Tightening or replacing balusters

As a companion piece to the prior post, I thought I'd include how to tighten or replace loose or broken balusters.

Tightening Loose Balusters
Sometimes the settling of the house causes a staircase to sag or twist, which in addition to causing squeaky treads, can loosen the balusters as well. This can easily be repaired with glue and shims. It's best to schedule this project either late in the evening, or prior to leaving the house for an extended period so that the stairs won't be used and the glue has ample time to set.
You can easily buy or make your own wood shims. To make your own shims, cut a strip of wood with the grain running the length of the strip. Make it slightly thicker than the widest gap between the top of the baluster and the handrail. Cut the strip into shims and sand or plane them into wedges. Coat the shims with glue and insert it at the top upstairs side of the baluster. Lightly tap it into position using a mallet or hammer and a block of scrap wood. Once the glue is dry, trim the excess shim flush with the baluster.
Alternatively, you can drill a countersunk hole at an angle through the baluster and into the handrail, using a carpenter screw to tie the baluster and handrail together.

Replacing Damaged Balusters
If the baluster is doweled (peg in hole) start by sawing it in half. Twist sharply to break the glue bond holding the baluster in place, and remove the two halves. Cut the new baluster to the desired length and coat the tread hole with glue. Insert the top end of the new baluster into the handrail, then slide the bottom end across the tread and into the tread hole.
If the baluster is dovetailed, remove the outside tread trim, being careful not to damage it. Saw the baluster flush with the tread, and use a chisel to remove the old dovetail. Cut the new baluster to length, put top into the handrail, and bottom into the now empty dovetail socket. Drill a pilot hole through dovetail and into tread, and attach the two with a nail. Finish by replacing the outside tread trim.
If the baluster is filleted, chisel out fillet on the upstairs side of the baluster being replaced. Tap the baluster loose from nails and remove. Clean old glue from the groove. On the new baluster mark the angles using either the old baluster or a T-bevel, and cut to fit. Set the new baluster against the existing downstairs fillet, and toenail into place. Glue and nail new fillet into the handrail behind the new baluster.

How To Fix a Squeaky Stair

Squeaky wood stairs are caused by friction against the nail shanks. Because stairs get a lot of traffic, it is almost inevitable that nails will start to drop from the wood.

How Not to Fix Squeaky Stairs!
If you are familiar with the process of fixing squeaky floors, this is substantially the same. Maybe you already know that hammering down loose nails is only a temporary fix as the nail will soon be lose again - or worse, back out to where someone might get hurt. Hammering in a second nail, next to the squeaky nail is a little better, but not much. If you decide to go this route, be careful that the new nail doesn't split the tread - a very real possibility, especially with older homes and stairs.

Screw 'Em!
The best solution is to pre-drill a hole next to the squeaky nail and secure the board with a screw into the underlying riser.

If you have access directly to the tread (the stair treads are not covered with carpet), you can apply some caulking into the squeaky riser-tread joints or into any cracks. Caulk isn't glue, it serves as a kind of cushion letting the objects still move some.

To really do the job right, it helps if you have access to the underside of the stairs. The fix then is similar to the fix that you would take to fix a squeaky floor board. With this method, you can investigate and see if there are blocks that were attached to the joints between the risers and treads. It is possible the blocks have fallen out or broken. In this case, you reattach or replace the wooden block of with construction grade wood glue and finishing nails. Alternatively, beneath the stairs you may find wedges at the riser-tread joint. In this case you can lightly tap in new wedges to which you applied a light layer of construction grade wood glue.

That's all there is to it!

Spring Maintenance Checklist

To help protect your most valuable asset-your home, the spring is the recommended time for checking for these potential problems and applying some preventative maintenance before they result in costly repairs later.

Inspect your Deck

Look for water stains where the deck ties to the house. Water runoff may lead to rot, weakening the structure and roof of the house. If you have any doubt about the structural integrity of the deck, call a professional to investigate.

Rid your deck of moss and mold. Pressure washers are effective. Remember, if you see wood damage, like raised fibers, increase the distance between the nozzle and the surface. We recommend an electric pressure washer. They are generally quieter and easier to store and transport than the gas models.

Dirty air conditioner

Disconnect electric power to the outside of your air conditioning condenser and clear of leaves and debris with a vent brush, power blower, garden hose, or the brush attachment on your vacuum cleaner. If the cooling fins are exposed, be careful not to bend them. (If your garden has lots of trees and plants, wrap around the mesh fiberglass condenser coil to capture pollen and leaves. Replace the mesh as necessary. Do not allow debris to block airflow .) Vacuum the grille and register inside the home to ensure good air circulation. Lastly, now would be a good time to change your furnace filter. We recommend 3M Filtrete Ultra Allergen Reduction furnace filters.

For a more detailed maintenance walkthrough, see How To Tune Up Your HVAC.

Inspect your Foundation

Slight cracks in foundation walls often occurs during curing, and settling of the foundation over time and is not necessarily a cause for alarm. Mark the crack and check back in a few months - or better still get good digital photos of this and other 'to do list' items. If the cracks seem to worsen, call a specialist. If they are unchanged, fill the cracks with an injection system of epoxy resins.

Inspect your Garage Door

If you're like me, your car has never seen the inside of the garage which is used instead as a workshop and storage shed, meaning the door has hardly been used all winter. To check that the door is balanced, the release in the manual mode and lift a hand. The door should lift easily and smoothly and stay open on its own about 3 feet off the ground. If not, by hiring a garage door technician to counterbalance the overload spring. Then set the investment in the opening as small as possible. Place a 2x4 board on the floor under the door, wide side down. The door will backup when it's 2x4. If not, call a garage door professional. Photoelectric eyes tested by holding the 2x4 between them. The door should reverse direction. If not, have it checked by a professional.

Clean your Gutters

Clear the channels of debris and check for signs of corrosion, joint separation, and loose fasteners. Remove the pipes and unclog downspouts leader. Leaders should extend at least 5 feet of water to run away from the foundation. We recommend a Type 1A ladder for safety. Never go beyond the label of the highest step. Never use an aluminum ladder near power lines.

Inspect your Roof

Leaks in the roof typically occur around chimneys, skylights, and other vents or openings. They are easier to detect from inside the attic, where water stains on the rafters are a good indicator. Patching leaks is best left to a professional. Examine the siding under the eaves of the roof, ceilings and rooms below for waterstains or discoloration, indications that ice dams may have created leaks along the edge of the roof. Inspect the roof for cracked, bent, or missing shingles. Asphalt shingles typically last 20 years and are often warrantied.

Inspect your Trees

If you live in an area that has experienced a heavy snowfall your trees may have experienced damage. If the damage is far up the tree, hire a licensed arborist who is experienced in removing branches far from the ground. If you can reach the damaged area, remove the branches with a sharp tree saw using the 3-cut technique, which prevents tearing the bark and creating an open wound in the trunk making it vulnerable to disease:

1. Make the first cut on the branch 1 to 2 feet from the trunk, sawing a quarter of the way through the bottom of the branch.
2. Make the second cut on the branch 3 inches beyond the first, sawing all the way through the branch.
3. Lastly, remove the branch at the trunk, sawing from the top down.

Check for bent branches which may have occurred during a heavy snowfall. Make a mental note, or again take digital pictures as a reminder, and check again later when new growth is emerging.

Inspect your Pavement

Cracks in pavement are an invitation for weeds which can progress the damage. Home centers sell patching and filling materials to the surfaces of asphalt and concrete. If you have a path that was laid dry, as opposed to setting in mortar, brush stone dust or sand into the joints to lock the pavers in place and prevent weeds from invading.