Removing Carpet from a Stairway | Ep. 67
Removing carpet from a stairway is one trend for homeowners who want hardwood stairs with a runner down the middle.
But there’s more than one way to do something, and the path you take — no pun intended! — is up to you.
Just make sure you what you need. If you tackle this project, you’ll want a pneumatic nailer and plenty of construction adhesive for the best results.
Listen to learn our advice for that and many other home improvements!
- [02:36] Tips for insulating an unheated garage
- [06:51] How to remove carpet from stairs and replace with hardwood treads
- [11:42] Best New Product: Ecobee SmartThermostat with Voice Control
- [13:05] The best time and temperature to do exterior painting
- [16:42] Simple Solution: Sawhorse stabilizer to use when cutting 4-by-8 sheets of plywood
- [18:50] Podcast Question of the Week: Advice about the best way to ventilate an attic
Simple Solutions
Slide-On BBQ Shelf: If you keep your barbecue grill on a deck, here’s an easy way to add a convenient shelf for holding platters of food, condiments and other grilling accouterments.
Cut a simple shelf from a wide board to span a section of the deck’s handrail. Make the shelf between 16 and 24 inches long.
On the underside of the shelf, screw on two pieces of narrow wood to form an L-shaped cleat. Size the notch in the cleat to fit snugly onto the back edge of the handrail.
Then just set the shelf on the railing and tap on the back edge to lock the cleat onto the railing. The shelf is nice, sturdy and offers plenty of storage space.
Sawhorse Stabilizers: Cutting a full sheet of plywood on sawhorses can be a bit tricky because the sheet isn’t fully supported, so it tends to sag and slide around.
Support the sheet by adding 2-by-4 stabilizers to the sawhorses.
Cut two 1½-inch-deep by 1½-inch-wide notches in each sawhorse. Space the sawhorses 6 to 7 feet apart, then set 8-foot-long 2-by-4s on-edge into the notches.
The 2-by-4s will support the plywood along its entire length and allow you to cut it to size without sawing into the sawhorses.
Question of the Week
Q: “I have a four-square house and we have been here for two years. Our home inspector told us to keep the attic screen open for ventilation. Is this right or should I close it? I’m worried about the insulation getting wet.”
A: We recommend keeping the ventilation open year-round. Unless there are no louvers, and we can’t imagine that’s the case, your insulation shouldn’t get wet.
DIY Project of the Week
How to Build Simple Farmhouse-Style Shutters
In recent years, rustic farmhouse-style shutters have become a popular way to add character to a home’s exterior.
If you like this style, the good news is that they’re really easy to build — without a lot of expense.