DIY Staircase?

10 years ago

Hello! We are wanting to get rid of the carpet in our staircase and install wood treads. We haven't had it quoted yet but wanted to get some idea on what it may run to either have a professional do it here in Texas or possibly doing it ourselves.
Currently we have carpet down the middle and on the edge where the spindles are its wood. So we are looking into removing that piece of wood and placing 1 solid piece on the entire step and putting existing spidles back down.

1- Have you had this done in Texas by a professional and what did it cost?

2- Did you do this yourself, what did it cost and home much time did it take? Also what would you have done differently?

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Comments (5)

anymacc
Original Author
10 years ago
Another angle
anymacc
Original Author
10 years ago
Current wood piece
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User
10 years ago
I can't comment on what this might cost in Texas but I'd be very surprised if you could do this for less than $5000.00.
What is your budget?
DIY? What is your skill level?
Oak risers? Each riser has to be mitered perfectly to meet the skirt board. The bottom treads and risers are curved. The curved treads have to be fabricated then the fronts and edges rounded. The open ended bottom treads have to be exactly the right length and these risers would have to be exactly the perfect length and mitered perfectly or it would look horrible.
Unless you are extraordinarily persistent or skilled at carpentry, this is a job for a professional.
glennsfc
10 years ago
From your pics it looks like you not only have to install new solid tread material, but also the risers as well. The bottom three treads will present a particular challenge, as they splay outwards. A stair renovation system could work for most of the treads and risers, but those bottom ones is the fly in the ointment, so to speak.

A way will have to be found to coordinate the new material with the stringers and to include the proper returns and scotia (cove) molding as part of the design. Good luck finding that special person with a good design sense, because that is what you will need. This is custom work.

Where in the big state of Texas do you live?
weedyacres
10 years ago
We are pretty intrepid DIY-ers and we re-did our stairs. Before & after photos below.

We had to replace the treads and risers, which were all cheap pine. I don't have a tally of the total cost, but it was under $1000 for the materials.

The labor was painstaking. The toughest part was getting the holes for the ballusters perfect in the handrail and treads on the stair part (we had a flat part upstairs that was relatively simple). Another tricky part is making all the joints pretty so there are no gaps or butt ends showing. That's why there's a lot of trim: cove molding under the treads, decorative trim where the riser meets the stringer on the outside (someone suggested I miter that connection, but that was beyond my skill level). You've really got to think through your whole plan and the sequence of putting the parts together to get a good-looking finished product.

I don't think I'd attempt it DIY with those bottom stairs and their curve. And anything that's tough to do DIY will cost big bucks for a true crafts person to do.

I'd be curious to know what your bids are if you go that route.