Carpet to hardwood stairs

Two ways to do it

Capping covers the existing stairs with new treads and risers made to sit over the old ones. It is faster and keeps the structure as it is. Replacing removes the old treads and risers and installs new solid ones. It takes more work but gives the cleanest result and lets us fix problems underneath.

What is under the carpet decides it

Pull back a corner at the bottom step. Most carpeted stairs are built from construction grade treads that were never meant to be seen. If they are flat, solid and do not move, capping works well. If they are uneven, squeaky, or the rise changes from step to step, replacing is the better job. Stairs have to stay within code for rise and run, and capping adds a little height to the bottom and top steps, which has to be planned for.

Matching the new floor

Stair parts come in hardwood species that match common floors, and vinyl plank lines often sell matching stair nosings. For engineered or vinyl floors, the usual approach is hardwood treads stained to match, with painted risers for contrast. Doing the floor and stairs together keeps the colour consistent.

The details that make it look built in

• Skirt boards along the wall, scribed tight to each tread.
• Nosings that return cleanly on open sides.
• Risers painted or finished before the treads go on.
• Treads glued and fastened so they never squeak.
• Railing and balusters reset or replaced to suit the new height.

Doing it with the floor

Stairs are usually the last part of a flooring job, so plan them into the same quote. One crew doing floor, stairs and baseboard means the transitions line up and you only live through one install.