ivparker - Our stairway actually has a 180 degree turn at a landing mid-flight and that is where we installed the glass door. The builder had a solid one which opened into the main hallway at the very top and it was both an obsticle and a hazard. As to no door, guess that is an option. We have a dog who considers the basement to be her "apartment" and we need a door to confine her so as to not set off motion detectors if the security system is armed. Door remains open unless she is confined. I can't answer your question about mastic with click install planks. Those are considered floating floors and have a foam pad on which they rest. One of our sons has a townhouse with a slab (concrete) first floor upon which a previous owner installed a floating floor. It sounds really cheap (hollow). I suggest speaking with a specialty flooring company about their products. The Big Box stores sell "low hanging fruit" and often their staff are lacking in knowledge to answer a question like you will have. I hear you on changing styles. If you do something trendy, it will soon look dated. Nature doesn't change though so if you choose a natural look, most likely you will be safe for much longer. There are natural-looking ceramic which look like stone tiles. When we updated one of our bathrooms our tile install was overall less costly with real stone vs ceramic because the installer was able to make the baseboard tiles rather than our having to purchase very costly bull nosed ones. And only a 1/32 grout line vs. maybe a quarter inch. All I can say is we had two sons and now two grandchildren and I can tell you that drywall (even greenboard) will not last even 5 years with the abuse kids will inflict so you'll still be $$$'s ahead if, after 15 years, you decide to replace dated tiles. I know gray isn't your color scheme but here is a photo of the bath we updated about two years ago using marble tile. This bath only required about 35 sq. ft. and I believe the tile were only about $10 each and installer labor was the same for stone or ceramic but we basically got the baseboard (which we wanted) at no cost by using waste pieces and cutting/polishing them on-the-job. Just my opinions though and perhaps you would rather redecorate more often, which tile does make difficult.

Well, I finally did it.....I actually ordered the darn thing. It will arrive in about a month. Ended up going with a two inch top. My husband broke down and built a prototype so I could really get the look and feel of this thing. He made it to size and even painted it a dark brown. Started out with a 2-1/2" version and it just felt too tall for me functionally...it looked good, though. He whacked off some boards from the bottom and it was then 2". We both agreed that this height was better. Moral of the story, so wish we had done this prototype weeks ago. It made all the difference in helping me make my decision. I'm not good at visualizing. Our island is very small so it wasn't that big a deal to make the prototype. I encourage any of you out there to do the same if at all possible.

My 2 cents, those "shoes" look WAY too big for that baluster and would be too sloppy for my tastes. I'd keep looking. Not sure how these are attached, but the ones that i've installed on my deck would require you to remove baluster as you screw in the top and bottom shoes, and then place the baluster and set the railing back down on to sandwich the balusters. I can't see how they attach to the bottom of the railing, but the ones I've installed come with angled adapters as well.

Considered both of your assertions regarding spacing, got out of my own head, and left the #1 as is...followed suit for #2. My sincerest thanks to both of you for your prompt responses. I hope the two of you will be around commenting in six and 12 months when I tackle the remaining six windows on the back of my house. FYI...I’ll need to figure out drip caps and the proper way to replace 4x segmented windows inside my kitchen...2x 33” x 64” DH windows and 2x 11” x 33” picture windows...installed very closely to one another to almost appear joined from the exterior. Issues with kitchen windows: From exterior, one easily view what appears to be protruding, swollen, rotting, and/or molded (blackened) wood below the 2x transoms and above the 2x DH. From inside kitchen, the cross or “t” separating the windows isn’t quite that. The horizontal line goes across down then proceeds across. I suppose that’s what you get from Ryan Homes. Goal for kitchen windows: Take transom windows out of the mix entirely provided there is obviously rotted wood that must be demoed; Eliminate poor attempt at “t” all together; Actually join 2x ~35” x ~ 80” DHs Uncertainty: Permissible to remove “t” without shoring up vertical support for loading on exterior wall? Appropriate way to incorporate drip cap with j-channel...drip cap between window frame and j-channel? Appropriate cuts to drip cap when also using j-channel? No need to answer here as I will re-post a ahead of actual need date.