You only have one chance to make a good first impression, and when a visitor enters your home, that impression is often dictated by the staircase. Many times that’s the first thing someone sees when you open the door, and it’s usually the most dramatic interior architectural feature. Unfortunately, the staircase is often covered by worn carpet or so battered by daily use that it’s an embarrassment.
Tearing out a staircase and having an architect design a masterpiece of form and function is beyond most homeowners’ budgets, but you can completely transform your stairs without breaking the bank. Replacing worn treads and risers with hardwood is a relatively simple project that can turn even the most commonplace staircase into a stunning beauty.
Piecing together the staircase puzzle
Though the structure of a staircase may look complex and intimidating at first glance, it’s actually more akin to a simple child’s puzzle than to a Rubik’s Cube. In most cases, a staircase is nothing more than three stringers (one at each side of the stairs and one in the center), two skirt boards along the walls (or in thecase of an open staircase, only one skirt board) and a bunch of risers and treads (see “Typical Construction” illustration, below).
The stringers make up the skeleton of the stairs; the treads and risers are merely nailed or screwed to the stringers, and the skirt boards are nailed to the walls just like baseboards, usually with nothing more than a few finish nails holding them in place.
Even if your staircase is covered in carpet, its construction is no different — the carpet has merely been tacked or stapled to the treads and risers. There may be one or two additional trim pieces such as cove molding fastened to the vertical surface of the risers immediately underneath the nose of the tread, and depending on the carpet, tack strips may be nailed to the treads.
You have two options for upgrading old treads and risers: tear them off and replace them with new components or leave them in place and install overlays that create a fresh, clean surface. The method you choose depends on the condition of your stairs and how much effort you want to put into the job.
If your staircase has a lot of squeaks, creaks and groans or if there are inconsistencies in the riser height or the tread depth, you’ll want to tear off the old treads and risers so you can modify the stringers. But if your staircase is solid and quiet, you can save a lot of labor and leave the old treads and risers in place.
Out with the old; in with the new
When replacing the risers and treads, you’ll obviously need to purchase new wood components. Treads and risers are typically sold in 36- and 48-in. lengths. Though 36-in.-wide stairs are common, it’s best to purchase the 48-in. components because you’ll encounter slight variations in individual tread and riser widths that will require you to custom fit each one. If you purchase 36-in.-long components, you’ll have no extra material to work with, and you might end up with an occasional gap where the tread or riser meets the wall.
If the stairs are covered by carpet, start by tearing it up (Click here for photo). Wear gloves, as you’re going to run into a lot of staples and other sharp metal points that can easily pierce your hands. Don’t worry about pulling tack strips off of the treads — you’ll remove the entire tread anyway.
Use a hammer and pry bar to pull the treads off of the stringers (Click here for photo); then remove the old risers. Next, gently pry off the old skirt boards, being careful to not mar the walls (Click here for photo). Try to keep the old skirt boards intact, as you may be able to use them as cutting templates for the new ones.
Cut the new skirt boards and gently set them in position (Click here for photo). Check that the fit is accurate; then nail them in place. If any modification to the rise or the run of the stringers is needed, now’s the time. Measure each stair’s height and depth and note any discrepancies. Building codes allow no more than 3/8 in. variation in riser height or tread depth, so if you find a step that’s not up to code, cut spacer blocks to make up the difference and fasten them to the stringers using construction adhesive and nails (Click here for photo).
Test fit the risers and the treads between the newly installed skirt boards and cut them to length as needed. Apply construction adhesive to the vertical surfaces of the stringers and then use 16-gauge finish nails to fasten the risers in place (Click here for photo).
Working from the bottom step, drill two pilot holes through each riser. Each hole should be about 12 in. from its respective skirt board and 1/2 in. from the bottom riser edge (Click here for photo). Apply construction adhesive to the stringer and set the tread in place; then, from the
back of the riser, drive a 2-in.-long screw through each pilot hole to pull the tread tight against the riser (Click here for photo). Finally, drive 16-gauge finish nails through the tread and into the stringer. Repeat the process — applying adhesive, setting the tread in place, driving the screws and then driving the nails —for each successive tread until you reach the top of the staircase.
A new face for a new look
Refacing stair treads and risers with hardwood-overlay kits (ours came from Alexandria Moulding) is substantially faster and easier than replacing them, and if your skirt boards are in good shape, you have the added benefit of being able to leave them in place. The key to this method lies in cutting away the existing treads’ bullnose profile so the new overlays can rest solidly against the old risers and treads.
Just as with tread and riser replacement, you’ll begin by tearing off any carpet. Measure the length of one tread’s protruding nose; then, based on that measurement, make a small jig to help you mark where you need to cut each tread so that it’s flush with the riser beneath (photo 1 below). Use a circular saw to make a slow plunge cut along the lines on each of the treads (photo 2 below); then use a reciprocating saw to finish the cut, being careful not to damage the wall or the skirt board (photo 3 below).
Measure for both length and width and then cut each tread and riser overlay individually so you can account for any variation. Apply construction adhesive to the faces of the existing risers; then press the new risers into place (photo 4 below) and use 16-gauge finish nails to fasten them.
Starting at the bottom step, apply construction adhesive to the face of the old tread and then set the tread overlay on top, pressing it tight against the next riser. Nail the tread overlay to the old tread beneath it (photo 5 below). Continue until you’ve covered all of the treads.
Finishing touches
After you’ve allowed the construction adhesive to dry, you can stain and finish your new stairs. In the main photo shown, the stairs were stained and then finished with water-base gloss polyurethane (see SOURCES ONLINE).
Slipping on hardwood stairs is an important safety concern. If you have children or older adults in your home, you may want to add a carpet runner. They are easy to install and come in many types and styles. Some require padding and the use of tack strips; others are merely stapled to the treads underneath.
If you opt for a runner, consider spending a bit more for stair rods. Originally developed in Victorian times to allow runners to be removed for cleaning, carpet rods are available in many different finishes, styles and lengths, and they’re simple to install — two screws hold each bracket in place, and the rod is held between the two brackets (bottom right photo).
If you opt to forgo a carpet runner, you may want to consider other safety options, from adhesive-back carpeted tread pads to nonslip finishes and tapes that can be applied to the treads. Whatever you choose, you’ll make your new staircase not only beautiful and elegant but also more functional and safe.