fin, did you find the name of what you were talking about?
Thanks again
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Roperd
Junior Member
Joined: 31 Aug 2008
Posts: 6
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| Posted: Thu Sep 04, 2008 2:27 pm Post subject: |
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I apologise for my extreme lack of knowledge of technical terms too! 
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big-all
Pro Carpenter
Joined: 16 Dec 2006
Posts: 2784
Location: redhill surrey an auld reekie laddie
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| Posted: Thu Sep 04, 2008 3:56 pm Post subject: |
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look here http://www.stairpartsonline.co.uk/catlist.php?cat=2
choose "base rail" to see how you fit the spindles into the slots in the base rail and hand rail with spacers to keep them correct even distance appart 
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Roperd
Junior Member
Joined: 31 Aug 2008
Posts: 6
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| Posted: Thu Sep 04, 2008 8:51 pm Post subject: |
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Thanks big-all - I think I now get how to slot the spindles in for the majority of them but what I am struggling to understand is how to get the top halfs in on the section after the handrail runs out and they start to go into the ceiling? I can't see what they are going into? Is it just a base rail attached upside down to the ceiling or is there a special thing you can buy? or do you attach the handrail horizontally to the ceilng for them to go into?
Sorry for all the questions
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jp
Junior Member
Joined: 03 Apr 2008
Posts: 6
Location: merseyside
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| Posted: Thu Sep 04, 2008 9:02 pm Post subject: |
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looking at the pic supplied with turned spindles in white, might be easier to use square or a stop chamfered type.
also if your going to modernise and want something great try axxys. it's spindles are tube round so easy to keep a pattern,
try www.cheshiremouldings.co.uk
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Griffin
Junior Member
Joined: 28 Aug 2008
Posts: 16
Location: South East
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| Posted: Thu Sep 04, 2008 11:12 pm Post subject: |
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| Where the handrail meets the ceiling you would normally use more handrail against the ceiling so the moulding matches where the angle changes from diagonal to horizontal.
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big-all
Pro Carpenter
Joined: 16 Dec 2006
Posts: 2784
Location: redhill surrey an auld reekie laddie
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| Posted: Fri Sep 05, 2008 12:22 am Post subject: |
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keeping in mind the hand rail also has a slot for the spindles to for into
you can as griffin says carry on with the handrail level with the ceiling using the spacers up to the cut round edge and filled in you will have to remove the shaped top surface of the handrail to sit properly on the ceiling or use string cap[base rail] that is already flat
what you do depends on your skills and what looks right in situ
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