763-784-3000
Call today for a free estimate!
Buy Our Floor Cleaner
Showroom Open By Appointment Only

Tips for Choosing Your Hardwood Stairs

Hardwood Stairs in a home entry way with green walls looking into the kitchen

Are you thinking about changing the flooring in part of your home? If the flooring happens to meet with a stairway, you are probably wondering what to do about it.  Do you leave it as is? Doubtful. Why not give your stairs a facelift, too? Stairs, hardwood, or carpeted can be tricky when deciding on how to finish them. There are various factors you should consider when renovating your staircases:

Staying Within Budget

You should consider your budget. Finances are always part of a home renovation decision, but they aren’t the only part. You want to be sure that you are getting quality work and materials for the money that you are paying for the project. This is why the lowest price is rarely the best price.

One example to illustrate this is with carpet. The average cost of builder’s grade carpet is $9 per yard, and it typically lasts three to five years. Medium-grade carpet costs $25 per yard and lasts 12 to 15 years.[1] Just by price alone, they come out nearly even—until you consider that the cheaper one will have to be installed 3 to 4 times during the lifetime of the medium-grade carpeting. Not only will you have the expense and hassle of replacing the cheaper carpet more often, but the quality and appearance will be substandard in comparison to the medium-grade carpeting.

Thankfully, there is a wide range of high-quality hardwoods offered at prices to suit various budgets. 

Beauty will bring the wow factor!

Of course, beauty is a matter of personal style and taste, but it is a good idea to consider the flooring you have in upstairs and downstairs rooms adjacent to the staircase to create harmony in your home’s decor.

You may have carpeted bedrooms upstairs and hardwood floors on the main level. Perhaps beautiful hardwood stairs with a carpet runner down the center of the stairs, leaving four inches on each side to show off the beautiful hardwood, is the answer.

Easy to Clean Stairs

Consider the ease of cleaning. This is a big reason people love hardwood stairs. A dust mop will usually keep the dirt at bay with an occasional deeper clean with a hardwood floor cleaner.

If you install carpeting, it will require regular vacuuming. Hauling a vacuum up and down the stairs isn’t a lot of fun, especially if you have a long staircase. Unlike carpets, hardwoods are easy to clean and maintain and are a good material for stairs.  

Safety First!

No matter what flooring you choose, it is important to think about the safety needs of your family members, including senior citizens, young children, and pets. One benefit of hardwood flooring is that walkers and canes, wheelchairs, and other assistive devices can easily move across it without snagging on the carpeting.

However, hardwood stairs can be slippery.

You can use carpet runners to make hardwood stairs safer and more slip-resistant. A carpet runner is a small piece of carpet that doesn’t cover the whole staircase. It is designed to provide traction to the hardwood floor. You can also use non-slip treads to add traction to your hardwood stairs. They also cover only part of the hardwood floor.

Are You Concerned about Noise?

Hardwood stairs can be louder, mainly because there is nothing to muffle the sound of everyday use. However, there are ways to minimize this. For example, when Dave’s Floor Sanding & Installation installs a new hardwood floor, we take the time to ensure the subflooring is in good condition and tightly screwed into the floor joists to prevent the floor from shifting with each step across it that someone takes. We do the same for the hardwood stairs we install.

Call an Expert

Planning for hardwood floors may seem overwhelming, especially considering that these tips are just the tip of the iceberg. Hardwood flooring is an excellent investment that will enhance the beauty of your home. It is both functional and durable. But the work and knowledge needed to ensure the best results lead many to consult or hire a professional. If you need professional advice or are looking for a stress-free experience from an installer you can trust, contact us. Our experts are more than happy to help you to

 

[1] What Is Builder Grade Carpet? 12 Jan. 2020, askinglot.com/what-is-builder-grade-carpet.