Search these threads because there have been several similar questions that have been answered already. Short answer - builders almost always charge rip-off prices for upgrades; if it's something that can be done later by someone else (as opposed to something like a higher ceiling in the basement that can't be changed later), have a 3rd party do it.Do have the builder prepare it if possible by adding an extra electrical circuit and run a wire up to a closed elecrical box in the attic where you want the lights installed. As for type, for new construction use LED. The overwhelming favourite here deservedly is the Ecosmart ECO-575L sold at Home Depot stores for $35 each, or $30 online if you buy 2 or more at a time. These are really a rebranded version of the very well-reputed Cree CR6 downlights; Ecosmart is a HD house brand, not a manufacturer. They fit into nearly any 6" can, and have built-in white trim rings that would normal cost $10 per recessed light, so the effective price of the LED bulbs is only $20. This for a flood lamp bulb that lasts for 15 years and draws only 9 watts, yet is bright and gives off high-quality light nearly indistinguishable from incandescent bulbs. And can be dimmed to 5% with most standard dimmers. There are 5000k daylight balanced versions available too that give off a cool, bluish light similar to sunlight, but most prefer the familiar warmer, more yellowish 2700K light from the warm white version, and a small 4" version too. But the warm-white 6" is the modern staple of recessed lighting. There are some restrictions to how many lights can be dimmed with one switch that varies by the dimmer switch you use: not an issue if you use a non-dimming switch. There's also a brighter 800 lumen 6" LED available from Cree (home depot doesn't sell those) but they're about $20 more than the common 625 lumen model, as well as alternative color temperatures. Insist on the "TrueWhite" versions, not the "full definition" bulbs that Cree recently started selling; the latter dulls colors noticeably and is suitable only for hallways and such.

Just checking on the cherry. Can't say I'm too fond of oak myself. There are few instances where balustrade removal and replacement work out too well unless you're disassembling the stair re-milling and reassembling it. Even then unless you are talking about a stair that's made out of a rare or exotic lumber that would exceed the cost of the time and labor of doing so It is not often the best practice. I would still use care taking it apart and use it to make something else. How solid are the newels, are they loose surface mount or do they go into the floor? Iron is nice. You can either use a metal rail or wood on top of it. For a long while iron/steel balusters were a bit less expensive than wood but now they are comparable. The wood rail will usually be less expensive than the metal and easier to install. Newel posts can be either as wood newels match the iron quite well. A few of the things I was mentioning about not being correct in the drawings were the balusters and newels. The newel is an Arcways product whose turning is sized for the 30" rail heights of days long gone by. Note the extremely tall base. The balusters are StaiParts Inc. made for the same. The upper turnings don't even come close to matching the rake of the stair which is common for too many stair part manufacturers. Even with the stair and balcony rail set to the highest height in order to use a closer matching baluster combination to make it less noticeable. Arcways however does have some fabulous rails and fittings, checks their small orders for matching, offers cherry as a stock item and will sell directly to homeowners. They also carry iron and steel balusters. I believe OakPoint sells direct and Crown sells through Brosco/Brockway Smith, 84 Lumber and even a few Lowe's locations as well as numerous stair companies. Use the dealer locator on their website. Both have a good selection, have cherry as stock on some of their profiles, good quality and a product line that looks correct for todays codes. "Solid" or one piece treads sound nice but they are not really what you want unless they have relief milling on the underside and even then it's not much of a guarantee against checking or cupping especially if they are only 3/4 thick". How will the 1 1/4"+ overhang hold up? Construction adhesive and a finish nail through the top of the finish isn't going to last too long and will squeak like crazy after a while. A typical tread is 1 1/16" thick and will be made of three to 5 pieces. Cherry treads are most often made "in house" from random width/length material and a good stair shop will cut out any sap wood, match the grain and the leading piece will be well beyond the riser. Engineered treads are also available but like everything they have their pros and cons and I think the cons still outweigh the pros. The open left end should have a return nosing mitered into the front left corner and extend past the next riser by the same distance as the overhang with a scotia below. That is the dark piece I am showing on the edge of the tread in the image above. If you go through your phone book or search for stair companies or stair manufacturers and not stair part manufacturers you should find a few. If you call a stair parts manufacturer they will direct you to someone in your area that they sell to. I was looking for the dimension of the face of riser to face of riser or the run. I'm assuming 7" is the height? Floor to floor height. From the top of the plywood where the upper stair lands to the top of the vinyl on the landing and from the top of the vinyl on the landing to the top of the vinyl(?) in the basement. If the vinyl is flat I would agree with keeping it in place if the glue has failed and it's lifting remove it and in either scenario use a quality felt paper underlayment. Did you already place the order with the millwork shop? How soon do you need to get this done? I really think it would be in your best interest to explore all avenues and plan out the whole project before you buy anything. As Casey noted above it is often cheaper to remove all and replace. It would take you less time to install the two units than it would to even do one single tread.

The structural engineer said they fixed all the issues so I closed on the house on Feb 1st. Structurally I have confidence in the home as it was looked over by a very meticulous city inspector as well as a structural engineer who did end up finding some things on top of what the city inspector found. The finishing work on the inside was done very poorly however. I blue taped the hell out of the house during the walk through. There were paint runs on the trim pieces and stair railing. There are some arched and crooked ceilings where they should be flat. My hardwood floor creaks because it is not flat in some areas. There's a blue halo on the ceiling where it meets the walls, might be from the painters tape. I had a toilet that felt too close to the side wall and there was plenty of room to move it over a few inches. There's too many cosmetic issues to list but I blue taped them all. They fixed few of the cosmetic issues but removed all the blue taped. They said I had to close because they had the certificate of occupancy. They said any remaining issues would be taken care of under the home warranty. Many of the cosmetic issues I can learn to fix myself and I know I'd do a much better job than what they would do. Some other issues however I'm trying to get fixed through them. Like the toilet being too close to the wall, I came to find out there's a code requirement for how close it can be to a finished wall and mine was closer than code. The builder tried to tell me the distance was measured from the studs and not the finished wall but I had already looked into this heavily and knew it was from the finished wall. He agreed to move it 1.5 inches which brings it within code. I'm not sure what to do about my hardwood not being flat. The house is level from one end to the other but within that there are high and low points. The variance is between 1/4 inch to 1/3 inch in a 2-3 foot space and is noticeable without a leveler. The builder says this is "industry standard" and normal. I might be able to get it fixed if I prove it's not, but not sure how to go about that. Are there inspectors I can hire? Would I go with this builder and do it all over again? Definitely not. And they probably wouldn't want another home buyer like me I'd imagine.

After seeing benjesbride's idea to add a door, this would be a more direct route to the pantry, and it preserves the sink/pass-through. The door is narrow (30"), and would have no facing, and the counter overhangs would be flush with the edges. I have a similar sized door between the kitchen and LR,--the cabinet edge is flush with the door opening, and the counter wraps the 'facing'. We have a lot of traffic through that opening, but no problems. If you use 1" overhangs, the total length of the wall would be 123". You would also have the option of a wall oven, leaving drawer space under a cooktop, and eliminating a blind corner. That space could also be used for a coffee center. Disadvantages would be that anyone coming from the mudroom might cut through your work space to get to the LR, although taking the hallway would be the same distance, and the wall oven step-back space is tight. If you skip the wall oven, that would be perfect spot for a KA mixer. :) With no upper cabinets on the range wall, I gave you a 42" hood to help capture steam and grease.