Home Improvement -- SAFETY first

This latest Home Improvement project wasn't so much about looks (although it did improve the curb appeal a bit) but it was mostly about safety. A few months ago this project wasn't even ON our list, but then a few comments that were made and the memory of one crazy kid put this at the TOP of our list.
Within about a week of each other two different elderly ladies at church told me that "the worst thing about my house was the front railing -- it didn't help you up the stairs." I had never even thought about it before, but they were right. The railing is just at the top landing...not going up the sides of the stairs. And the little railing that is there is VERY shaky and rickety. You really can't use it for support at all. And finally, it is quiet ugly as well: faded and peeling paint, rusty joints, visible screws and nails, and a very plain design.
The second thing that got us thinking about a new railing is the fact that on one side of the stairs there is a huge drop. You can drop/fall/jump to a planter that is about 4 feet down and then there is another 5 foot drop to the cement below. I worry about small children or the elderly falling on accident...and about crazy kids/teens jumping down purposely and then breaking a leg or something. Last Halloween we had one such older kid who grabbed his candy and then jumped off the stairs landing on the trash can below and then jumping to the ground. Insane!

So whether or not this is how we WANTED to spend our money...this is how we felt we SHOULD spend our money. We are very happy with the results: safer and more beautiful front entry way.

BEFORE:

 

The big drop off

AFTER

A close up-artsy picture of the design work...just for fun! Eric picked the railing out without me (I wasn't home when the guy came by to do the bid). I'll admit that I was a bit nervous about how it would look. But he did a great job picking out the design. We both love it!