We are well on our way to finishing up most of the flooring upstairs which means pretty soon we’re going to have to make some decisions about our stairs. There are so many beautiful options, it’s going to be so hard to decide!
This is the current situation. The carpet that used to be upstairs covers the unfinished stair treads and risers. Some people are lucky enough to rip up their carpet and just refinish the wood underneath. But, we peeked at the situation underneath and let’s just say it would take immense amounts of caulk to fix what’s going on in there.
These are our basement stairs and give you a pretty good idea of what is likely underneath our carpet of our second story staircase. So I feel like I have several different options floating around my head and sometimes it’s just best to parse them out detail by detail to get the best comparison.
OPTION 1: WORK WITH WHAT WE GOT
In an effort to same time and money (well, hopefully time and definitely money) we could try and ‘finish’ the construction treads and risers as they are. This would involve caulking all cracks and gaps between the walls and the treads, and maybe a lot of sanding as well. Then, we would likely paint everything (since we had to caulk so much) and a rug runner would be necessary to cover the ‘roughness’.
You may be asking, why don’t you just carpet it then? Well…. that’s a good question… I just like that some of the wood stairs are showing. It makes it feel more finished to me.
COST ESTIMATE:
Paint (30)
Caulk (25)
Rug (100)
TOTAL: ~ $155
So, I guess for this option you have minimal work (hopefully), and low cost. But, you risk the end product looking not as nice, and have to deal with a boat load of caulking.
OPTION 2: REPLACE AND STAIN
The traditional route is to buy finishable stair treads to install and stain. We would add a bullnose pine tread and white risers, then stain the tread. This is a very classic look, and in my opinion, would look most professional.
This process would involve removing the current stair overhang (very dusty), cutting and installing treads and risers, and painting and staining them.
COST ESTIMATE:
Treads (250)
Risers (100)
Paint (30)
Stain (30)
TOTAL: ~ $410
Wow, this would definitely cost a lot more, but it would produce a finished result, after quite a bit of work though. This option could include a runner rug too if we wanted, and we could always paint the treads instead of staining.
Well, the numbers really hit me after putting them down here. I think it’s time for me to do a little reading on how to finish construction risers…. 😉 I’ll leave with you my favorite stair inspiration pictures… And as always, suggestions are always appreciated!
Image Credit
hello and thanks for your post on stair remodeling. We are doing 2 staircases. I love the beautiful striped carpet runner in your photo, the grey and cream one. Can you please tell me the manufacturer or any info about it? Thanks again.