But In General Focus On Carpet Durability
Unsurprisingly, the best carpet on stairs is going to be the most durable. In most cases, stairs see a lot of daily use and theyre also subjected to a lot more physical force on a per-step basis.
People put more oomph into each step while climbing a staircase. Basically, it requires more force to walk up stairs than it does to walk forward on a level planeand your flooring bears the brunt of this extra force.
Naturally, this absolutely devastates delicate carpet but fortunately, the best carpet brands make products that can withstand this kind of daily beating.
Benefits Of Refinishing Your Staircase
Hardwood flooring adds value to a home. The same goes for having hardwood stairs. Hardwoods are durable and long-lasting. They are suitable for those with allergies and asthma. Their timeless good looks never go out of style. However, they arent impenetrable to wear and tear. Especially in high-traffic areas, like on stairways, treads and can get worn and scratched. When your staircase has faded or shows signs of use, they should be refinished.
Refinishing stairs offers a number of benefits. Firstly, it offers guests a great first impression of your home. Since typically the staircase is part of the front entryway, a gleaming staircase will welcome your guests. Secondly, when you refinish your stairs, you can update the stain of the treads, as well as the banister. While hardwoods are timeless, different stain preferences do tend to reflect current trends. When you refinish your stairs, you can update the look of them with a current stain. Additionally, keeping your hardwoods looking good retains the value of your home.
What Is The Safest Floor Covering For Stairs
Carpet is the safest floor covering for stairs. The carpet provides traction, and if you should happen to fall anyway, the carpeting provides a softer surface to minimize the risk of injury.
However, it’s important to note that the carpet can be just as unsafe as other flooring types. You’ll want to select one with a low pile as it provides the cleanest underfoot traction.
Also, avoid any looped styles of carpeting if you have pets. Claws can catch in the looped carpet and cause falls and injuries to your four-legged friend.
Hardwood stairs, if preferred, can be made safe with basic modifications. For example, be sure to install and use hand railings. Add traction to steps with these easy to install clear stair treads:
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The Best Carpet For Stairs Has A Low Or Medium Pile
Okay, there are actually 2 reasons why low pile carpet is the best carpet for stairs, or at least the better one:
Hardwood Stairs Refinishing Process
The process of refinishing hardwood stairs generally follows the same process for finishing hardwood flooring. However, everything is done by hand. Therefore, it is a time-intensive task that does require a number of tools and materials.
Steps to refinish hardwood floors
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Stair Treads Are Eased
One reason is that carpet eases the stair tread’s edge. Carpet materials such as olefin and polyester are slippery. Carpeting creates a softened curve on the nose of each stair. Typically, this sharp edge helps to provide grip. But when carpet blunts that edge, your foot cannot grip as well. Walking downward on carpeted stairs is especially hazardous.
How To Convert Carpeted Stairs To Hardwood
Many homes have carpeted stairs, which can be both convenient and stylish. However, over time carpets may become worn or stained, making them difficult to clean and requiring replacement more often than other types of flooring. Hardwood stairs are a more durable and easy-to-maintain option that can last for many years with proper care.
Converting your carpeted stairs to hardwood is a project you can complete on the weekend with some basic tools and materials. Discover here how to do it.
Also Check: Wood Floor With Tile Inlay
Pros And Cons Of Carpeting On Stairs
Deane Biermeier is an expert contractor with nearly 30 years of experience in all types of home repair, maintenance, and remodeling. He is a certified lead carpenter and also holds a certification from the EPA. Deane is a member of The Spruce’s Home Improvement Review Board.
The Spruce / Christopher Lee Foto
When carpeting your home, the flooring company may offer to carpet the stairs, too. On a per-square-footage basis, stairs are more difficult to carpet than floors because of the cutting, tucking, and tacking required to get the carpeting tight on the stairs. The offer to carpet the stairs usually represents an extra fee. Is it worth it?
Carpet Stairs To Wood Floor Transitioning Ideas
Learn how to install hardwood for a lovely aesthetic, or take up the carpet on your staircase to uncover the hardwood hidden beneath. Transitions are crucial if you have various types of flooring in your home. A seamless transition makes the house appear finished and completes the appearance.
If your stairs have a different kind of flooring, though, it can be very challenging to do this. Stairs make it more difficult to change from one flooring to another or from one room to another. You can use the tips in this article to assist you in making the switch from carpet to hardwood flooring.
You can determine what best suits your home by testing a few of these concepts.
Why Would You Want To Change Your Stair Carpets To Wood
Firstly, lets examine the crucial question why would you want to get rid of your stair carpet and replace it with wood?
There are many reasons that you might want to get rid of your stair carpet and replace it with wood. Firstly, if the carpet came with the house and has been installed for years then it may look dated.
It might also have lost any vividness of color and be potentially stained from years of wear.
Equally, the carpet may not match the pattern or style that you wish to enact throughout your home. For example, if you want to make your house have a Scottish or tartan theme, if your stair carpet is a bright yellow then this will surely clash with the rest of the redecorating that you want to implement.
Changing your stair carpet can also enliven your home. It can give it a certain vibrancy to reveal the original wooden stairs that have been for years or even decades covered up by an ill-fitting carpet.
Original features are often highly desirable in homes which is why many homeowners might decide that it is better to get rid of their carpet and let the homes past come through.
This can also prevent any bugs or mites from your pets potentially getting hold. Carpets are often a breeding ground for insects and mites which is why having as few fitted carpets as possible when you have pets is always best.
Berber Is The Best High Traffic Carpet For Stairs
Berber is threaded to be the best high traffic carpet for stairs. Its overall durability allows it to handle daily wear and tear like a champ, and like any type of carpet, the color and pattern options are nearly limitless.
That said, there are reasons not to choose berber carpet for stairs, too. As far as comfort goes, berber is actually one of the worst carpets you can pick. Its designed almost exclusively for durability and affordability its not trying to win any cozy competitions .
Hardwood Flooring For Stairs
Regarded as one of the most desirable and upscale types of staircase flooring, hardwood flooring can have a major impact on the design and feel of your stairs and overall home. Its unsurpassed when it comes to elegant beauty. A high-quality hardwood installation on a staircase can last as long as the house and is easy to clean. The one drawback of hardwood is that it can be slippery when wet. However, no-slip treads and other precautions can be installed to keep the polished hardwood surface from being a hazard.
If you like natural wood in your home, then a hardwood staircase may be the perfect option for you. With choices like oak, beech, ash or walkabout, to name a few, you can create a beautiful staircase that fits in with the rest of your home flooring and furniture.
Advantages of Hardwood
- Durability. Hardwood is a great option for its hard-wearing durability. It can take high levels of foot traffic without being marked or dented.
- Variety. Each wood shows its own characteristic markings and can be stained to match the look and feel of your home. There is a wide selection of stains, woods, thickness levels and patterns available. Hardwood floors are also easy to mix and match.
- Easy Maintenance. Most hardwood stairs just need sweeping or vacuuming to keep them free from dust and debris. To keep them polished, occasionally clean with a wood floor cleaner.
Disadvantages of Hardwood
How Much Does It Cost To Change Carpet Stairs To Wood
- Post published:January 15, 2022
- Post author:Jeanette Figueroa
Disclosure: We may get commissions for purchases made through links in this post.
If you’re thinking about replacing your carpeted stairs with wood and would like to know how much it’ll cost you, you’re on the right page. We’ve done the research on the cost of changing stairs to wood, and here’s what we’ve found out.
You would have to allocate around $555 to $1,200 if you already have wooden floors underneath the carpeted surface of a 12-step staircase. But if you need to install new wood floors, prepare to spend an average of $1,995 to $2,220. These amounts are already inclusive of labor costs.
Keep reading so we can tell you more about the different factors that influence the price of redoing your carpeted stairs to help you set your budget for this home improvement project. We’ll also provide you with the advantages and disadvantages of using wood versus carpet as flooring materials for your stairs. Let’s begin!
Carpet Or Wood Stairs: Which Is The Best Option
Whether youre considering a flight of stairs in new construction or are planning on renovating the stairs in an existing home, deciding whether to go with carpet or wood stairs can be a difficult process.
Whereas hardwood offers unparalleled elegance and appeal along with excellent durability and a solid return on investment, carpeting offers better functionality, is safer for some family members, and comes with a much lower price tag. Should you spring for hardwood or go with the more conservative carpeting?
Hardwood flooring is the best option and a great investment for homes with an open staircase that is visible from a main living area. At the same time, carpeting is the best choice for homes with less visible staircases and households with young children or elderly occupants.
In this article, well take a closer look at these two options and what advantages and disadvantages each has over the other.
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Carpet Flooring For Stairs
Out of all the options on our list, carpet is by far the safest type of flooring for stairs. A carpeted staircase with short, dense fibers can do a lot for your home. The shorter fibers are more durable and can weather heavy foot traffic while still feeling soft and comfortable underfoot. Carpet is not as slippery as other types of flooring, making it a great choice if you have young children or elderly people in your home. Another advantage of carpet is that you can get it in practically any color or pattern you want.
Advantages of Carpet
- Quiet. Carpet keeps the noise of feet marching up and down the stairs to a minimum.
- More Traction. Carpeted stairs offer more traction than hard surfaces and are softer underfoot. Its also the warmest material to have under your feet due to its heat-insulating properties.
- Variety and Versatility. This flooring comes in a wide range of colors, finishes, patterns and materials, giving you a variety of style options.
Disadvantages of Carpet
Can You Refinish Stairs Without Sanding
Our customers understand that sanding floors can get messy, and we are often asked if we can refinish stairs without sanding first. The simple answer is yes. We can rescreen and recoat stairs without any sanding. This process simply involves etching the existing layer of polyurethane and applying a fresh coat of poly. If your stairs have simply lost their shine, rescreening will restore your stairs. This is also a good maintenance step to have done every few years in order to prolong the time in between sanding and refinishing.
However, rescreening your stairs is not an option if:
If you are not sure, we can take a look and let you know what we recommend based on the condition of your stairs.
The Type Of Staircase Matters
There are 3 types of staircases, broadly speaking:
- Curved
- Spiral
- Straight
Technically, any type of carpet can be installed on any of the above staircases. The only thing that really changes is the ease of installation, with curved and spiral staircases being significantly more difficult to work on.
So why are we pointing this out? Style. Certain carpet patterns and textures dont work very well on curved or spiral stairs, whereas most styles are compatible with straight staircases. This is all 100% personal preference though.
Why Having Wooden Stairs Can Be Good For You
Embracing the natural aspects of a house can be exactly what you need to feel truly alive. Houses, particularly old ones, thrive when they are allowed to embrace their true selves. By getting rid of rotten old carpets, you will be able to allow your house to truly be itself.
Making your house truly your own is an incredibly important thing which is why you must make sure that it feels exactly as you want it to. If that means getting rid of your old stair carpet, make sure to do it as soon as possible.
And Remember That Not All Carpet Warranties Are The Same
If youve ever looked into vinyl plank flooring on stairs, then you know that not all types are rated for stair installations. The same can be said for carpet.
If youre not sure if a product can be installed on stairs, check the warranty. The best carpet for stairs will state it there.
Other brands tend to omit anything referring to stairs in their warranties or shoehorn exclusions in the fine print. Lees carpet, for example, has a single line in its warranty that says its wear coverage does not apply to stair installations.
But Other Types Of Carpet Can Be Used Too
Many types of carpet aside from berber can make a claim to the best-carpet-for-stairs crown.
Sure, a decent cut pile carpet may need to be replaced after a decade or two. But for many buyers, 1520 comfy years of plush carpet is better than 2030 years of rough Bberber carpet.
And thats assuming you only get a cut pile carpet! If you invest in a more resilient cut pile option, you can get the durability and comfort you desire. Again, this option may not last as long as berber or another loop carpetso youll have to replace it more oftenbut youll at least get a comfier staircase, which can pay off in terms of chronic pain.
One thing worth adding here, though: peel-and-stick carpet tiles arent suitable for staircase installations. These are meant to appeal to the DIY flooring market and are designed to be replaced after X-amount of years.
Vinyl Plank Flooring For Stairs
Luxury vinyl plank, also known as LVP or vinyl plank, is a highly versatile and budget-friendly material for stairs. Manufacturers can make vinyl flooring that resembles almost anything you can imagine, from stone to metal to tile, though the most popular picks are oak and hickory wood. Youll find that vinyl plank is made of high-quality material, making it almost impossible to tell the difference between genuine hardwood and vinyl. Due to its waterproof and stain-resistant material, LVP is extremely easy to keep clean.
Advantages of Vinyl Plank
- Durability. Vinyl plank is a tough and durable flooring material, so its ideal for stairs that get a lot of daily use. It can last from 10 to 25 years if looked after properly.
- Versatility. LVP comes in a variety of different looks, allowing you to have hardwood, ceramic or stone-looking stairs at a lower price point.
- Easy to Clean. Vinyl plank flooring can be cleaned with a soft-brush broom or vacuum and only requires seasonal deep-cleaning to maintain its appearance.
Disadvantages of Vinyl Plank
- Noisy. LVP is not as quiet as carpet. If you have stairs that are leading toward any bedrooms or in a prominent area of your home, vinyl might not be the best option.
- Difficult To Remove. Because vinyl flooring is glued down with such a strong adhesive, it is much harder to remove or replace than a material like carpet.