" What we're looking at here are 4 stringers usually cut out of spruce. And the stringers are really the backbone of the staircase. They're gonna be holding the tread and the risers and obviously the weight of everybody who's going up and down the stairs. Now, our staircase builder, Mark Fortunati, has already taken care of cutting and roughing in the staircase and all the other trades have come through the house. Now he's back in the house in order to put the finishing touches then. And what he already has accomplished is cutting and fitting the skirt boards. The skirt boards go basically as a continuation of the base board along the floor up the side of the stairs all the way to the top. And these have to be carefully fitted and cut and that includes putting in a dado on the back of each rise and on the back of each riser, so that the 2 are fitted together as in a traditional joint. Now over here, you'll notice that he's already put in place one of the turned newel post, which come direct from the factory. Now, show me exactly how this fit together Mark?"

" Well, this riser fits right into the skirt, like this. Just like that and the----"

" That's the back side of the works, but if you were walking up the stairs you'll just start seeing that fits like that."

" Like that."

" Okay. Shall we glue them up?"

" Yeah, I'd say we just glue them up."

" Just like this."

" Right in the back for the glue, like they must. Like that. Can you get it on there? Alright."

" Alright. So we'll put them all in space for you. Is that the right orientation?"

" Yep."

" Okay."

" So nailing from the back assures that we're not gonna see any kind of nailhead. Alright, now we can push it back into place. Will it sit there?"

" Yeah, that's on it."

" Alright, now shooting 2-1/2 inch nails into this----right into the face of the first riser. And are you ready to try the----try to the first tread?"

" Yeah."

" [unk]."

" Right, cut the tread a bit before we roll it. Here you go. Just like that. Yeah. Looks like it's coming and going nice. It's fit perfect right there."

" Try it on the corner."

" Yeah."

" Alright. So how about some panel adhesive?"

" Sure. We forgot some serious squeaking."

" Yeah. That's one of the keys in terms of good products that are available now. A good adhesive like this will not only help in staying together, but it will prevent any noise in the future."

" I'm on the [unk]."

" Excellent! This is the outside skirt, which is cut a little bit simpler. There's no rabbeting, but we do have miter cut on each of the risers, so that when it fits in you should have a tight fit. Just like that. Now all the pieces of this staircase are carefully fitted with many of them do not glued together. All the balusters are just really in the little holes that receive them, but here where the handrail will go right on top of the newel post. You do wanna put a little bit of adhesive. And Mark, are you ready for that?"

" Bring it on."

" Bring it on up. He of course just dry-fitted this once and once he sets it down there, the spindles or balusters go into the bottom of the railing one by one. And it's important not to have them glued or nailed 'coz you want them to flow and move if they need to with expansion and contraction. It's gonna be a beautiful staircase though. And as you can see all the rest of the treads and the risers are already in place. How's that? And then, this one is just scribed into place. So that one will need a fastener, right?"

" Yup."

" And then up here. We have another transition that he'll get to. There you go. I'll put the glue in for you."

" Thank you."

" And one neat thing to look at, this is none yet. These little jigs are supports. They're temporary here, which are very important when you're trying this work on one of these all by yourself."