We’ve come across many staircases that were once beautiful hardwood but had carpet laid on top, and some where the homeowner assumed the cost would be too high or the damage too severe to consider refinishing the stairs. There are solutions even if you never had hardwood stairs but would like to.
Anatomy of a Staircase
Wood finished stairs are built in one of two ways. Older homes often have wood stairs custom built with the finished wood being the tread and riser. Newer homes generally have a hardwood tread with a finish piece attached to the visible portion of the riser. Most of the time both can be repaired and refinished.
Repairing and Refinishing Custom Hardwood Stairs
If the stair treads or risers are scratched or gouged most of the time they can be sanded and refinished just like the process that is done to hardwood flooring. In some rare cases, when the treads are worn to the point where it is determined that they would be unsafe to refinish, new wood should be obtained to create new treads. Once they are sanded and repaired, the new finish can be applied to compliment or match the rest of your home’s flooring. Remember, this is a labor intensive process and you may not be able to walk on your stairs for several days.
Can I Change My Carpeted Stairs to Hardwood Stairs?
Yes, Seer Flooring can remove your carpeting and create custom wood stairs for your home. It’s not quite as easy as it may seem because the existing treads must be removed first. This is because building codes are very specific about the rise and run of stairs (and so are our brains). The height of the stair, or the rise, would be too high if a piece of wood was simply laid on top of the existing wood. Once new treads are added and a new front piece of the riser is installed, the finishing process can begin.
Your home can have the hardwood stairs you’ve always wanted, whether that means installing new stairs or refinishing stairs covered by carpet or simply neglected for too long. Let Seer Flooring help with your hardwood stair refinishing project by calling 727-785-1930 today.