Model Railway Forum

I have noted there are a few on here who are very good carpenters. Something I am not. The newel post on the landing at the top of the stairs is getting a bit loose. Is it a job that a DIY er can do to tighten it up. Or is it a job for a carpenter. Any advice is welcome.

I guess it depends why it is loose. They are usually very sturdy.

Walkingthedog wrote: ↑Mon Mar 30, 2020 9:18 pm I guess it depends why it is loose. They are usually very sturdy.

Thank you for your ider walkingthedog . It is one of those stand-alone newel posts at top of the stairs. 1.5m of strait hand rail and posts running along landing at top of stairs. Now if I were a carpenter I would have better idea how it is fitted. It looks as if it was screwed into the joist which runs along the top of the stairs and along the landing. The same joist the staircase is fitted to. Am sure a carpenter would know exactly what to do. I was thinking of tapping a couple very thin wedges down the sides of the post but wondered what a carpenter thinks of the idea. Maybe also trying to run some diluted wood glue as well. I understand this is not unusual in older houses.

Sandy, the newel post should be securely fixed to the full depth of that floor joist - for example the one at the top of my stairs is flush with the plasterboard of the ceiling below.

It sounds as though the fixings holding it have worked loose - either long screws, bolts or long dowel pins. They do need to be secure as it’s a main support and one that you will lean on when climbin* the stairs.

I’m afraid just wedging it to stop it wobbling would at best be a short term fix and may make it more difficult to do a proper repair later on.

If you can gain access to the base of the post under the floor it may be possible to drill through the joist and use a couple of good sized lag bolts to pull it all together.

As a woodworker, solution normally, would be to gain access to the joist ,holding the post, and re secure, just as steve said, but often , its easier said then done. White woodworking glue poured down all four sides, would hold it, but you need to stop it running out below.. if you can pack all four sides by pushing down something solid to make a ledge, then drip in glue, this will certainly strengthen it up. Long term, it needs the floorboards up, i am afraid. The problem with wedges, is they put pressure on the weak fixing. Hi

Thank you for that Steve. And yelrow. It seems the best thing for me to do is to get a carpenter in and get the job done properly.
I don't even know what a lag bolt is. The loose ness is not bad yet, so I will not try DIY. I may make it worse in long run.. Thank you for the information.

Lag bolts.

Steve, to me thats a coach screw. Interesting. I would certainly attempt the glue fix, before paying for a chippie, who will not be able to come till about july, based on isolation

Hi Yelrow. Driving wedges in would just split the joist. I'd have squirted in a good dose of PVA or 1 hour epoxy resin. (5 minute epoxy might not soak in far enough before it went off).

Thanks for all your chaps and will get it fixed later when things get better. It is only slightly loose at the moment. Not flopping around. I like to nip things in the bud normally but this time I will leave it to an expert later in year when things settle down.
Will get on with fitting my loft ladder now which has been waiting a month to be done. Even I can do that. It is all in a kit.