How to redo a stairway?

Shawn
by Shawn

I have a very old house and I have a whole upstairs I need to start with the stairway any ideas?

This is standing at the top of my stairway

And as you can see the wood is very old please any ideas

  9 answers
  • Rebecca Taylor Rebecca Taylor on Jan 18, 2019

    Hi Shawn, I would stencil the risers.

  • Craft Invaders Craft Invaders on Jan 18, 2019

    Here's some fab stairs renovation ideas from other Hometalkers that might give you some inspiration Shawn

    https://www.hometalk.com/search/posts?filter=stairs

  • Gk Gk on Jan 18, 2019

    Hello Shawn! When you say that you have a whole upstairs and you want to start with the stairway--does that mean you are renovating the upstairs as well? I am not clear if that is what you meant--stairs first--then upstairs reno? If you are planning to do upstairs renovations maybe you want to work on the stairs after you finish the upstairs renovations. Going up and down newly finished stairs with renovation materials and debris may ruin them!

    • Shawn Shawn on Feb 04, 2019

      Thank u for bringing that to my attention.yes a whole upstairs redo

  • Kelly-n-Tony Kelly-n-Tony on Jan 18, 2019

    I'm going to rip the carpet off my stairs and make them over as well. I've already peeked under the carpet and they look like yours. Not pretty lol.


    I think I'm going to paint the risers and put down nice wood on the part you step on. Google for ideas... the are so many options!

  • Kathy Gunter Law Kathy Gunter Law on Jan 18, 2019

    I would recommend putting down wood treads. If that's not in the budget then paint them and put trim on the edges because they will get scuffed easily. You can tile, wallpaper, or contact paper the face of the risers for an interesting look.

  • Debbie Peterson Jenson Debbie Peterson Jenson on Jan 18, 2019

    We tiled our whole stairway and they will last forever!


  • Nancy Bauer Nancy Bauer on Jan 18, 2019

    Here's what I did to my basement stairs:

  • Lorraine Lorraine on Jan 19, 2019

    I always run over to Pintrest, unless I remember something here on hometalk, that someone has already done. So on Pintrest Etsy has stickers, stair riser murals, that old wood looking siding... also a couple other ideas . What to do with that old wood?? Is it rotted? Or can it be salvaged with sanding and refinishing? How are the stairs and supports themselves? Make sure they aren’t rotten.

  • Kathy Gunter Law Kathy Gunter Law on May 20, 2021

    If you are going to paint them, make sure to use a floor paint. We painted ours going to the attic and they have held up well except when we moved some furniture and put a knick in the tread edge.