Old existing staircase in need of restyiling. How to over clad it. Help

[Jonny Vee]

You cut all of the lips where the bullnose is, so you end up with sharp edges.
Then basically line the staircase with 15 or 18mm steps (with bullnose edges) and 3, 6 or 9mm risers.
All cut of the appropriate dimension.

Where would you get from the steps with bullnose?

 

[johnny2007]

Where would you get from the steps with bullnose?

There are companies who do that or you do it yourself with a router.
Bear in mind that they might send you the pieces longer than needed so you can cut them exact.
I have built a couple but of course I can't compete with larger companies prices.

 

[Jonny Vee]

There are companies who do that or you do it yourself with a router.
Bear in mind that they might send you the pieces longer than needed so you can cut them exact.
I have built a couple but of course I can't compete with larger companies prices.

Was planning to do it myself starting off from wooden floor. Any tips advise?

 

[johnny2007]

Was planning to do it myself starting off from wooden floor. Any tips advise?

Yes, don't do it.
Wooden floor is not the correct product to use on a staircase, however I have seen it done with solid oak and it looked ok.
I wonder if it starts creaking after a while.
You need to buy wood of the correct width and thickness and make sure it's not warped.
Then keep it in your house for a week, flat and ideally in the staircase area (landing)
Cut all to length and then use a router to do the bullnose.
You could even go the extra mile and cut a slot under the steps to make a joint with the risers.

 

[Jonny Vee]

Yes, don't do it.
Wooden floor is not the correct product to use on a staircase, however I have seen it done with solid oak and it looked ok.
I wonder if it starts creaking after a while.
You need to buy wood of the correct width and thickness and make sure it's not warped.
Then keep it in your house for a week, flat and ideally in the staircase area (landing)
Cut all to length and then use a router to do the bullnose.
You could even go the extra mile and cut a slot under the steps to make a joint with the risers.

I meant solid oak flooring, Why would crack after a while?

 

[Jonny Vee]

What would be a decent but not expensive wood to be used for stair?

 

[Deleted member 174758]

Oops!

 

[Deleted member 174758]

Wooden floor is not the correct product to use on a staircase, however I have seen it done with solid oak and it looked ok.
I wonder if it starts creaking after a while.

It's a question of stability. Oak and pine react to changes in atmospheric moisture at different rates, which means that overcladding one with the other is potentislly risky. I'm not a fsn of laminate over pine stairs, and for the same reason, but at least with laminate is used it'll br cheaper to rip out! (Sorry, but Iworked on a new build a few years ago where they did just that on morecthan 20 top floor duplexes - about half of them have required remedial wkrk to correct creaking)

Then keep it in your house for a week, flat and ideally in the staircase area (landing)
Cut all to length and then use a router to do the bullnose.

Try more like a month, or longer, in the wetter months of the year like now. Solid timber is likely to come in with a MC (moisture content) of 12 to 14% if air dried and stored indoors - timbers in a centrally heated house will stabilise at around 8 to 10%

You could even go the extra mile and cut a slot under the steps to make a joint with the risers.

That implies you are cutting the nosing back to get a square edge, but cutting the nosing flush to tbe riser weakens the stairs - the underside of the treads are grooved to hold the top edges of the risers, which are additionly stiffened using rub glued glue blocks. This aline makes flush cutting inadvisable. It may not make any difference in the short term, but over time, and particularly when the stairs are subjected to heavy loading, the tops of the stringers can work.loose and the glue blocks fall off

 

[Jonny Vee]

It's a question of stability. Oak and pine react to changes in atmospheric moisture at different rates, which means that overcladding one with the other is potentislly risky. I'm not a fsn of laminate over pine stairs, and for the same reason, but at least with laminate is used it'll br cheaper to rip out! (Sorry, but Iworked on a new build a few years ago where they did just that on morecthan 20 top floor duplexes - about half of them have required remedial wkrk to correct creaking)


Try more like a month, or longer, in the wetter months of the year like now. Solid timber is likely to come in with a MC (moisture content) of 12 to 14% if air dried and stored indoors - timbers in a centrally heated house will stabilise at around 8 to 10%


That implies you are cutting the nosing back to get a square edge, but cutting the nosing flush to tbe riser weakens the stairs - the underside of the treads are grooved to hold the top edges of the risers, which are additionly stiffened using rub glued glue blocks. This aline makes flush cutting inadvisable. It may not make any difference in the short term, but over time, and particularly when the stairs are subjected to heavy loading, the tops of the stringers can work.loose and the glue blocks fall off

I get all your points and get back and forth on this stair and for months and months never done any work. I wanted to have it in timber as seems to be more pleasant than a simple carpet cover up. I get the point of cutting back the nosing and it would need to be left there for obvious reason. What would you suggest to do in this case?

 

[StephenStephen]

To me as an amateur, that looks like a fundamentally sound and attractive staircase, and very similar to one that we sanded and sealed with good results - why not try the bottom step and riser? (What have you got to lose?)

 

[Jonny Vee]

To me as an amateur, that looks like a fundamentally sound and attractive staircase, and very similar to one that we sanded and sealed with good results - why not try the bottom step and riser? (What have you got to lose?)

Tried to sand with grit 40 and orbital but look like need something stronger to remove the old top coat to reach fresh timber. How you done it? Plus there are several screw which need to be pushed down and capped

 

[johnny2007]

That implies you are cutting the nosing back to get a square edge, but cutting the nosing flush to tbe riser weakens the stairs - the underside of the treads are grooved to hold the top edges of the risers, which are additionly stiffened using rub glued glue blocks. This aline makes flush cutting inadvisable. It may not make any difference in the short term, but over time, and particularly when the stairs are subjected to heavy loading, the tops of the stringers can work.loose and the glue blocks fall off

How could that happen?
I meant "cut a slot in the NEW step", not the original one .
Then with the new riser, glued to the old one and locking into the new step (glued to the existing step), where would anything go?
I've done a few of these and seen a lot more and never a fail.
In fact, the cladding stiffens the staircase.

 

[Deleted member 174758]

In fact, the cladding stiffens the staircase.

How?

 

[johnny2007]

How?

By stabilising cracked steps and loose risers.
Of course this could be addressed if there is access to the underside of the staircase, but sometimes this is not possible.

 

[StephenStephen]

Tried to sand with grit 40 and orbital but look like need something stronger to remove the old top coat to reach fresh timber. How you done it? Plus there are several screw which need to be pushed down and capped

Take the screws out before sanding.
I think the things you're short of are (a) patience and (b) perserverence