While it’s easy to overlook the basement stairs, remember that it’s the first thing visitors will notice when they enter the basement. The stairs that lead to the basement are one of the most significant aspects of a finished basement in terms of function and design, and the design possibilities are unlimited.
What kind of steps are you talking about? What will the railing’s appearance be? Is there going to be a door? Your residential basement finishing business can assist you in answering these concerns and ensuring a successful outcome.
This article will walk you through replacing, completing, remodeling, and installing basement stairs. This post will assist you in utilizing your basement as additional usable space or repairing broken stairs.
Table of Contents
How To Maintain The Cracked Stairs?
If your basement stairs are so bad that they can’t be repaired, replacement may be your only alternative. It’s often OK to repair individual stairs that are broken or decaying.
However, if there are large pieces of rotten wood, it is far better to replace the entire staircase to avoid future mishaps. If you’re not sure how to replace stairs yourself, you may always hire a professional to do it for you. A contractor can generally install a staircase in a couple of days, which means labor costs are modest.
The finish level, the configuration’s complexity, and the materials’ quality all influence the final price. The price might easily reach tens of thousands of dollars if you have substantial design plans.
Ways To Finish Your Basement Stairs
Although it may appear like refinishing rather than rebuilding your current stairs is the better option, it is not always the most fantastic decision. It’s crucial to know when to refinish and when it’s better to create a new staircase from the ground up. Here’s what you’ll need to decide on.
1) Refinish Your Basement
There are several options if you are thinking about refinishing or finishing your stairs. However, it would be best if you chose an option according to your basement requirements and considerations.
2) Apply Carpets
Refinishing stairs with carpet is a common choice. It will give your steps a brand-new aesthetic and make them more functional, comfortable, and quieter than they were before if appropriately placed.
The carpet collects moisture and can mildew when put in a damp environment. This makes the carpet unsuitable for basements and stairwells where people walk in wet shoes.
However, you can use the carpet runner as an alternative. Staple it into place for installation. It’s also a very low-cost option. If you have mold or mildew problems, it’s straightforward to replace them. It is not as comfortable to walk on as the basement since it is thin.
3) Paint The Stairs Instead Of Covering
You don’t have to hide your steps at all if you prefer the look of a basement. Instead, give your old stairs a fresh look by painting or staining them. But first and foremost, the stairs must be sanded and cleaned thoroughly. For a long-lasting finish, this is beneficial with any product.
Painting has several advantages. It is one of the most cost-effective solutions, and when done correctly, it produces beautiful results. Latex floor paint is long-lasting and may be used over and over again.
Although it will wear out over time, your staircase will provide you with many years of reliable service before you consider refinishing them.
Another significant advantage of pain management is that it allows you to focus on your work. Most paint will hide the grain of the wood beneath it, preventing your stairs from seeming to be constructed of natural wood.
4) Basement Stair Maintenance
Maintaining your stairs is critical once you’ve made an effort to refinish them. If you have carpet, you should vacuum it frequently and use a carpet shampooer to remove any spills before they set in the fibers.
Paint or stains should be washed with water or a mild cleaner and swept regularly, and vinyl should be swept and cleaned with a floor cleaner regularly.
A Few Considerations Before Finishing The Basement Stairs
Make sure to increase or determine the length of your stairs according to standard size. They are going as broad as more than 45 inches is more than enough depending on the situation. More comprehensive steps at the bottom give the basement entry a dramatic flair.
Consider how the stairwell will be used. Is it conceivable that someone will go up while someone else goes down? Will you have to move large or awkward objects up or down the steps, such as furniture? Narrow stairwells are a fire threat as well.
Building codes usually provide a range of width, riser height, tread width, headroom dimensions, and railing specifications. Before you design a staircase, double-check the codes.
Steps To Finish Basement Stairs
Collect Needed Supplies And Materials
- Pre-stain oil
- Paintbrushes
- A paper towel
- Minwax Polyurethane
Prepare The Area
Take pre-sanded stair treads from the store as a starting point. Sand each tread with fine sandpaper if you don’t trust people, and then use a soft-bristled vacuum attachment to remove the dust afterward.
Apply Pre-Stain Coat
It only takes a moment to apply Pre-Stain, which helps avoid blotchiness. Insurance costs little. Apply it only in the direction of the wood grain using affordable foam brushes. Wipe off any extra pre-stain once it has penetrated for five to fifteen minutes.
Next, put a second coat of stain on after two hours. Start staining when you’re finished pre-staining all of our stair steps.
Apply Stain
Select Minwax Wood Finish in English Chestnut after testing out several various stains. It suited the pre-existing flooring and had a warm, deep reddish undertone that you’ll enjoy. Apply the stain in the wood’s grain direction with a natural bristle brush.
Apply a Second Layer Of Stain
Select Minwax Polyurethane for Floors to seal and protect the treads. This item is ideal for the task. The treads have just been stained, and there is no sanding dust left on them, but if there is, you should clean it off before wiping down the surface with mineral spirits and letting it dry.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best material to maintain the finished stairs?
Carpet is unquestionably the safest stair flooring option out of all those on our list. Your home can benefit greatly from a carpeted stairway with short, dense fibers. The shorter fibers feel softer and more pleasant underfoot while being more resilient and able to withstand high foot traffic.
Which is the best varnishing coat for finishing stairs?
The most straightforward to apply polyurethane varnish is clear water-based polyurethane varnish. Apply it with a brush, but remember that it dries quickly, so move quickly. Within 24 hours, you can apply the second coat, which dries to a tough and long-lasting finish.
Do you need to sand the stairs?
You must apply the final touch to the stair treads to refinish wood stairs without sanding. However, you must cover every surface you don’t want the paint to touch. This applies to both the risers and stair side sides.
Conclusion
If you choose carpet or vinyl, you will spend significantly more. The carpet materials will likely cost a few hundred dollars, plus another couple hundred for installation. A carpet runner will be less expensive, but it will save you a few hundred dollars.
Although vinyl flooring is inexpensive, you should anticipate paying a few hundred dollars on materials and another few hundred on installation unless you plan to handle the work yourself. So, it’s entirely your choice to either add the carpets to the stairs or paint the stair with the desired coating.
