Re-evaluation

It is remarkable how, with a large project like this one, you gradually put higher and higher demands on yourself. Half a year ago I was totally content with self-adhesive shelf lining for my stairs. (You need to scroll down the post a bit). To quote myself, "I wasn't prepared to go to the extremes". Today, it feels out of the question to leave it like that. It looks unnatural and unprofessional. Maybe fine in the rear corrdor, but not at the front when it will be among the first details you see. Just as I am replacing all floors made of the same shelf lining with proper wooded floors.

As you may have noticed, I have no problems jumping from task to task, and yesterday I suddenly decided that I needed to make the stairs. I had an idea, and I went on to test it, using large craft sticks that I fixed - not glueing yet - on top of the plastic sheet. It's about a millimetre that sticks out.

You can immediately that it doesn't work, can't you? The stain emphasises the grain of the wood, and it looks stunning, but the plastic spoils it all. The solution would be to use the same sticks on the vertical areas, but when I tried it they were too thick. In my desperation, I did something that I had dismissed six months ago: used stain direct on MDF. And see, in combination with wooden steps it worked. 

Close up:

I still need to trim the steps before glueing, and I will possibly varnish them, but you can see what a huge difference it makes. 

 

The banister is only attached with white tack, and there will of course be a newel post. There will also be a rail on the wall. 

I am very proud of myself. No compromises! Go to the extremes! I have the large front staircase to fix now.