Home renovations can be expensive, but they can also be super intimidating if you’re trying to do them on your own. Mistakes can be costly and frustrating. Well, if you’ve ever thought about redoing your stairs, but didn’t think it was possible, this staircase remodel diy is for you. It is super easy, cost effective and if you’ve got the drive, you can easily accomplish this in a week. In this post I will share my entire process from start to finish and show you just how easy it can be.
When we moved into our home a year ago, I knew right away that I wanted to redo the stairs. Like most homes, it is the first thing that you see when you walk in the door. And ours was hideous – 90s orange oak. YUCK!
I knew if we hired someone it would be expensive. I knew they would sand everything down to the raw wood and I’m not gonna lie, that is the “correct” way to do this type of reno. However, I knew I was not going to do that. I like finding an “easier” way of doing things. (Easier is in quotes because I am the eternal procrastinator and a project that could be done in a week has taken me MUCH MUCH longer because I like to put things off. I also have 3 babes which doesn’t make it easy, but also doesn’t make it impossible. I am what I am. And that is a procrastinator).
All that being said, I jumped into this thing head first and while there definitely were hiccups, it really is a pretty simple DIY that I feel most people could totally accomplish. I also want to preface this by saying my style is pretty relaxed. A couple of dings and dents do not bother me in the slightest… I actually kind of like it. With that being said I know that this version of a staircase remodel will not be for everyone. So let’s get into it!
**Before we get started, please be reminded to always wear the proper protective gear such as: safety glasses, gloves, masks etc.**
This post is all about our staircase remodel diy.
Staircase Remodel DIY : Part One
Step One: Remove Carpet
Supplies:
Gloves
Needle nose Pliers
Screwdriver
Blade
This first step is invigorating and exciting because you are starting the project! Woo Hoo! But it is also tedious and you will hate a good portion of this step. Start at the bottom stair and start ripping up the carpet. Use some sort of blade to cut the carpet as you go to get it out of the way. If your carpet on the stairs connects to the carpet of your upper level, make sure that you cut the carpet away from the top stairs with enough slack so that you still have enough to tuck under after your runner is installed. If you cut it too close to the top, it will be a raw edge of carpet exposed and it will not look cute. You can always go back and trim the carpet later as the very last step.
Once the carpet is up, start removing the staples. I alternated between using pliers and a screwdriver to dig under the staple and force up and out. Both techniques worked fine, but this step will take you a while. Put on some music and maybe have some wine or beer… it’s not fun.
Step Two: Install the Risers
Supplies:
Unprimed MDF
Circular Saw or Table Saw
Nail Gun
Liquid Nails (optional)
So after all the staples are removed, we are ready to install the risers. We used unprimed MDF board. We chose this because it is cheap and we knew that since we were painting the stairs it would work just fine. If you are not painting your stairs, you may need to go with something more attractive. However, this was fine for us.
For this step we went one by one and measured each riser individually. You would be surprised at how much the measurements can very from stair to stair. So we measured, cut, dry fit and lightly hammered in with a mallet if necessary and then nailed with the nail gun. That simple! You can also use liquid nails if you would like a little extra support.
**note the picture below shows the staircase already stained/painted. I would not suggest doing this in the order in which I did it which is why I have not mentioned the staining/painting portion yet**
**Another note: Make sure you are frequently vacuuming your stairs to prevent any debris or lint from getting into your foam, caulk, paint etc. Dust collects so fast!**
Step Three: Spray Foam and Wood Filler
Supplies:
Wood Filler
Spray Foam (optional)
Putty knife
After ripping up the carpet you are going to have a lot of holes to fill. The first thing I did was go in with Wood filler and filled all the holes that would be visible (I knew once the runner was down a lot of the holes would be hidden so I didn’t even take the time to fill them). I used a putty knife and my fingers. Sometimes the best tools are the ones God gave us! After all the holes were filled, I sanded everything down smooth.
Now, after we ripped up our carpet we noticed that the gaps between the tread and the skirtboard were pretty large. We really didn’t want to put moulding there because we were wanting a more simplified look. Instead we used spray foam to fill the gaps and then went over it with caulk.
The reason we couldn’t just go in with the caulk was because it would have just sunk into the gaps. With the spray foam in the gaps first, it provided a base for the caulk to sit on.
When using the foam it really is trial and error. A LITTLE GOES A LONG WAY!! This stuff REALLY expands so keep that in mind if you are using it. With that being said, if you do overfill, it can easily be trimmed down once it dries. The ideal for me was filling it so that it was JUST slightly under being flush with the tread. And I apologize, I realize I didn’t take any pics of this step! But, here is a pic of me filling the nail holes and you can see the foam in the gaps and how much I used. Not the best pic, I know… but better than nothing!
Step Four: Nosing & Hardwood
Supplies (will vary depending on the flooring you are using):
Hardwood (or other flooring)
1×2 or stair nosing
Circlular Saw or Table Saw
Jigsaw
Rubber mallet
Nail Gun
Flooring Underlayment
**Please note that you may need to take extra steps in order to install any kind of flooring – such as floor leveling. Our floor was level so this is not a step that we needed to take.**
Installing the hardwood was actually pretty simple. We put down the floor underlayment and knew that we would need to make a couple tricky cuts but overall, nothing too horrible.
We went one by one measuring and cutting each piece of hardwood individually. What we have come to find is that nothing is ever going to be the same measurement (even if it seems like it should be). So we would measure, then take the piece of wood out to the garage to cut and come back in to install. There were a couple of pieces that we needed to use the jigsaw to cut around some obstacles but it was all pretty straight forward.
The hardwood we used was an interlocking system. We are not professional hardwood installers and I am sure we did something that was not ideal, but it worked for us! **I recommend using the installation instructions for your flooring or looking up a video on how to install flooring similar to what you’re using**
So, we were lucky enough to find leftover hardwood flooring in our basement that was leftover from the kitchen. It was JUST enough to cover the landing.
You can see in the picture above that the nosing that was there was flush to the landing. So, once we installed the hardwood, if we kept the nosing that was there, the nosing and the hardwood would not have been level. We removed the old nosing and added a new 1×2 making sure it was level to the new flooring. This step could be a little trickier if you are not painting your flooring. We knew that everything would be painted black, so we were able to use the 1×2 knowing that it would look seamless after being painted. Usually when you buy flooring, they do have stair nosing to match and then you can adjust this section to what you need to do for your specific job.
Honestly, if you have a stair landing, this is going to be your most difficult step.
Step Five: Caulk
Supplies:
Caulk
Baby Wipes
After the flooring, nosing, risers, wood filler and everything is done, it is time to caulk.
I am sure you’re wondering about the baby wipes, too. This is such a good little tip/secret and the easiest thing I can recommend for getting a great caulk finish. Apply a bead of caulk to whatever area you need to caulk, take a baby wipe over your finger and wipe clean. It will give you such a nice finish and so much easier than using a wet paper towel, rag or sponge.
If you have the same issue that we had with the large gaps you will see just how much that foam helps to provide a base for the caulk!
When caulking remember to cut the tip at an angle which will also help get a cleaner, more controlled bead.
You may need to do a couple layers of caulk – you don’t want to do anything too thick or you may run into some issues. If you’re like me and have large gaps then you will definitely need to do a couple layers. I did two. The second layer was mainly to even everything out and make sure there weren’t any dips or unevenness.
After you are done with these steps, you are ready to move onto Part 2 of this staircase remodel diy!
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