Tidying up the basement this week has got me thinking about a number of organizational and basement improvement type projects. One of these projects was rebuilding the basement stairs.
These stairs are probably original to the house making them circa 1935. They look like they were built from scrap wood laying around after the house was complete. Add to that some of the stair treads toward the bottom are missing chunks from our first Labrador. They are pretty ugly.
I was excited about the challenge of rebuilding them because they are steep and far from any sort of standard run/rise combination. I looked forward to measuring, making calculations and drawings, re-measuring, redrawing…etc.
Well last night, my devoted wife’s brother stopped over for a visit. He is a carpenter and master craftsman.
Normally, when I tell him of one of my crazy ideas –he is right on board, often lending advice on how to measure or what materials may work best.
When I mentioned the stair project to him last night, he gazed down the stairs shaking his head in a patient, all-knowing sorta way…
“You don’t want to touch those.” he said. “Those are grandfathered.”
Who would ever disagree with their grandfather? Grandfathers are old.
This means they know.
They know most everything.
They have seen it, done it and been there… perhaps several times.
And so by being ‘grandfathered in’ – our stairs... which do meet new codes or regulations –can stay, no questions asked.
Because they are already here and have been here for a really long time, and they are old and wise and have seen it all.
And so when your master craftsman brother in-law tells you something’s been ‘grandfathered’… don’t ask questions.
Put down the tape measure and back away from the tool box.
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