The newell post for the upper end of my staircase projects downward
into my living room (about 6" down from the ceiling). It would seem
neater to cut this off so it's flush with the underside of the
staircase. There must be some good reason for this, as it was exactly
the same at my previous house. I'm not going to cut it, but does anyone
know why it's been left in this way?