Monday, February 15, 2010

A Stairway

The next project on our list of things to do with the barn was a stairway to the upstairs.   Old ladders were the method of access to the  wonderful space there, or the big doors through which the haywagon would pull into the upstairs to unload its cargo.    Preston decided that his labor of love and hope Christmas gift to me would be STAIRS.   He used lumber taken from other parts of the barn (horse stalls...) which we have removed.   Much of this lumber is original barn construction Fir of amazing quality!  We would not be able to afford to purchase such lumber today.   I wonder if we would even be able to find it.
 
These stairs are along the south wall of the barn, on the dairy side.
 


Dad and Mom and Suzanne checked them out and pronounced them wonderful.   

Dad was particularly pleased with how easy they were to use.  


Then for Valentine's Day  he finished the project by putting up railings and hand rail.    All that remains to do is cleaning, some sanding to smooth the rough edges and maybe some stain to make the end cuts look old.
  I love this new addition to the barn.  It make the barn loft beautifully more accessible for work projects and events.  I deeply love Preston's willingness to work hard on these projects and ask me for my opinion on what would look best.