Thursday 28 July 2011

Cheap Stair Parts - Remodel Your Stairs With Iron Balusters

Remodeling your staircase with iron balusters is fast, easy and affordable! Your stairs are the focal point in your home and a simple remodel will dramatically change the entire look of your home and also increase your homes value at the same time. Most do-it-yourself enthusiasts can accomplish a simple stair remodel on their own without the need of hiring a contractor or stair installer.

A complete stair remodel guide.

After you have decided to remodel your stairs, the first step is to measure out your staircase and create a part list. This sounds difficult but in most cases you can simply count the number of wooden balusters (also called spindles or pickets). In order to meet stair code, your balusters can only be 4 inches apart max. If any gap greater than 4 inches exists in your stair system then you will not meet code and fail any home inspection. If your wooden balusters already meet code then your iron balusters should be able to use the existing holes that were drilled for the wood balusters.

After you know how many you want, it's time to go online and find some stair parts and pick a design. I recommend you go to cheap stair parts for your balusters. They have a great selection and low prices. Even if you find the same products on another any other website, they will beat that price by 5%. My home was a larger remodel and I spent over $1600 so they also gave me free shipping. I strongly recommend them.

When buying iron balusters, try to stay within the same family of products. Do not mix hammered balusters with plain balusters. Do not mix baluster sizes such as 9/16" round with 1/2" Square. Also do not mix finishes. Stay within the same finish for all of your parts. If you do not know what finish to choose, I recommend Satin Black to be safe but Oil Rubbed Bronze is very hot right now and should match your home as easily as Satin Black will.

Once you have purchase your stair parts, it's time to begin the remodel. Lay out some sheets on your stairs to protect your flooring from debris. Cut out your wooden balusters with any saw that will fit. Just make one cut in the center of the balusters and then wiggle out the the top and bottom. Remove any loose nails. After your balusters are removed, sand around the area and get it ready for any additional stain or paint. Now is the time to re-stain or paint any areas that need touched up.

Get a band saw or a chop saw with a metal cutting blade and cut your iron balusters to length. Measure from the bottom of the handrail to the top of the flooring, add 3/4" and cut your baluster that long. Then re-drill into the handrail one inch deep. Make sure the bottom has a 1/4" hole deep. Slide your baluster shoes onto the balusters and then slide your baluster up into the handrail and drop it down into the hole below. Use a dime size drop of non-drip, clear dry epoxy on the top and bottom of the baluster. This will hold it into place easily.

After the balusters are secure, drop the shoes down and then epoxy them to the floor. Now you have a finished look. Do some clean up and enjoy your remodeled stairs.

Monday 4 July 2011

Top Handicapped Stair Lift

Handicap stair lifts are becoming increasingly popular in old homes, and even residences. They are very useful at providing mobility to the handicapped and those that are too old to comfortably go up and down the stairs without help. Stair lifts fill this need perfectly by allowing the user to both have independence and mobility while leaving family and friends to take care of their other needs.

There are, however, many varieties of stair lifts on the market due to their increased popularity. Getting one can actually become quite troublesome as getting the wrong one will mean the handicapped person will not be able to easily use it, making it ineffective and useless.

When you are buying one for your use, make sure you follow the following advice to make sure you get the best handicapped stair lift in the market.

Every stair lift is different, so make sure you look at the kind you will need by examining your needs. For instance, if the person you are getting this for is limited to a wheelchair, or cannot stand comfortably on their own, then you should get an elevator stair lift and not one with a chair.

Another thing about handicapped stair lifts is that they require a button to be pressed. If the person who will be using this cannot press a button by themselves, or cannot reach comfortably to press it, then you should consider another option.

Also look at the upper body strength in the person who will use this. The handicapped stair lift has a chair that the user will need to sit in, and if they are not even strong enough to sit in a chair without slipping, then it would be unsafe to get them a handicapped stair lift.

Make sure the stair lift you get has a seatbelt for safety. This is extremely necessary as without on the user could slip and fall down the stairs, seriously hurting himself. Make sure you check and make sure this works properly.

Also look at your home. You need to make sure the stair lift you are getting will fit on your stairs so make sure you sign on with a company that sends someone to your place to look at the house before installing the lift. Another important thing is after sales service. Hire a company that will be available to fix the stair lift should anything go wrong and has very fast repair times as otherwise you could end up with a broken stair lift and company that takes weeks to repair it.

Finally, you need to look at power. While most models come with a battery that will work in case of a power breakdown, make sure you check this and get one that has a good battery that will last a long time. Another thing to be careful about is how it is linked to your home power supply as you want the connection to be secure. Otherwise you will have to call an electrician every few days to fix the wiring.