Ask This Old House carpenter Nathan Gilbert travels to a Sears kit house in Richmond, Virginia to tighten an old, loose stair railing.
SUBSCRIBE to This Old House: bit.ly/SubscribeThisOldHouse
Time: 2-3 hours
Cost: $50
Skill Level: Moderate
Tools List for Tightening a Loose Newel Post:
Level [amzn.to/2GJ80Bc]
Drill driver [amzn.to/2RNofUq]
¾-inch Forstner bit [amzn.to/2RNobEa]
3/16-inch drill bit [amzn.to/2RIPsHM]
Japanese pull saw [amzn.to/2tkzD0w]
Framing square (optional) [amzn.to/36N2x6W]
Paint brush [amzn.to/38VgVeV]
Shopping List:
6-inch structural screws [amzn.to/37LJuLN]
2x4 scrap wood [amzn.to/2S6xZrD]
Shims [amzn.to/38YBoPU]
Painter’s tape [amzn.to/2UezvdO]
¾-inch wood dowel [amzn.to/2GHAVWq]
Wood glue [amzn.to/2ub5n8y]
Paint [amzn.to/2UcwYAT]
220 grit sandpaper [amzn.to/3aSW9ym]
Steps:
1. Start by identifying structural parts of the stair that could be used to attach additional fasteners from the railing to the stairs. The stringer is usually at least an inch thick on the edges of the stairs. Look for nail holes in the treads to help find it.
2. Plumb up the newel post by holding a level up to the side. Once it’s in the correct position, use a 2x4 or other piece of scrap wood against the wall and the post to hold it in that position. Place a few shims both on the wall and on the post in between the board to prevent it from scratching or damaging either surface.
3. Measure and mark the location for the screws, ensuring that they will hit the stringer when screwed in.
4. Drill into the post from the front using a Forstner bit a few inches in to act as a countersink to hide the head of the screw.
a. Nathan recommends measuring and marking the desired depth ahead of time with a little bit of painter’s tape on the drill so it’s easier to determine when to stop drilling.
5. Using the 3/16-inch drill bit, drill into the hole just created by the Forstner bit, through the post, and into the stringer. This will help prevent the screw from splitting the wood once it starts driving in.
a. Nathan recommends using a framing square against the post and the drill bit to ensure you’re drilling straight.
b. Like before, measuring and marking the depth on the drill bit with some painter’s tape can be really helpful here.
6. Drill the structural screws into the post.
7. Apply wood glue to the ¾-inch dowel and use it to plug up to the two holes left behind from the screws.
8. Cut the dowels so that they are flush with newel post using a Japanese pull saw.
9. Lightly sand the dowels until they’re smooth against the post.
10. Paint over the dowels so they blend in with the rest of the post.
Resources:
Everything Nathan used to tighten up the stair railing, including the drill, screws, hammer, bungs, and touch up paint, can all be found at home centers.
About Ask This Old House TV:
Homeowners have a virtual truckload of questions for us on smaller projects, and we're ready to answer. Ask This Old House solves the steady stream of home improvement problems faced by our viewers-and we make house calls! Ask This Old House features some familiar faces from This Old House, including Kevin O'Connor, general contractor Tom Silva, plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey, and landscape contractor Jenn Nawada.
Looking for more step by step guidance on how to complete projects around the house? Join This Old House Insider to stream over 1,000 episodes commercial-free.
bit.ly/2GPiYbH
Plus, download our app for streaming full episodes to your connected TV, phone or tablet:
bit.ly/34RYEP5
Follow This Old House and Ask This Old House:
Facebook: bit.ly/ThisOldHouseFB
Twitter: bit.ly/ThisOldHouseTwitter
bit.ly/AskTOHTwitter
Pinterest: bit.ly/ThisOldHousePinterest
Instagram: bit.ly/ThisOldHouseIG
Watch the full episode:
www.thisoldhouse.com/season-1...
How to Tighten a Loose Newel Post | Ask This Old House
/ thisoldhouse