Thank you so much! I’m a 64 year young woman. I’m replacing my shoe, rail and balusters and your videos helped me so much. I do woodworking but this was a challenge.
Watched a lot of videos on balusters on RU-vid and yours is by far the best for my application. I am replacing my wooden balusters with metal (same kind you are using). Have to drill into solid oak to place them which was intimidating. You gave drill sizes to use and depth. Helped a lot. Also, your drywall screw wedge worked great. Thanks Cliff
This and your other install video has more info, better visuals, and explains things 1k times better than others I found. Thank you! Saves me a ton of BS!!
Great video. Just wondering about the top and bottom hole’s. If the bottom hole is bigger than the top but still centred with the top does the screw not push the baluster over to the side throwing it out off plumb Thanks
Thanks the screw method helped me out BIGTIME! It's definitely something that takes some practice and finesse to get it right. Maybe because I was using 3/4 oak bullnose. Also, 11/16 needs to be precise. I tried a 3/4 and was too big for the screw to work and needed to double screw several. But a fast effective method. I would recommend drilling through the bullnose first as not to chance hitting a nail or screw in subfloor. Because there's a lot of holes and you want a nice sharp bit. Then once you've done the hard drilling you can use a junk bit or the same one and finish the depth of the holes. Another tip, depending on how you plan to tighten the Allen key screw, you may want to start tightening them until they are almost to the width of the baluster. Also keep in mind which way the bottom caps face, because you won't be able to use a screw gun certain ways. But pre tighten them so it's less work of you are using a hand held Allen key. Or if the gun won't fit in certain areas. I'm a perfectionist so I also factor in which side I will be putting the screws in. And then drill accordingly. Since the screw will pull it out of plum an eighth of an in or so. And if you're up against the wall or knewl factor in which side as well. Doesn't hurt to use some finish screws for some extra strngth either when securing the handrail to the wall. We almost always have rosettes on the ends of the railing so glue and 2.5" 15 gauge nails are fine. Just remember it's a safety rail but it's only meant to save you from one good hit or fall in reality. And the glue and nails will do that. But if you want it to last a bit longer go ahead and toss some blocking in there and use screws. This is not a dog and the way he does it is totally acceptable in my opinion. I just go a little stronger. Thank you for the video and saving me so much time and head ache... So glad I found this video and thought I'd come back to say that and share my thoughts. You rock man keep it up!
Thank you Jeremiah for this awesome comment and your time writing it! I can relate to everything you described! Don’t worry I added pocket screws to that rail for extra support, but didn’t get that in the video. I’m very glad I was able to help with one of your projects and I love your description of the process you went through(great tip with using multiple drill bits)! Have a blessed day and look forward to more from you in the future! 😎
I love how you can push all of the tapered top up into the railing using this method. I just installed 49 balusters in my house this way, and they look fantastic. Thanks so much!
Drilling down to allow enough height for the baluster to move into position before sliding it up into the handrail and then securing it with a screw is genius. I changed out 40 balusters and gave the staircase a new look in just a day. Thank you!
That is awesome! I’m so happy I can show just a few tricks and you are able to replicate the process for your home! Thank you for coming back and leaving a comment, I love hearing success stories! Have a blessed day 😎
Great Video... I'll be using this technique for sure.. Is it me or am I missing something when the spacing of the baskets are not equal left to right? I'd have started with a basket, three twisted followed by another basket would have spaced them evenly with the walls on each side..
The baluster technique was great! Much quicker than most techniques. But a railing is primarily a safety device and your railing is held in place with 4 finish nails into whatever on each end, thats not good. My suggestions would be that the shoes should face the other way so the homeowners aren't looking at the allen screws, not that hard to screw them in from the other side. And a $50 laser to line up the bottom holes is faster and more accurate than the level for most installers. Thanks!
Love your tips Hunter. Thanks man. One thing for everyone else: for the round part that goes up into the hand rail, I found that a 1/2" hole is too snug. I use a 9/16 paddle bit.
This is a great way to do this! I purchased a laser level that has a dot feature and it worked fantastic, just lay-out bottom and shoot the laser up to the hand rail, it self levels for a true and level mark. The only issue I ran into was my stair nose was to far out to drill down enough so I had to place hand rail on the balusters, so the screw in the bottom helped keep them upright. Thanks for the informational video.
I knew there was a good reason I've been putting off installing my handrail & balusters for over a year!!! And people call me a procrastinator!!! 😆 I came across your channel today; your explanations are thorough and well demonstrated. Thanks so much!!!
@@huntercarlson5446 I do have a question about how to cut the iron balusters. I have both hollow and solid iron, what type of blade do I need for my chop saw?
www.acehardware.com/departments/tools/power-tool-accessories/cut-off-wheels/2799237 That’s a link to the exact blade I use for my Dewalt 14” Chop Saw. This blade can also be found at Home Depot located directly under the display models of these tools. I know you said you have a chop saw…is it 14”? If my recommended blade doesn’t fit you saw, let me know what tool you are going to use… Hope this helps! Have a blessed day today😎
www.homedepot.com/p/DEWALT-7-in-x-1-8-in-Metal-Abrasive-Saw-Blade-Bulk-DW3511/202579870 I’m a little hesitant on recommending a blade for your miter saw to cut metal…I don’t think these blades were made for Miter saws, more circular saws…do you have a grinder by any chance? I feel we need to figure out a different tool to use than a Miter saw…just my personal opinion, I haven’t used miter saws for anything else other than wood, MDF, or PVC materials…
For transferring the lines for the baluster holes you could have simply laid the railing on the floor before installing it and transferred the lined, but what i did on mine because I couldn't do that as my newel posts were thinner at the top than the bottom is I attached a small magnetic level to a baluster and did exactly what you did with your 5 foot level but I was able to eyeball it a little better by using the actual baluster and with the level being magnetic i had a lot less trouble keeping it level when i got to the sloped part of the stairs where I was also putting in railing.
Why no uploads lately? I’m working in Parker rn and I’m installing a staircase for the first time. Your videos have been much help. Wondering if your source of supplies is cheaper than big box stores. Thanks for the content brother
I have run into this issue a few times…when you tighten the Allen screw it shifts the boot so it doesn’t sit nicely on the rake cap or handrail. For “track” homes I leave the boot the way it is and have never had any warranty issues. For more custom projects I will use either hot glue or liquid nail to secure the rake boots to the cap, let the glue dry, then tighten the Allen screw. Some older homes have some extremely steep stair cases where the iron boots will never match the pitch unfortunately. Thanks for watching and leaving some personal feedback! Have a blessed day 😎
No escribo ingles Pero este maestro gran maestro Explica y enseña increíblemente entendible aun si hablara chino japones o Ruso lo entenderia perfectamente Eres Grandioso “ Maestro “ Bravo
Any advice on where to buy iron balusters? I’m a “middle ground” shopper. It’s for our home, so I want it to be solid, but it’s one balcony/landing that will probably never get touched lol. But I have seen prices from $6-25/iron baluster. Any suggestions or recommendations will help. Thank you for the great video.
Did u put a level to them? I can’t see them being level as you set the screw some in the left and some on the right that would knock it out of level 3/16
Man it's cool too see someone that trims for Horton across the country. I'm in myrtle beach sc and we literally do the same thing here lol nice work brother
Awesome video, gave me so much more confidence that I can do this myself. I'm sorry if you mentioned this and I missed it. Are these balusters 1/2 inch? I love how easy this screw method is, so much better than glue or epoxy. Just wanted to verify the drill bit sizes. Thank you so much!
I really appreciate your comment! It has been a while since my last video…work kinda changed, my partner that takes most of the footage is recovering from surgery, and I’m just starting to feel comfortable with my new builder to bring the camera back onto the job site! I have a few videos that were taken 2 years ago that I will be looking to edit and publish this summer sometime and hopefully get back into making new videos by the end of the year. Thank you for your support and I will get back into it! Just don’t have an exact time for when that will be. Have a blessed day 😎
@@huntercarlson5446 Sorry about your partner- hope they recover soon! Totally get it man, lifes busy and after working on houses all day it must be tough to edit and post. I can't even keep the truck clean after working in the summer heat here in Phoenix lmao. Regardless, you'll 100% have plenty of folks excited to see your new stuff when it drops 😃 take care!
I am replacing my existing wood balusters and wood handrail with new handrails and new iron balusters. I will be using the existing holes in the flooring and drilling new holes in the new rail. How would you suggest that I mark the new handrail properly to drill new holes? I was thinking of using a laser placed over the center of the old holes in the floor and pointing it up to the new rail and then marking the spot the laser indicates. Any other suggestions? Thanks
The laser level would be the perfect tool to transfer your holes to the new handrail! Seems like you already have a great game plan! Only thing I would recommend is to drill the holes on the handrail before installing the handrail permanently. It’s easier for me to keeps the holes straight and consistent drilling down into the piece then drilling up into the handrail on my knees…thanks for asking and reaching out! Any more questions don’t hesitate! Have a blessed day 😎
Great video, easy to follow, great tips, and great filming. I learned a lot. Only thing that was suspect were the shorts. Hunter you’re not old enough to own a pair of shorts that look like that.
Thank you very much! Hope I can inspire some to try some of these projects on their own. Definitely comes down to having the right tools for the job! Let me know if you have any questions! Have a blessed day 😎
Hi Hunter, Thank you for your informational videos! Apologies if I missed it when searching, but do you happen to have a similar video that explains how to change the balusters on the angled part of the stairs? Thank you again!
Such a helpful video! 2 quick questions: 1) If I have boots the are low-profile/flush to the floor, can I countersink the screws on the bottom enough to accommodate? 2) I have 3/4” square balusters. How big does my upper hole need to be and how should I fill the space from a square rod in a round hole? Such a killer channel! Thanks for all this great info.
I really appreciate your compliments! 1) Since I don’t really know your style of boots it is hard for me to answer this question…but yes I believe you can still sink the screw to be flush with the floor, you may just need to pre drill with an 1/8” drill bit to help the screw sink further. 2) I hope u are measuring the balusters diagonally from corner to corner…I would try on a scrap piece of material a 3/4” spade drill bit and see if you can push the baluster into that hole about an inch…if you can without struggling that will be your top hole…if you can’t then try a 13/16” spade drill bit…for the bottom hole you can go with 7/8” and make it easier to slide in and that will help with sinking the screw…you can either get more boots to add to the top of each baluster to cover the hole or possibly just leave it the way it is, I personally don’t mind the look of a square baluster in the round hole on top as long as it is snug in the hole. Hope this helps! Have a blessed day 😎
Hey Great Video! What would you recommend in this scenario: I removed wooden balusters and want to add Iron but the holes on the treads and the bottom of the hand rail are all 3/4"... Do you think this method would still work?
Yes I believe my method still works…most likely you will need to add a screw at the top of each baluster to make it snug in the holes of the handrail. At the bottom you may need to drill deeper to help the baluster get into position. I used 1 screw per baluster in the video, but you can also add a 2nd screw to help with pinching the bottom of each baluster. In your scenario I would possibly use a boot at the bottom and top of each baluster to cover your screws and holes. In the video I only have the boots to the balusters at the bottom because my top holes were drilled to fit the baluster nice and snug… Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any more questions! Have a blessed day 😎
@@huntercarlson5446 Wow didn't expect a reply so fast! Thanks buddy! That is helpful - I really enjoy the videos and tips. Please keep it up for us! :)
I appreciate you! Thank you for your time! It’s been a few months since my last video, so I will work hard on getting more footage and more videos in the near future!
You mentioned drilling the bottom holes 2.5” inches down. Have you ever drilled all the way through a stair thread, or should there always be enough material depth in those locations?
I’ll always drill about 2” down when there is a rail cap. Not worried about the material depth because we are pinching the baluster to the rail cap and subfloor. There is only a few conditions where I’m worried about drilling depth…If there are open stair treads in the house where you will see the bottom of the treads, we obviously need to watch how far we drill. This will also change the length of the balusters on how to install them… Any condition where the bottom of the baluster is hidden in the floor or hidden in the wall going up the stairs, don’t worry about having enough material. Almost every house I have installed iron on a flat run I will drill through rail cap and subfloor (1 1/2” thickness) and then there will be 8-10” open space due to the open area in the floor joists. Hope this helps! Get back to me if I didn’t fully answer! Have a blessed day 😎
Here's a tip. When installing the iron balusters, use a 5/8" paddle or forstner bit for the lower hole. The baluster will friction fit in the bottom hole perfectly. I use clear silicone inside the top hole. Fill the hole with a little extra room and the silicone will fill the inside and outside of the baluster. This way they don't rattle....especially on stair handrails.
I don’t usually install cabinets, usually just for myself or friends, but in 4 months or so I’ll be renovating my friends house and will get a lot of video! Sorry that’s a ways away…
hello, Love your video. I have a question. I would like to use my existing posts and rails, my question is I have a piece of wood trim, I guess you can say at the very bottom of the spindles instead of them attaching straight to the step themselves. The wood trim isn't thick enough to put the spindles in at the bottom. If I remove the bottom rail it would go straight to the carpet. How would that look or how can I do this? I wish I could attach a picture to help make it easier to understand. Any help with this would be amazing. Thanks so much,
You only really need 3/8 of grab on top and bottom. More is better but as long as the material you go into doesn't move you will be fine. So cut the top shorter, and then measure from there. If you have more than 3/4 on the bottom just drill 3/4 . This leaves the 3/8" on top and bottom. Or remove or replace bottom rail. Then use shorter screws or just glue.
I will definitely get more footage of my handrails and go over the post installation as well! Not sure when the next job is with a rail but I will get more footage of the entire install! Thanks for watching! Have a blessed day 😎
Thank you Hunter, I'm going to follow this exact technique for my home project which is almost identical to this installation you did. For those of us who don't have iron cutting saws, I take it you can use the balusters as-is i.e. full length or are they too long for regular height handrails and they must always be shortened? I didn't get that part...
Hey Stephen, unfortunately the iron balusters come from the manufacture at 44 inches, so I have to cut each one down to size to fit the opening. Instead of using a metal saw to cut them, you can easily use a hacksaw with a metal cutting blade. This tool is less than $10 at the local hardware store. Most iron balusters these days are hollow so it will cut just fine by hand. Just try to “deburr” the end with some sandpaper to make it easier to slide into the bottom hole. Hope this helps. Let me know if you have any more questions and have a blessed day 😎
@@huntercarlson5446 Thanks so much for your quick reply!! Great to know I can use a hacksaw with a metal cutting blade. Love your channel and easy explanations!
I understand we need to have 4" in between balusters. Is it best to measure out from center? How about if it is more than 4" on each end. Is that okay? For example, my total measurement is 105.25"
That measurement of 105 1/4”…is that an angled run of the rail next to the stairs? Or is that a flat run of rail? This will change how I mark out the holes…get back to me and I can help further!
I am doing pretty much what you were doing, except I have a newel on one end. Were you using a finishing nail gun? Is it 16 gauge? I have an 18 gauge brad nailer. I don't think that would be enough to hold up the banister.
The homeowner for this build didn’t want rosettes for the rail…I did plug add 2 1/2” screws off camera once I was done with the balusters…I’ve not installed a lot of rosettes here in the Denver area, more of a half post if the design is chosen that way…thanks for your time! Have a blessed day 😎
I have a builder who don't like to use rosettes if the rail is not wall to wall I like to use a rail bolt if I get a plowed out rail I can notch out bottom for bolt and hide with fillet
Depending on your budget and tools on hand I would start with a power tool such as a grinder with metal blade, or a jig saw with a metal blade. For a cheaper route you can get a hack saw, but you will have to sand the edges to help the baluster fit in the boot and slide into the hole easier. Hope this helps! Have a blessed day 😎
Great observation! In this case, yes, the glue and trim nails have enough hold to support the rail. I was also able to get the rail super tight from wall to wall. I also had framing behind the drywall for my trim nails to grab. Off camera I did push and pull the handrail to the point that it flex’s without loosening from the wall. In other cases I will countersink a 2 1/2” screw on each side for additional support. If the rail wasn’t so tightly wedged to the wall I definitely would have added screws to each side…thanks for watching and asking a question! Have a blessed day 😎
If you would of dry laid down top balister down on the bottom plate could just use a sq and transfer for each hole less tedious and faster to get those bottom 🕳 s
When installing these balusters with any type of glue, your always going to have a couple balusters that loosen overtime or the glue just fails over the years. Not to mention the potential mess and damage the glue does to the rail. That’s why I use this screw method…no mess, no damage, each and every baluster is secure and straight, and it’s easy to remove the balusters in the future if needed. I highly recommend trying this method! Thanks for watching and have a blessed day 😎
Lol! I’m kinda letting the Colorado mountain man side come out a little, but just giving it a try. If that’s what your referring to…thanks for your support and watching some of my videos! Have a blessed day 😎
I build custom stairways and handrails in the Bay Area your methods go against the grain of every stair company in the area. Yes I see that it works for you but your callbacks must be insane but more power to you if this works for you
Thank you for the offer, but I am currently busy with a few projects that will take me into March/April timeframe. I would be more than happy to answer any questions you may have about the project. Have a blessed day 😎
Sorry'But he says~Keep cutting itt a 16th of an inch off"instead of just getting the right measurements"An cutting once"But true this"Not many can read a tape properly"Took Me Years~Still Learning
22:40 not a fan of wedging a screw .. it will loosen, as will that set screw in cap .. 10yrs from now all the balusters will be falling out. But sure, you got a fast easy install method there, just don't do it at my house, lol.
@@huntercarlson5446 what is the warranty duration for your installation work?? A more quality install would be to insert that screw through a hole in the baluster, but that is more work/time.. I get it, you do this for a living.
5 year warranty…I did the same job in my personal home 13 years ago and no screw has loosened over time. This is a more quality install over the others who glue or epoxy their balusters into place. I understand that you can always take it a step further and do more, but this method insures my company of no warranty issues or go backs because of loose balusters. Do you have experience in building handrails in residential homes?
Glue & brads to hold a 73” handrail into both walls overlooking a balcony!? Throw the code book out the window on this one. Lol. And am I the only one seeing that impact driver twist the bottom of literally every single baluster when that screw sinks?? You twisted the first one more than 3 degrees. That would drive me crazy. Too much torque.
