Retro Renovation» fencing and screens

DIY stair rail ideas for Heather’s retro basement remodel

pam kueber — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 16:55:14 +0000

Heather and her husband need to install a new stair rail along the stairs to the basement in ther 1970 ranch house. They want a design that they can build themselves and have asked for our ideas to help. I have an immediate idea — but read on — and I welcome reader ideas, too! Heather writes:

We have a wonderful 1970 brick ranch that has some great retro touches. My husband and I are currently renovating our basement and I need some help with what to do with the stair railing. Could I submit a photo to you for your thoughts and help from the readers? Your site is a recent discover for me and I so enjoy it!

Well, sure, Heather. I ask her for some more info on her “Retro Renovation story” and she quickly responds:

Thanks for taking a look at this! We bought this 1970 brick ranch two years ago just after we got married. Funnily enough, neither of us wanted a brick house or a ranch, but when we first saw this one, it called our name! It was a great decision! The bones of the house were in great shape, especially upstairs. A fresh coat of paint and refinishing the original wood floors (hidden under some nasty carpet) were all that was needed before we moved in. The basement has been a different story! After gutting the existing stud walls and paneling due to water damage – and fixing said water infiltration – we are now in the process of rebuilding. I am looking for your help on the stair railing. You can see from the attached picture that a portion of the stair will be open to the den. The shaded areas show where the new walls will go. All the rail/ picket combinations for purchase at the big-box stores are traditional, turned-wood pickets that do not fit this house or my style! Any suggestions? Our budget is modest and we will probably do the work ourselves – so a hand-crafted, wrought-iron number is probably out of the question! I look forward to hearing your thoughts!

By the way, perusing your site has given me all kinds of ideas for the rest of the house. I’m not sure my husband is going to like you

Thanks,
Heather

Thank you for your nice comments, Heather. Hope I don’t get you in trouble with DH, but that’s what marriage is all about, isn’t it? The honey-do projects…. On to your question…

My idea for a 1970s style stair railing:

I immediately *knew* what my suggestion was for your stair railing: It’s like the one shown here. (Note, I cannot use this image on my site as it is copyrighted from istock.com. I tried to find it and buy it from istock.com but could not find it.)

Update: Reader Joel created this design for Heather in response to this post. Yes! Perfect 1970s -- just what I was thinking!

I think that this style of railing — which we still see on decks today — was quite common on the interiors of 1970s homes. And I bet you could replicate it yourself, pretty easily. Walking down the stairs you are not going to see the “pretty side” of the railing, but you will see it from the basement room itself. I’d look for good wood that will take a stain well, I think that’s key, along with general craftsmanship. And, of course, check with your local building inspector to make sure you are designing and installing the rail according to current building codes — and safely.

Readers, what do your stair rails look like?
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Add curb appeal to your midcentury home with ornamental metal porch columns — 3 sources for this old school product

pam kueber — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 08:27:10 +0000

Researching ornamental iron and aluminum columns and railings to help owners of mid century home add some old skool curb appeal to their front porches was hard — the websites were not set up for national consumers, particularly, so I had hunt and peck. For this story I found three suppliers — one really good sounding, national source of decorative aluminum columns… and two local sources for ornamental iron columns and railings. (There surely must be more, so I welcome any tips.) Oh, did I mention old school — these companies have been around since — yes — right after World War II, and still have fabrication in the U.S. of A. Check out these three places where you can find to decorative metal columns and railings –>

My most useful find — with distribution in 84 locations nationwide — is Superior Aluminum Products of Russia, Ohio (just north of Dayton.) This company was launched on July 11, 1956, in Youngstown, Ohio. That is their photo, above.

I talked at length with one of the co-owners, Darren, who was super helpful. Superior offers a wide selection of design possibilities for its aluminum railings and columns. Here’s how it works:

Superior fabricates your column to order. They can use square tubing either 1″, 1.5″ or 2″ wide…. space the tubing 9″ or 12″ apart…. customize to your height… do “flat columns” or “corner columns”… and use the decorative insert of your choice — the 10 possibilities, some simple, some flowery, shown above and in the lead photo. If you have a complex installation, for example, one that includes a big wrap around (rather than just two columns), it’s recommended that you work with a local contractor so that you get the measurements just right — this stuff is made-to-order.
Darren notes that the simply scrolls are still manufactured at a related company, Francis Manufacturing, across the street. Yes! Manufacturing in America!
Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Prices start at about $97 for the simplest unit and rises accordingly if you go fatter, wider, scrollier, taller, etc. However, these are MSRPs, you can wheel and deal locally when you go to buy.
Superior Aluminum has 84 distributors / retail locations across the U.S. To find a supplier in your area, call or email Superior, they would love to connect you.
Links: You want the 600 Line of decorative columns and railings.

When I first started my research, I was thinking decorative cast iron rather than aluminum. I found two places that fabricate and sell mid century style decorative columns and railings. I talked to Chuck, the manager at Remodelers Supply Center (RSC) in northwest Chicago — that’s their Climate Guard line, above. Chuck was also very helpful.

Remodelers Supply Center (RSC) sounds like a big operation. Their main business is manufacturing replacement windows, but they also do custom iron work, with 12 different styles of columns. HOWEVER, Chuck says that the company requires that they do the measuring and installation of all work. Again, like others I talked to, he reiterated that measuring for these columns and railings can be tricky. Look at those stair drawings –if you get the angle or even 1″ wrong, you are in trouble — the piece is useless. In addition, many folks use those columns as structural supports for their porch ceilings — consult a pro, do it right, you don’t want your porch roof falling down. Chuck said that an 8′ painted corner column runs about $200 plus $30 installation. Link: Remodelers Supply Center – note, they also do aluminum awnings, $91 cash-and-carry for 48″ wide, 36″ projection, they manufacture it themselves, Chuck says!

RSC is another American success story. From their history page:

Our History – An American Dream: Remodelers Supply Center (RSC) is a division of Logan Square Building Material Supply, Inc. and was started over 35 years ago as an iron, awning, and fencing shop by Mr. Isaac Silver. Mr. Silver is the heart and soul of RSC, and some of our customers still call us “Isaac’s Place”…. Mr. Silver’s story is a classic American immigrant story of coming from hard times after surviving World War II. Born in Poland, Mr. Silver came to the United States through Israel and Cuba in the 1950′s. Able to speak Russian, Polish, Spanish, and English, his legacy personifies Chicago’s diverse culture. His Polish background complements the second largest Polish city in the world here in Chicago. The American Dream became a reality for Mr. Silver and his wonderful family through very hard work and the true American work ethic. We will always be indebted to his wisdom and leadership, and he can never be replaced but he can be emulated and that is what we strive for.

Chuck says the company also made wrought iron dinettes after WWII. And finally, here’s a boo-hoo story from RSC: Chuck says that up until 12-15 years ago, the company had boatloads of wrought iron plant hangers and plant stands in their warehouse. “Fancy stuff with scrollwork,” he said, and those plant stands that have three shelves that wrap around to look like a staircase. They finally had to clear the space out. They had mega sales and sold hundreds. But when all was said and done, they still had to send lots and lots to scrap. Alas.

I also spoke with Watson Steel and Iron in Mathews, North Carolina. Also very friendly and helpful — Robin was great. Like Remodelers, she said that normally, all work they do is custom and includes installation. That is their work in the photo just above. But she seemed open to the idea that they could work out shipping for columns, if you really want cast iron. She indicated that cost for a standard flat column with scrollwork would typically start at about $250, a corner column, $350. Shipping extra. Link: Watson Steel and Iron Works.

I found another place, other side of Chicago, that does installations only, because of the measurements issue. Railings and Things.
I tend to think there are more, local places like this across the U.S. They may not have website that popped in my search. Or at all.
If you want to bargain hunt, try the Re-Store, craigslist, and salvage yards. Be cognizant of the potential for lead paint on old pieces – consult with a professional, take the right precautions.

If you have more resources, I’d love to add them to the list.

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Mid century modern lattice from Acurio Latticeworks

pam kueber — Tue, 12 Oct 2010 10:00:10 +0000

After I wrote about Lynne and her vintage room divider, I got to poking around the internet looking for companies that made decorative panels that might be appropriate for mid century modern homes… and found my way to this company, Acurio Latticeworks, which has an intriguing product.

Basically, it seems that they take 3/8″ PVC panels and using computer controlled cutters, machine the panels into all kinds of designs — including ones that have a classic mid-mod look. Now, I was kind of skeptical at first, thinking the product might feel “cheesy” or “cheap”, but the nice marketing team actually cut me some 12″x24″ samples and mailed them to me for a look. I like them – they have a nice hand-feel… they are not “shiny” like vinyl fences (not my favorite thing), and they take paint. Also, they said that if you didn’t want PVC, they could do them in MDF — which is going to be heavier, including to ship, but might be a better solution depending on the application.

Price: 1/4″ x 48″ x 96″ — PVC — Any design, White or Black @ $68.00 per panel (as of earlier this year, please check for update).

What might I use these for? Well, first of all, I do think these design are more appropriate for a mid-century modern home — they have that modern, atomic feel. In my colonial-ranch, for example… I don’t see them suiting the vibe.

Acurio shows them used as a deck liner: yes. That’s the “four point star”, above.

As a privacy screen: yes.

As a gate insert: yes.

I also think they could be used to construct an interior room divider – like Lynne’s. I think I would go for the MDF, though — you want a “substantial” not flimsy feel for something that big and which you will be so in your face.

Another way to get a thicker installation would be to layer some designs — the one above is two separate panels layered; I’d repeat the circle on the other side and make a sandwich – it would cool from both directions, that way.

I’ve also seen screens sitting on top of bathroom vanities creating a divide with the toilet — that would be an idea, too. Planters? Potting benches? Decorative folding screens?

… I think these provide a lot of creative opportunity. I would be careful, though, to use a busy-design item like this very carefully… very strategically… this is likely the kind of touch where “less is more.”

Link: Acurio Latticeworks