Basement Stairwell Goof

[Tim V]

I am finishing my basement and I made a goof. I framed out the side and underneath of my stairs with drywall, so when looking at the side of the steps you see a sloped drywall box. I was going to cap the top (by the steps) and then miter the spindles to rest on top of this cap. My SWMBO wanted it painted so I made it out of pine. Not my choice, but sometimes we do what they want... Anyway, I wanted to rout a 3/8 bead along the top and an 1/8 roundover on the bottom. Halfway through the second board (there's only two - left and right side of steps), I noticed that I was putting the beading on the bottom. Damn, I'll just bead both sides on both boards. It'll look fine, I thought. I placed them on the stairwell and I don't like it. My SWMBO says it looks fine and no way should I go buy two more 14' boards to redo it. Everytime I walk up those steps, I know that its not want I wanted. What do you think...Redo or keep it the way SWMBO suggests?

-- Tim

-------- See my page @

(seriously needs updating)

[Steve]

Get some cove molding or other and trim it away.

[John Emmons]

How you planning on sneaking the 14 footers past her...?

You already know that you're gonna switch em, you're just looking for validation...;^)

John Emmons

[Myxylplyk]

nothing better or more interesting to do?

[Edwin Pawlowski]

Easiest and cheapest solution is to not use the steps. Is there another door you can use? Go out and walk around the house and come in the front door.

Paint the damned thing, then use the $35+ it would have cost for the wood to take your wife to the movies. You will be much happier for it. Ed [e-mail]

[Silvan]

Depends. Can you afford to buy more wood? If so, then fix it, because if you don't, it will irritate you forever and take away all joy and meaning from your life, eventually driving you insane and tipping you over the edge and onto a murderous rampage and stuff.

If you can't afford to fix it, then just tell everybody you meant to do that and leave it alone. Nobody but you will ever care. I find that I am always WAY more critical of my work than anybody else, and stuff that irritates the piss out of me escapes everyone else's notice.

[Rob Weaver]

Rule #1 - if SWMBO says it looks fine, believe her and go on to the next project.

DAMHIKT

Rob Weaver

[Swingman]

Hehe ... love it. Recently built SWMBO a TV cabinet for the downstairs' family room .... she loves it ... I think/know it sucks, from the ground up.

Grain running wrong way (her way) on the doors, molding is wrong and looks like it was stuck on ... just generally not well designed.

Youngest daughter is due back from 6 weeks away and hasn't seen it ... SWMBO is excited for her to see it.

I told SWMBO to be sure and tell her that she bought it at a garage sale.

[Silvan]

Not always, but usually, yes.

Actually, that addage takes me back to all the short, very in your face female bosses I've had over the years. Like to make up for being short and female they have walk right up to every man they see, grab him by the nut sac, and YANK.

[Charlie Self]

It's the smile that kills ya, though.

Charlie Self

"The California crunch really is the result of not enough power-generating plants and then not enough power to power the power of generating plants." George W. Bush

[Silvan]

I don't think I've seen any of them smile. My eyes were closed from all the pain.

SWMBO isn't like that though. She's kind of... Well... Helpless. She really needs me around because there are a lot of things she doesn't know the first thing about, and absolutely doesn't want to learn. Like how to use a paintbrush. Amazingly, she paints little craft things all day long, but give her a big paintbrush and a doorframe to paint, and she'll do such a bad job that I end up having to take over.

Hmmm... Maybe she's not so helpless after all. Perhaps clever is the word I'm looking for. ;)

[Charlie Self]

Silvan notes:

Yes. Do not compare IQ test results if you want to stay happy.

Charlie Self

"The California crunch really is the result of not enough power-generating plants and then not enough power to power the power of generating plants." George W. Bush