Tradepoint: Sorting your stairs

Over time, staircases can become tired and start to look dated. Refreshing the staircase in your property can work wonders when it comes to improving the overall appearance of a hallway, vital for that all important first impression. Here, our partners at TradePoint take a look at some easy yet effective techniques

Replace the carpet

If the carpet is looking a bit tired then it’s a good idea to replace it. Check underneath the current carpet as well and assess the underlay. It may be the case that you need to replace the stair treads.

To do this, you’ll need to start removing the stair carpet from the top of the stairs working your way down to the bottom. Take your time, and remember to keep your balance as you go. Once the carpet is all removed, you can use one end of a hammer to carefully remove any remaining nails that may be sticking up, and if you spot any holes be sure to fill these in using a good quality filler. Then, a new carpet can be re-layed. You may choose to hire an expert to do this, but you can also check out this video all about laying carpets here.

Paint the stair risers

Instead of replacing the carpet with a new one, you may instead wish to just repaint the stair risers. Follow the same technique mentioned above to remove the carpet. For the risers (the ‘face’ under each tread) you can use specialist floor and staiir paint or select  specialist patterned self-adhesive material to bring them to life. Search d-c-fix for ideas.

Repaint the banisters

Sometimes, all you need to do to refresh your stairs is to give the banister a fresh lick of paint. Use old sheets or newspapers to completely cover the stairs and floor. Make sure you prime the banister then make sure any small holes are filled in and sanded down down before painting to ensure a smooth, professional finish.

And there you have it. Three simple ways to refresh the staircase and give a hallway a new lease of life. To watch a step by step video on refreshing a staircase, click below.