Today we wrap up a productive week with an almost-done update on the lakeside staircase that’s been tag teamed first by Glen and Tony, then Peter and Supi, and then Tony and Peter. As we continue to explore all possible permutations, I’d like to tip my hat today too Misters Foster and Vaiciulis for leapfrogging progress on the posts and railings. Thank you!
After several years of delays — from false start to postponement to more false starts — [the team has]… resuscitated Rosslyn’s lakeside staircase repairs. (Source: Lakeside Staircase: Recon)
I readily admit that there have been times that I’ve wondered if this rehab would ever, EVER reach conclusion. So many false starts and abbreviated installments. 
To be fair, it repairing and rebuilding — for all practical purposes cloning the predecessor, detail by detail by detail — is challenging. Far more challenging than simply developing a new solution. Rehab (whether historic rehabilitation or revitalization of newer elements like this staircase which we designed and built back in about 2007 or 2008) is painstaking and precise. And in our case, it involves restoring original materials whenever possible. That adds a whole layer of challenges that might be sidestepped if we were less concerned about preserving and repairing and recycling and repeatedly priority the preservation of existing elements rather than demo’ing and starting from scratch.
If you missed my lakeside staircase lighting update a couple of weeks ago, here’s where I left off.
[It’s time for another update] on Rosslyn’s lakeside staircase. Progress has been ongoing… [Here’s] a quick update… on Brandon’s work… each tread will be illuminated with a pair of riser lights. And if your eyes are really, really good, you’ll see that he is almost finished. Only the last few steps to go. For those of you familiar with the staircase, this is exactly the same way that we illuminated the steps the last time. Same “eyelidded” (to restrict illumination to the treads) LED lighting… (Source: Lakeside Staircase: Lighting)
Thank you, Brandon for wrapping up your chapter in this epic! The previous two photographs show new riser lights complete bottom to top.
Next step? Installing the structural posts, the restored post sleeves, and the restored railings.
Tony has been eager (a.k.a. jumping at the bit!) to help accelerate the last leg of this project. But we’ve needed him to juggle at least a dozen other priority projects including the privacy enclosure behind the carriage barn.
But he got his wish and, partnered up with Peter, the accomplishment is remarkable. Keep in mind that every post and railing you see in that photo above (with Peter standing at the base of the stairway) was carefully deconstructed by Tony and Glen 3-1/2 months ago, meticulously restored and refinished in the carriage barn during inclement weather days, and is now being reinstalled with a superior structural skeleton to ensure safety and longevity.
Well deserved kudos to Peter for masterminding some of the more complex railing restoration challenges like the one above. In cases where rot was too pervasive to extirpate and repair with dutchmen, etc. it was necessary to improvise more elaborate solutions to address both structural and aesthetic demands. Note the offset/staggered lap joints conjoining the railing components.
As we arrive at Memorial Day weekend the finish line is finally insight. Hopefully we’ll be celebrating completion of the posts and rails soon!
Stay tuned…
What do you think?