How to Assemble and Install Interior Stairs | This Old House

In the shop, Tom Silva and Jeff Sweenor are working on the new interior staircase for the Westerly house.

Tom Silva and Jeff Sweenor put the finishing touches on the interior staircase for the Westerly house. One side of the stringerless staircase will be up against a wall, and the other side will have an exposed section. They screw in the remaining white oak treads and attach a backerboard underneath. Then it gets installed at the project house.

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How to Assemble and Install Interior Stairs | This Old House

[rickjohnson]

I’ve been watching TOH from the very beginning. When it Bob Villa, Norm and Tom Silva. A friend of mine and I on late afternoons on sat would buy a 12 pack and watch the three of them rebuild houses. Tommy knows his sh__ . IMHO he’s a true craftsman, master carpenter, a artisan no doubt👍

[wandarichardson]

Please do a video on how to open up and make useful, the area under the stairs.
Thank you for sharing✌💛☺

[MrDbone]

Good morning everyone from wellington Somerset in the UK

[tonyz]

I don’t see how these are NOT destroyed during the ongoing construction.

[MRrwmac]

Tommy, I think you (and I) would prefer the old way of building STRONG stairs. Evidence is the second set connecting that landing - haha.

[hotdogs]

Or you could spend and extra 20 minutes and $20 and add stringers that will guarantee those stairs to last for 200 years.

[SmallWonda]

That is gorgeous - we so badly need new stairs in our (hardly!) Old House, but I always wonder how slippy wood treads are? How or what do you suggest to keep wooden treads safe? So good to see Tommy still going strong. 👍🐾🦘😎⛏

[MrAbsalomdavid]

We have this in our house and after 10 yrs, every step sounds like it is going to collapse! I think you've got something there with using oak. Pine is no doubt the issue.

[josephvouis]

this style of stair is an ABSOLUTE PAIN to remove on a stair remodel.

id advocate for onsite stick build with actual stringers any day of the week. makes it easier for the next guy and holdsup just as well. ive seen more prefab stairs fail entorely than onsite stick builds

[borys]

I only have one question: how do u take those treads off once they start squeaking or get damaged? If everything is nailed prior to the install then it’s dam near impossible to remove anything without destroying it.

[louish.]

I have 1920 Attic stairs they put in just Tred and risers. I would half rip out ceiling to attic to put in real support like they did.

[BC-uxiw]

Hello…… I have a question for this old house……I have 120 year old 4 square/Victorian farmhouse which had a house fire in 1986. The south side burned, the north side did not. The south side was reframed and rebuilt. The north side was left alone. The north side of the stairs have the original 120 year old framing. The south side bottom 1/3 has the original framing. The upper 2/3 has the 1986 framing. The stairs start to lean at the juncture between the 1900 and 1986 framing. They lean towards the new framing side and the lean increases as you go up the stairs. The stairs do not bounce, or creak. They are the original stairs and I would like to keep them. During the fire remodel a bathroom was added beneath the stairs
What is wrong? Should I fix it? How do I fix it?

[oldskoolwayy]

Why did the second floor staircase have a stringer then if they didn't need them.

[jakeschroeder]

Why do the bottom set but leave the upper portion as the temporary rough ones?

[rd-chon]

I'm sure all the sub trades will be super careful with those beautiful stairs.

[SuperM]

I'm more of a fan of stringers!
This won't hold up over time!

[marcodeluca]

I wish I would have seen this save some money my only objection is wouldn't the steps sound a little hollow?

[arkycadd]

no center support, it'll be squeaking with in 10 years, but THIS OLD HOUSE, will be long gone. you need stringers, don't let'em kid you.

[Streetracerex]

So in the future to fix this properly you would need to take out the whole stair case

[paristo]

Good design is such that later on at any given point in time, one can come over and perform maintenance and repairs to the structures and other fixtures.

I don't see this to be anything like that, instead more of a "made in a factory" than what would be done in location for the purpose.

I am currently doing a 17 steps stairs repair and last time was 1988 when they were modified to cover the downstairs side opening. Easy to open up as they were nailed, and now going to screw them to tight. Paint over back to original color and next generation can deal with them later.