I have a cousin who's supposedly a real whiz when it comes to carpentry, so I had him build some stairs for me. I was unhappy with the job he did, unfortunately. I didn't want to make him feel bad or embarrass him, but honestly, I had to take the stairs down and learn the art of building stairs myself.

And since I'd paid my cousin to do the job, I didn't have the money to get a professional. I have some tips to share based on my learning experience.

- Always check with local codes and requirements before building stairs or anything else in your home. I was lucky enough; my cousin didn't do this, but I haven't had any problems here.

It was probably the only area, but that could be because the code inspector didn't see the stairs. Had he seen them, a whole new section may have been written!

- I may not be the world's expert on stairs, but I firmly believe in using quality materials. My cousin, on the other hand, worked with the cheapest stuff he could get. Since the stairs were going to be covered with carpet anyway, he figured he didn't have to go the whole nine yards.

Since then, I've learned that using cheap wood in your stairs is a safety hazard. Wood that has knots and imperfections in it has a higher chance of cracking sooner. I have children, and I can't risk a hazard like this.

- One of the most helpful things I learned with building stairs is that drawing up a blue print can really help you get organized and focused. You'll get to see what the final result will look like, and you'll know if everything adds up right.

I hope you find my tips helpful when you build your stairs the right way-- without any setbacks! No glitches means no spending more money than you have to. By the way, don't hire family to build them for you!

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