Lake House Stairs Update

Lake House Stairs Update

Now that the trees have been cleared, and the outhouse and boulders have been removed, I can turn my attention to the stair reconstruction, which I had started planning awhile ago. I had to change my plans a little bit though, as the bid I got from the one contractor who would quote the deal was insanely high:

$42,350 for 80 stairs is $530 per stair! Based on that, I cam to the conclusion that I’d do the work myself. It’s really only 2.5 flights of stairs that need to be rebuilt/repaired, and should be less work than the original railing project I did two summers ago. Here is the task breakdown I came up with:

  • Angle Grind Exposed Pipes
  • Replace Broken Railing/Posts
  • Remove Rotting In-Ground Steps
  • Replace In-Ground Steps with 4×4 + Rebar
  • Reinforce Steps with 4×4 Base Posts
  • Replace Old Treads with 2×10 Treads
  • Cover Concrete Steps with 2×10 Treads

In other news, I’m also exploring purchasing land across the street from the lake house to build a garage. I’m looking at a plot that is just under a third of an acre, and would give me the right amount of space in a perfect location.

The only issue currently is that the owner seems to want more than the parcel is worth, $25k instead of the $5,100 that the land is assessed at. It remains to be seen whether we’ll be able to reach a deal or not, but I’m hopeful that we will be able to.

Jon Hardin

Website: http://hardinhome.wordpress.com

By day, Jon is the CEO of a software company. Outside of work, Jon is an avid home improvement enthusiast who enjoys a wide variety of renovation, landscaping, and other projects.

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