Newel - square or vertical?

[Sawkins]

I'm fitting a balustrade to stairs which currently don't have one. There isn't even a bottom newel, so my first task has been to fit a newel over the end of the string.

The problem is that the string isn't quite vertical so the newel, which I fitted nice and square to the string, isn't vertical either. It looks terrible in fact.

When it comes to a choice, vertical is more important than square, right? Even if it means altering my beautiful housing joint ?

 

[big-all]

i would be checking to see why its angled
with the steps only recessed into the string around 7mm any amount off angle coud mean the treads are being pulled out

first thing i would do is check how level the bottom tread is and how square it is compared to the string
maybe they removed the newel and let the stairs drop 2 or so inches to the floor causing an angle

 

[Sawkins]

As far as I can tell there never was a newel at the bottom - one of the previous owners took out the wall that the string was up against.

The string leans out from the vertical about 1.5 degrees and the treads are off level by about half that. Checked with a level they're borderline.

There's no play in the string btw, it's solid as a rock.

 

[big-all]

ok i needent tell you that assuming your newel is dead centre on the string that all the adjustment will have to be on the lower part off the joint to make shure the centre line off string newel and handrail match up