DIY Remodeled Staircase

Kirsten S
by Kirsten S
$800
3 Weeks
Medium
I completely gutted and remodeled our staircase by installing board and batten, ripping up the carpet, installing new treads and beadboard risers, and installing a new banister and wrought iron balusters to give it a completely new look. It's been a month since I finished the project, and I'm still amazed by the results. A complete, step-by-step tutorial on how to refinish the staircase in your home is found at my blog link below.
Before and After
First, I painted the stairwell and installed the board and batten to give the stairwell more character and charm.
View of living room and staircase
Then, I ripped up the carpet. Since our staircase was built out of particleboard, I needed completely new treads and risers.
I installed beadboard as the risers and painted them ultra white in a semi-gloss finish. Then, I cut down Retrotreads (found at Lowe's) to size and installed them. I chose to stain the finished treads in Rustoleum's "Kona" wood stain in a semi-gloss finish.
Instead of re-installing the same wooden balusters as before, I decided to make the staircase extra special by installing IronPro wrought iron balusters. I also installed a chunkier newell post to add more character.
Once finished, I stained the existing railings the same brown as the treads and applied two coats of polyurethane to increase durability.
I applied two coats of polyurethane to the treads, as well. I chose a semi-gloss finish so that the treads would shine and provide maximum durability to a home with three dogs.
I absolutely love my new staircase and am so proud of the fact that I completed it all by myself. You can, too! A full, step-by-step tutorial and additional photos may be found at my blog link below.
Kirsten S
Want more details about this and other DIY projects? Check out my blog post!
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Frequently asked questions
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  1 question
  • Marionfavor Marionfavor on Mar 10, 2016
    Are you dogs having trouble going down the stairs? I have three dogs also and I wondered if they would slip if the stairs has no carpet.
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