Stepping Down or Taking a Step Up

 Stepping Down or Taking a Step Up
The house that I now live in was an 84 home kit, much like the old “mail order” homes that Sears and Roebick used to sell. The entire unassembled house was shipped to your area. The package was almost like the irems of Ikea furniture. The kit was assembled in 1976 by friends of me and my wife Cindy. I actually helped to lift wall sections of the second story of the home. I had no idea that later in life, I would buy it for my family to live in.
Through the years it was necessary to correct and repair oversights and problems that cropped up. Some of the things that needed replacement were the shag carpet, wild designed linoleum, French ditchiing, an electrical box placement, roof and window replacement. Some were because they gradually wore out and some were because a better quality product came on the market.
Over the intervening years, the stair steps from the first floor to the second floor gradually began to disintegrate. The wood for the stairs from the 84 home kit was built from pieces of cut plywood. The plywood treads and risers slowly began to show their age, even hidden under the carpeting, the wood began to sag and pull away from the walls. I did add some supports under each step to slow the progress of the weakening stair steps. I finally got worried that someone, mainly me, would step on a weakened tread and I fall through into the basement. I finaally prodded myself into action and sought out a carpenter to do the job.
Through recommendations from my kids and my brother, I was able to find a young man who was looking for work. This winter weather makes it difficult for construction workers to find projects, especially jobs that are indoors.
My Uncle Jake Stahl was a stone mason. He moved to Orlando, Florida to provide for him, his wife Halen, and his seven kids in a steadier job market. It was a time when Disney was being built and the boom for housing was just starting.
I now have is a solid set of stairs rising to my second floor. The steps are very plain and are waiting for me to hire someone to carpet them, but the stairs are strong and I don’t have to worry about finding myself in the basement. I had them install a longer handrail. With the old handrail I had to lean over a bit to grasp the top section. I felt as if I might tumble forward as I reached for it.