Finally going up...

Warning: This is a picture heavy posting and may take some time to load...

The carpenter finally got started on the staircase to the upper two bedrooms. Exciting times - the indications were all there that the build was nearing completion.

The first stringer is positioned

The carpenter, Reuben, measured height and the the distance with one of the stringers.  Then he took that outside again and made the other stringer.

Stringer # 1 got it's tread supports

The tread distances were measured / calculated, and the supporting piece of wood was screwed in...

Stringer 1 & 2 and the treads in place

Excitement mounted as the completed structure grew before our eyes.

Securing the treads to their supports

Once that was complete, it was a case of all hands on deck as they schlepped the whole ready-made staircase inside.

Huffing and puffing - guess it was pretty heavy :)

Only when the staircase was inside and in situ did I spy a problem.

Spot the problem

Whilst I was out buying building materials, the carpenter, on RMan's instruction, had made the treads protrude over the edge of the stringers.  A word to females out there:  Don't leave interior decor decisions to your handyman husband.  Aesthetics are apparently not necessarily included their gene pool LOL 

So the staircase had to be schlepped outside again so that all the treads could be repositioned.

Finally, a staircase which has my approval

Guess the builders cursed me on a number of occasions - but I let it slide off.  I have to live in the finished product, not them :)

This picture perfectly illustrates the messy, dusty
conditions under which we lived for 4 months

The two existing beams supporting the mezzanine had been installed 1.2 mtrs apart, so that we could have a 1.2 mtr wide landing.  Well, we figured there was no way of hiding the mezzanine, so why not make a feature out of it.

A hole was cut and drilled straight through
the one outside wall in order to slot the
third beam in through it

But, being 1.2 mtrs wide, our builder advised us that it definitely required a third beam - in between the other two.  The maximum supporting distance between the two beams is not allowed to be more than 600mm.  So out came the angle grinders and the concrete drills... again!

The third supporting beam is installed

They knocked a hole through the one wall from the outside, and fed the third (middle) beam through that.

The lower layer of deck board in in
place

The lower layer of deck board was laid on top of the beams.  

We now have a mezzanine / landing to walk on

We opted for a wooden balustrade  - figuring that it was the most eco-friendly, and the lightest option.  Steel or glass would just have been too heavy (weight-wise), and would have caused twisting and distorting of the outer beam.  Not to mention a wooden balustrade is more in keeping with a farmhouse than steel or glass :)

Gunplas (builders plastic) was laid to try and
protect out clay tile floors

But, whilst the room was empty we decided that it was a good time to bring in the scaffolding, so that the ceiling could be skimmed, and the wall / ceiling joins / cornice could be finished / installed.  Get the mess inside finished in one building session of 3 days, as opposed to clearing everything out again a week or two later.

The complete staircase with the wooden
balustrade (bannisters)

Now, at last, RMan and I could climb the stairs and see the view (mess / chaos / upheaval) from the first floor LOL

View of the mess from above

It looked so ruddy high from up there - much higher than when one stands at the bottom and looks up.

But - would Scallywag make it up the stairs?  He is besotted with RMan and follows him like a shadow - literally.  Being condemned to staying downstairs could've resulted in plaintive whining - constant plaintive whining...

Hmmm - looking out here may have
great advantages... :)

As it turned out, going up took a couple of minutes to get the brain rewired and master, but the effort was worth the view from the window which was, co-incidentally, just at his height...

Help, Daddy.  I'm scared...

 ... but coming down again - hmmm, that took some thought.

Give me a moment to think about it...

He decided to take a break and think about it.  RMan and I devised a plan.  Sending RMan outside swayed the odds in favour of a reaction, and, finally mustering the courage...

Stop, RMan!  Stop!
Wait!  Wait for me.
I'm coming...

... and ignoring the open treads, Scallywag made a run for it.