 |
| Before |
Sometime after Hallie turned a year old, Mike installed a
pull-down stairway so that we could access the attic for storage. Once the
stairway was in place, he worked in the attic to install flooring. It never
occurred to me that my baby, who wasn't walking by herself yet,
would follow him up there, but she did. I found her sitting nonchalantly at the
top of the ladder. She was then watched more closely.
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| Nick cuts the hole |
When
we moved to the “big house,” once again we installed an attic stairway. The attic was
great for storage. And when we remodeled the farmhouse, we insisted on a
pull-down stairway for attic access. The contractor tried to convince me I
should get rid of stuff rather than storing it. I know myself (and Mike) better
than that. We stood firm in our request for a floored, accessible attic and have never regretted it.
 |
| Attic |
So,
I wasn’t surprised when Hallie wrote that she and Nick were installing an attic stairway. She’s been
involved in that process in every home we’ve owned (except for the modular home, of course). I’m a little surprised,
though, that they need the storage. I don’t think Hallie keeps stuff the way her parents
do.
 |
| Ready for installation |
On the other hand, last week I asked her if I could share with Emmy a book from her childhood collection, Corduroy by Don Freeman, and she responded that it was a favorite. Naturally,
I respect that. So, maybe there will be some stuff in Hallie’s attic after all. (Oh -- and yes, a new copy was ordered from Amazon for Emmy.)
 |
| Stairway installed |
You can follow the progression of Hallie and Nick's pull-down stairway project through the pictures Hallie provided.
5 comments:
What's funny about this project is multiple people I've told about the stairs have said, "Oh, you'll be like Chevy Chase in Christmas Vacation". You know, the scene where he's locked in the attic and sits on the stairs that he later falls through when someone opens the door. I finally said to the last person, "Why does everyone keep referencing Christmas Vacation like they've never seen these stairs anywhere else??" Apparently, not everyone has fold down attic stairs in every home they've lived in. I then basically told the first paragraph of this entry sans the part about climbing up the ladder as a baby. I didn't know that part. I'll report back after the painting and trim installation. It's going to look really sharp!
That Hallie has always been an adventurous girl! Scary story for you though! I've never lived in a house with a pull-down stairway, but I think they're cool.
Emmy loved that book and was so excited to get it! Very thoughtful.
Hallie and Chris -- Your comments reveal that few houses are equipped with pull-down stairways. The point is that you have to install them.
Yes, Hallie is adventurous. The early clues were not lost on me either.
And Kelly - Thanks so much for letting us know that Emmy loved the book. It comes highly recommended by Aunt Hallie. The "Corduroy" series includes a number of books. Stay tuned . . .
Good work, Nick.
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