Installing a balustrade

[Tony 1]

Hi can you help? At the top of my stairs i have a plasterboard wall which separates the staircase and the landing. I am wanting to pull down the plasterboard wall and open up the landing and the replace it with a balustrade however i don't know how to fit the newel bases.
Please have a look at the added pictures, might give you an idea what i'm babbling on about. Thanks.



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[Muzz]

I did this exact thing. the only difference between mine and yours is that i didn't have a brick wall to the side of my stairs.

Because my stairs were narrow like yours and I didn't feel skilled enough to notch the newell to slot over the string (and also because i didn't need a handrail for the stairs to fit into it) i did the following.

Cut a section of floor (highlighted green) out to expose the joist running parallel to my stairs (indicated by red)

I purchased a long newell base as I wanted the simple square design rather than any turned wood and cut it to height, i then cut a notch out so it could be fitted hard against the top of the string and the joist.

I coach bolted the section under the floor to the joist (not shown), and stuck a couple of L shaped brackets as well for good measure.

I then used two woodscrews (countersunk and filled) through the string into the newell (indicated by blue).

the post is nice and solid and looks the part.

i also bought a half thickness post for the other end which I just screwed into the studwork i put in to create the partially built cupboard you see in my pic.

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• Muzz
• 2 Dec 2009
• 1

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[Tony 1]

Muzz,

Thanks very much for that, great advice and just what i'm after. Looking at tackling mine after the new year, happy days.

A very nice job by the way.