Staircase repair?
A couple of the staircases in our c. 1870s brownstone look close to detaching from the wall. Any renovation or repair companies anyone can suggest for this? We’ve had Soxco in to look, and the Stair Repair Experts in Hoboken have not called back. Many thanks.
A couple of the staircases in our c. 1870s brownstone look close to detaching from the wall. Any renovation or repair companies anyone can suggest for this? We’ve had Soxco in to look, and the Stair Repair Experts in Hoboken have not called back. Many thanks.
We ended up doing this job, and I believe the homeowner was quite happy. Our website is “TheStairRepairExperts.com”, for lots of images and contact information. Hope this helps.
Yes, call Bill. He did a hallway staircase for me, less than half Soxco. He made a window frame for an internal stained glass window, some finishing trim for kitchen cabinets and made my front doors (beautiful, but don’t let him use poplar). Bill is great. Usually rh (from reclaimed home, formerly known as Yente fight over ourselves to recommend him first – I think I originally got the recommendation from her). Good luck.
Call Bill at Circular Stairs. We had stairs coming out of our wall and in 1 day he made them level and put in an entire new staircase. I called Soxco and was quoted 6000 while Bill was less than half the price. We are very happy with his work. We chose to go with a pine staircase by the way. I cannot tell you how please we were. Bills tel is 718 218 9051. He has been busy lately, but will eventually get back to you (I had to call 2-3 times before I got him)…
More important question than finding stair repair contractor, is understanding what is causing your problem.
Structural problems, and not necessarily new or dangerous ones, but older and fairly stable settlement, is probably the cause. Without a clear answer to why your treads are separating from wall, you will never make satisfactory repairs. Do not assume that a stair repair company is deceiptful in not telling you this, it is just beyond their grasp.
Old houses aren’t straight. Restoring old homes is a compromise. the pursuit of “plumb” or level is illusory.
Every repar has an equal and opposite reaction.
I have pasted below my answewr to an earlier thread, last week I think.
“There are two common causes of your problem as identified in the photo.
The first correct answer that you will mostly likely hear, is that the wedges have fallen out from behind the treads and risers. “We need to open the back and replace those wedges”
Is this house a little older – maybe 1860’s?
Well the real question is, why did the wedges fall out? It looks as if the tread is pulled out a little from the wall stringer. What would cause that? What will it take to shove it back in? How cheap can we patch it?
Let me guess, the floor at the landing has sagged a little. The landing is sloped away from the masonry wall. The outside stringer is down. Well that explains the gap, but know what do we do?
The stringers may be hand cut and chiseled, common practices 1850’s thru 1880’s. They knew they were going to tighten and straighten the treads and risers to the top and front of the cuts using wedges. But now we’re swimming in these rough slots.
Stickey wicket, if we figure out some way to lift stringer back to where it once was, it will be too high at the landing now. Unless we decide to level the hallway. But now the landing is too high where it meets the rooms up stairs.
Correct, professional repairs are painful, and not cheap. But at least I’ve tried to steer you in the right direction, so you have a chance to evaluate the quick fix ideas that inexperienced carpenters may come up with. Done right, this stair case would be solid, solid, solid.”
bruce@jerseydata.net
Advantage was cheap and very good..great combo…. but a major pain in the arse try to get them to show up on days they said they would.
you can negotiate atleast 10% off there first proposal