# Staircase



## Nick H (Nov 13, 2005)

Here's the problem, over the last six months i've done loads of work for a friend/customer on there house. Two big additions and a near total refurb of the existing, done all the carpentry work and a lot of the aother knocking about and had a pretty much free rein to do as i thought best. Now the job is coming to an end and I've been asked to do an alteration to the existing staircase. The idea is to make the stair look "grander".
The existing flight has a quarter landing at the bottom, in a corner of the hallway, and then goes straight up to the first floor. My prefered option would be to push the quarter landing up a step or two, then turn the flight down into the hallway with a couple of nice bullnosed treads, newels, new handrail and spindles etc, so that the stairs looks "correct". There is an issue with headroom but its ok if I only raise the quarter landing two steps.
Anyways, the HO wants to move the existing lower newel up 3 steps and then extend the quarter landing and first 3 treads forward in a big 180 degree curve, creating what I would best describe as a "hollywood" effect. I dont know if you can picture what i'm saying but suffice to say what he wants will 100% look awful and completely "incorrect".
Now we've discussed this several times and I cant dissaude him from it, he's sure it will look great, and I've said at the end of the day its your house i'll do whatever you want.Trouble is i've just sat down to work out how i'm going to do it and a draw up a list of materials and I just KNOW its gonna be crap, and I really dont want to do it the way he wants. If he wasn't a buddy I would probably think differently, but I know he's going to be dissapionted. 
What do I do ?


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## Glasshousebltr (Feb 9, 2004)

Ya worked out an hourly thing with him didn't ya?

He must think he can risk the loss if you have to reconfigure.

Voice your position and do what your paid for, thats all I can tell ya.

Anyone else have any ideas?

Bob


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## Paulsan (Jun 19, 2005)

You will probably end up with a curled rail and that would look silly depending on the other side of the case. Do your best to draw out his idea and then do your best to come up with what you think would look and work best in the area and present him with both options. A staircase really sets off an area, and if not planned correctly will make the space look terrible.
Good luck!


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## Nick H (Nov 13, 2005)

Bob, all the work ive done for him has been day rate, he just lets me get on with it and appreciates good work, suits us both. At the end of the day I will have to do what he wants but it will be tough to do something "wrong".
Paulsan, there will be no curved rail just the four treads curving out sideways, through 180 degrees, until they hit the wall underneath the riser, it WILL look silly. 
Ive just printed off a load of pics from the net of traditional stairs along the lines of what I would like to do and I'll try showing him these and see if he can get my "vision".
I appreciate your input guys, thanks.

Nick


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## Teetorbilt (Feb 12, 2004)

The customer is aways right...........the first time.


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## A+Carpenter (Apr 19, 2005)

This thread is a complete joke. I really hope that this isnt quality of work you lay down. I dont even see a logical reason for this thread. 


  

I wonder why some people call themselfs carpenters.


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## King of Crown (Oct 12, 2005)

Cut your losses and leave. 
thats what I would do. just get out


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## King of Crown (Oct 12, 2005)

AdamMeider said:


> This thread is a complete joke. I really hope that this isnt quality of work you lay down. I dont even see a logical reason for this thread.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Uh, are you okay?
did your wife beat you again?


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## A+Carpenter (Apr 19, 2005)

King of Crown said:


> Uh, are you okay?
> did your wife beat you again?



hey king you want to hold my hammer so you feel special?:laughing:


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## Nick H (Nov 13, 2005)

Adam, what the hell got up your pipe? Why do you have a problem with me asking fellow tradesmen how they may have got out of similar difficult positions ? The "reason" for my thread was, and if you had read it properly you would understand, that I really didn't want to do something which I 100% knew the customer wouldn't be happy with. 
Obviously Supermen like yourself never need to ask for help or advice but us mere mortals can sometimes benefit from a little feedback, maybe i'm wrong but isn't that the whole piont of this forum?
Oh, and thanks for the positive remarks about my work and/or skills, you've obviously seen some of my work, yes? If not then you base your criticism on what exactly ?


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## King of Crown (Oct 12, 2005)

Nick H said:


> Adam, what the hell got up your pipe? Why do you have a problem with me asking fellow tradesmen how they may have got out of similar difficult positions ? The "reason" for my thread was, and if you had read it properly you would understand, that I really didn't want to do something which I 100% knew the customer wouldn't be happy with.
> Obviously Supermen like yourself never need to ask for help or advice but us mere mortals can sometimes benefit from a little feedback, maybe i'm wrong but isn't that the whole piont of this forum?
> Oh, and thanks for the positive remarks about my work and/or skills, you've obviously seen some of my work, yes? If not then you base your criticism on what exactly ?


:notworthy my thoughts exactly lol


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## A+Carpenter (Apr 19, 2005)

King of Crown said:


> :notworthy my thoughts exactly lol


Blah-------------------------:whistling


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## A+Carpenter (Apr 19, 2005)

Nick H said:


> Adam, what the hell got up your pipe? Why do you have a problem with me asking fellow tradesmen how they may have got out of similar difficult positions ? The "reason" for my thread was, and if you had read it properly you would understand, that I really didn't want to do something which I 100% knew the customer wouldn't be happy with.
> Obviously Supermen like yourself never need to ask for help or advice but us mere mortals can sometimes benefit from a little feedback, maybe i'm wrong but isn't that the whole piont of this forum?
> Oh, and thanks for the positive remarks about my work and/or skills, you've obviously seen some of my work, yes? If not then you base your criticism on what exactly ?



I dont have a problem with it at all Nick.


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## Gordo (Feb 21, 2006)

Nick H said:


> Bob, all the work ive done for him has been day rate, he just lets me get on with it and appreciates good work, suits us both. At the end of the day I will have to do what he wants but it will be tough to do something "wrong".
> Paulsan, there will be no curved rail just the four treads curving out sideways, through 180 degrees, until they hit the wall underneath the riser, it WILL look silly.
> Ive just printed off a load of pics from the net of traditional stairs along the lines of what I would like to do and I'll try showing him these and see if he can get my "vision".
> I appreciate your input guys, thanks.
> ...


I have been in this situation before. Based on my past experience, give the HO what he wants. You have already voiced your concerns so he has nothing to hold against you when the job turns out looking awful. Then he will have to pay you again to correct the problem. Sometimes you have to disconnect from what you would do vs. what HO would do as hard as that might seem.


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## Nick H (Nov 13, 2005)

As it turned out I had another meet with the guy and by a stroke of luck another friend of his, who is a "property developer", was at the house and between the two of us we managed to change his mind. Iv'e done half the work, newels, handrail and spindles, and have just got to find another day to fit in the alterations to the steps and landing. Its looking really nice and the HO seems to be happy with it.
I know what you mean about doing what people want but I consider the guy to be a friend so I wanted to do the right thing for him.


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## snapper21 (Mar 13, 2006)

Glad to see it worked out. I as a hobby do alot of work with scale lumber and have found that putting together a model builds a better mental image for the HO. It really doesn't take that long to tack something together to give the picture.


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