Written by Older homes, constant foot traffic, and unwanted moisture can all cause your stairs to degrade over time. Even the most well-maintained homes may need to consider replacement stair treads in Virginia. While we always recommend you work with our professional team of experts at Vintage Wood Floors & Stairways, we wanted to provide an elementary outline of the steps that will need to occur for your treads to be functional, aesthetically pleasing, and safe.
Step 1: Assessing Your Current Stair Treads
Everything begins with a close inspection of your current treads. Check out each piece to see if there are any cracks, splits, or excessive creaking when walked upon. Use a flashlight and keep a screwdriver handy to look for detailed issues and test the treads for loose fittings.
Step 2: Choosing the Right Materials
Before your replacement stair treads in Virginia project begins, you’ll want to select the best materials for the solution. The higher the durability without sacrificing visual quality, the better. It may help to visit local suppliers first as they will have good discounts on materials that work well in the area’s high humidity and constant temperature changes.
Step 3: Removing Old Stair Treads
It’s finally time to remove older treads. Take your time with this step so you don’t cause additional damage to the entire staircase. You want to pry open the treads one by one from the corner out. A prybar and hammer will be your best friends, but be sure to keep track of all fasteners or screws as you work.
Step 4: Preparing the Area
Cleaning up is crucial to this process. You don’t want extra materials or dirt and debris to make your treads unsafe for walking on. While you’re at it, inspect the stair strings (wooden supports along the sides) as you work. You’ll want to repair any damage you find so the foundation is sturdy.
Step 5: Installing New Stair Treads
Get out those beautiful new treads and get to work. Make cuts according to the width and depth of your stairs. You should start at the top of the staircase and work your way down so you don’t end up boxing yourself in and are unable to get to your tools or garage. Utilize wood adhesive for the stringers, set the tread in place, then finish with nails or screws.
Step 6: Finishing Touches
The final piece of the replacement stair treads in Virginia puzzle is to stain or seal your material. You want to both match the color and visual presentation of your home while also adding a protective level that prevents moisture from getting into your materials. Make sure you pick a day when no one will need to go up or down the stairs for the entire drying period.
Final Thoughts
Again, this is a very basic version of replacement stair treads in Virginia steps you’ll need to take. The better alternative is hiring a professional team of experts like ours at Vintage Wood Floors & Stairways. We have years of experience working in homes just like yours and can offer the precision, quality, and reassurance you need for stunning new treads. Give us a call today, and let’s get started!