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Had a stair runner job in a 1920s house that took three days instead of one

The winders were all different sizes and the old subfloor was warped, so every piece needed custom cutting and fitting. I ended up having to scribe each tread and riser piece individually, which added hours I didn't plan for. What's your method for tackling those old, uneven staircases?
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3 Comments
haydensanchez
Three days sounds about right for that mess. Honestly, my method is just accepting I'll be there all week and charging double. Those old houses fight you every step of the way.
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kevin_wells46
My last job in a 1920s bungalow took a full seven days just to re-pipe one bathroom. @haydensanchez is totally right about old houses fighting back. You open up a wall and find a whole new problem that was hidden for a century. Charging double is the only way to make that kind of headache worth it. The owners never understand how much extra work their charming old home really is.
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the_logan
the_logan27d ago
I read somewhere that old houses from the 1920s were often built with salvaged lumber, so the subfloors are never square or level. That explains why your winders were all over the place. Sounds like a nightmare to scribe each one like that.
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