Dirty Business

Do it yourselfers are giving me ideas. Figuring I could not afford what I want (red oak hardwood stairs to match the floor I had installed 8 years ago) I decided to rip out the 30-year-old carpeting that was installed when the house was built. Painted steps should look better, be easier to clean and keep the dog hair under control. The dogs had enough sense to hide in the bedroom while I stirred up the dust. The carpet removal took about 15 minutes. Next came the thin foam under carpet. This was pretty easy to bag since it was disintegrating anyway. When I swept I noticed all the nails that did not rip out with the carpet. Starting at the bottom I used pliers and flat head screwdrivers to pry up the nails. This took more than an hour. I needed a shower after messing with thirty years of dirt and dust and I feel the twinges of shoulder and back aches. The steps are not great. However they are in better shape than I was expecting and slightly better than the ones leading to the basement. The leading edges are rounded but the wood is also cracked in places. When they were installed the workmen did not protect them, so they have paint and Spackle splatters. Next I need to decide if I want to sand before I paint. Are they worth all this work? And how much dust will I stir up? Quite a bit, I think. If I want to sand I need to think about protecting the furniture and the good carpet. I also need to decide on color. I think two-tone, don’t you? Brown and off white might work for the steps and risers. Of course now that this project has started, I see that the walls could use a fresh coat of paint. Slow down, Helen, one thing at a time. Under the carpet I found a dime dated 1975. In that year I could have used this for a local phone call in an enclosed phone booth on the streets of New York City.