Why is it so hard to hit the BUY button

We need to purchase nails for the flooring, but not just any common nail, no I had to request special nails. 3" square head nails that can only be purchased online! Why is it so hard to hit the BUY button to purchase 50 pounds of these nails? The $170.00 price tag would be the reason!! Well at least we get free shipping!

New landings and some hidden treasures

My amazing husband spent his 4 days off this last week working on the stairway project. He was able to get all of the stair treads, some of the risers, and the landings replaced. We used 3/4 inch oak plywood cut into 4" planks nailed down with antique square head nails for the landings, same as what we will install in the upstairs hallway and front entry. The squeaky, creaky, and splinter ridden boards are no longer. Even though I balked at the idea of replacing them I do love the way everything is coming together.

While removing the old boards we were able to uncover some very special treasures under the staircase. We found some pictures, although they were all curled up, very dark, and dirty, they are now something that I will proudly showcase in the new stairway gallery.
We also found a wedding invitation from 1896 and a baby card.
Here is the best treasure that we uncovered. It shows our house in its glory days. I have tried unsuccessfully to scan the image in and clean it up a bit, but if you look closely you can see a woman and two small children in front of the porch. It also gives us an idea of how the original woodwork looked on the lower porch and the windows that have been closed off. We also know now that the bay window in the dining room was an addition.

Inspiration

We are discussing whether or not to put either board and batten or faux wainscoting in the stairway. I love the look of the chair rail and trim in this first image.

This is what we have settled on for our banister and trim. The posts and handrail will be stained dark with the trim and balusters staying white.
We purchased the oak plywood to create wide plank floors in the foyer, upstairs hallway, and on the landings. The idea came from this http://quarryorchard.blogspot.com/2010/12/plywood-to-plank-flooring-tutorial.html creative couples blog. We will also be painting the walls a soft gray, which is yet to be chosen. The stairway will also boast a gallery wall with different sized frames all painted black.

Stairway paint decisions

I found this link http://www.marthastewart.com/photogallery/superneutral-decorating-ideas#slide_1 on http://newlyweddiaries.blogspot.com/ for this amazing color scheme. It is exactly what I wanted but didn't know it.

New Stair Treads

The new treads are going in, a few risers have to be replaced that were damaged while removing the original treads. The toe kick will need to be replaced also since some of them have been damaged. My hubby has taken off the weekend to replace the lower 4 treads and the landings.

I have to admit that even though I did not want to replace them it does look 100 times better.

This is taken from the 1st landing looking up to second set of stairs.This is taken from the 2nd landing looking down.

Foyer/Stairway Project Day 14

The stripping is coming along well, taking a little longer since I decided to strip the trim on the bottom also. I think someone before me attempted to strip the lower banister and quit. This left no varnish between the wood and the paint, which has made it difficult to get all the paint off. It took me twice as long to do the lower banister and post than it did to do the complete upper portion. All I have left is the areas that I will have to use a ladder, I left my least favorite for last. I have also started using Klean-Strip k-s3 premium stripper. It smells a lot worse than the CitriStrip but works at least twice as fast.

We have decided to replace the treads since they are very creaky and many of them have large cracks. I will be doing some shopping for those and the trim needed this next week.

Stripping on the Stairs

My newest project has been ripping out the old/disgusting carpet on the stairs and stripping the handrail and newel posts. After removing the 627 nails, tacks and staples, I will sand down the treads and paint them. The railing and posts will require quite a few hours of stripping and elbow grease to get them ready for staining.

Step 1: Before

Note the head start my kids got on chipping away the paint, also the reason why I decided to work on this project. Apply a thick coat of Citristrip and wait 15 minutes. The directions say to wait 30 minutes, but I found it easier to scrape before it started drying out.

Step 2:

Scrap first layer of paint off with scraper. Apply another layer of Citristrip. Use scraper and coarse steel wool.

Step 3:

Apply another layer to get the rest of the residue and stubborn paint/stain. Use medium and fine steel wool to remove stuck on paint. Wipe with Mineral Spirits.

I still have quite a bit of paint to remove in all the cracks and crevices, but I feel it is more than what the Citristrip is capable of doing.