1930's staircase supporting 1st floor room??

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Hi, I'm trying to renovate my 1930's house which seems to be a serious of disasters! It appears that the staircase is supporting the bathroom floor? This seems bonkers but the joists end on top of a exposed timber which intern is tied into the top newel post- this seems crazy but I can't find any other explanation. The staircase has dropped on one side
 
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Hi, I'm trying to renovate my 1930's house which seems to be a serious of disasters! It appears that the staircase is supporting the bathroom floor? This seems bonkers but the joists end on top of a exposed timber which intern is tied into the top newel post- this seems crazy but I can't find any other explanation. The staircase has dropped on one side
Highly unlikely, it is usually the other way round, floor supports staircase, a photo would help to establish this.
 
Hi, thanks for reading this! I've posted some photos below
 

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Hi, thanks for reading this! I've posted some photos below
Bit difficult to be 100% sure, but it looks like a conventional staircase construction.
You appear to have quarter spaced landing with the floor joists supported to the right with a carrier beam.
This in turn has another carrier at right angles which carries the stair case main flight.
Why do you say that the staircase has dropped on one side, can you take another pic showing this
 
It looks as though you've had a bad water leak at some stage, ad the joists have rotted. The first picture shows a rotted joist next to the stair stringer, and they've done a crap repair with a 3x2 to level the floor. You're going to have to lift the floorboards and check the extent of the damage. You also shouldn't be able to see the joist ends, so it looks as though either they're sitting on the joist/wall below them, or a change to the layout has been done in the past.

Looking at the other 2 pictures, it does seem as though it's all being held together by the newel post, and the rot is allowing everything to drop.
 
It's hard to take a picture but if you imagine the newel post pictured (which has the right angled beam running under the bathroom and bathroom joists (as in the picture) as being in the middle the whole staircase is wonky towards that point- the floor in the bathroom is then wonky also towards that point- as if the weight is vented on that newel post ( and the right angled join with the under beam)
 

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Thanks doggit, I was aware of the water damage when removed the shoddy shower tray and the subsequent floor drop.(but appreciate the info all the same :) My main concern was how to get the staircase sorted and just can't believe it is all centered on that newel post. If I tried to fix the stairs no idea how to do it when they are holding the bathroom floor up!
 
Post some more picture once you've opened up the floor in the adjoining room. I think you need to put an accrow under the newel post, and/or the beam under the water damaged joists, and once you've levelled them up, then start fixing things back in place. But having said that, I'd also be more tempted to take the stair out, and then secure the joist ends to a wall somewhere, but my gut feeling is that it can't be done. Is it possible to extend the newel post down to a solid foundation.
 
The upper newel post does not support the stairs it is mainly for the handrail support
Is there a door casing below your stairs, if so just check the head and I suspect you may find a lintol or frame which is carrying the landing joists.
 
So, working from Anobiums comments, it's possibly the carrier beam under the bathroom joists that's dropping.
 
Isn't the floorbeam supported off the newel, which in turn seems supported off the wall below?
It would be very unusual for the stair to be a supporting structure. A staircase is usually put in once the floor structure has been built.
 

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