Loose Banister

[Pat and Cindy]

Hello, I need to know the best way to tighten up a loose banister at the bottom of my stairs. It's 3x3" square at the bottom.The house is on a slab so getting under it would require me cutting a whole in the storage closet to get to it.It's also as you probably know on the bottom step. I was told there is a dow pin that holds it in place. Can I jack it up and use a bonding material & maybe 4 lag bolts? If anyone has fixed one of these let me know the best way to fix this right for safety reasons. Thanks, Patrick W.

[donald girod]

If it is sitting on a pin up from the bottom, and the pin is at least there, but just loose in the hole, you can drill into the front of the post so as to catch the first stair riser with a lag bolt. Drill up from the bottom of the post as far as you can while still catching the riser solidly, make a hole two inches deep with a drill large enough for the hole to pass a bolt head and washer (for a 5/16 lag bolt you'd need at least 3/4; you can use a

1/4" flat washer). Another consideration is the size of plug you can get to cover the hole when you are done--make sure the hole matches an available plug. Finish drilling all the way thru with a 5/16 drill. Install the bolt and washer and tighten gently--you want just enough to make it firm. It will be easy to strip the bolt out in the wood if it is only going into 3/4" stock.

If you can work some epoxy glue between the post and the riser before you put the bolt in, it may be more solid.

[Pat and Cindy]

Thank you very much Donald. That is what I'm going to try... :)