Editor's note: As the Hammonds' house takes shape, follow the progress by going to www.startribune.com/newhouse to visit their blog, and watch Homes for periodic updates.
We've always planned to have the staircase be a center point of our home's design.
Our staircase is open and the focal point of our entry. The open risers are panels of perforated steel. The treads are made of beautiful birch to contrast with the heavy industrial feel, and the entire structure rests against a wall of exposed concrete. The only thing missing was the glass for the midlevel landing.
Sheets of scrap plywood had worked until the three sheets of glass, each weighing 150 pounds, arrived. We lined the structurally configured aluminum frame with gasket tape and removed the plywood to expose the open steel frame. Once we had the aluminum frame fastened to the steel structure, we placed pieces of plywood over it to give us a place to walk and stand.
With my dad's help, we carried the glass to the landing, where I handed it across to Stacy. From there I went below to a ladder to get a better position to lower the glass into place. Because the glass fit almost exactly to the frame and was so heavy, Stacy and my dad helped me position each sheet from above and then I lowered it into position from below. It took about 15 minutes to place all three sheets, but the results were spectacular.
It will take a little time for us to get used to walking onto the glass landing, and it probably will cause uneasiness for some of our guests. But it truly is a remarkable feeling.
Jason Hammond is at hammond@mojosolo.com.
