Under $100 Carpeted Stair To Wooden Tread Makeover DIY
Under $100 Carpeted Stair To
Wooden Tread Makeover DIY
contributed by Cleverly Inspired
Hey there! Do you have a staircase that could use some help? Sure, new carpet would be great, but, wow!, it’s not cheap. And carpet on stairs gets so many stains and wears out so quickly! Find the answer to your problems here with this tutorial from Tracie at Cleverly Inspired. Transforming your stairs from carpet to wood treads will be a project to be proud of and you’ll be so glad you did!
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Carpeted Stair To Wooden Tread Makeover: Phase 1
For about a year I have been thinking about redoing our stairs. Should I?Can I? Would I dare? Rip up carpet??
Almost 7 years of wear….stains that can’t come up…
I just don’t know. It would be the largest project I have ever done. The hubs was completely behind me.” you can totally do that. It is just carpet. If the wood is bad we will deal with it. Go for it!”
So I did. And here is how it went down…. By the way, thanks for the support. It sure does make a girl feel good!!
Tools needed for ripping the carpet….
Needle nose pliers are your best friend for getting carpet off of steps….
Starting at the corners and pulling with all your might…
I pulled about 3 steps at a time, rolling the carpet as I went up the stairs. Then I used a sharp razor knife and cut the carpet and took it outside. Continuing on this way until I got to the top….
At the top, I cut the carpet with an extra sharp razor knife…leaving the carpet on the rounded part of the top thread where the upstairs hall starts. Pull up all the carpet pad….
To take up all the carpet tack strips, just place a flat head screw driver under the strip—tap in with the hammer and gently pry it up. Keep moving the screwdriver until the tack strip comes up. Do this same technique with all the 3,567,987 million staples….
Ok, maybe not quite that many….but it sure felt like it! I saved them in a solo cup…then I sat with a nice glass of red wine and admired my hard work!!! Phase one complete! Money spent during phase one…ZERO—besides a little blood, sweat and tears….I joke,I joke….
Stay tuned!!!
Carpeted Stair To Wooden Tread Makeover Phase 2
So if you were here yesterday…you saw that I decided to take the carpet off my stairs….Phase One–Operation Stairs Makeover and here we continue…..
The project continues with a day of sanding and scraping up the paint and caulk that was on the stairs.
Plastic was hung up from every doorway to help the dust…which there was a bunch of …dust!!
We used my Dad’s quarter sheet sander….and we got course (60) grade sand paper. I bought 2 packages.
We ended up using about one little quarter sheet per step…
After all the steps were sanded there was still some junk on some of the steps. So for the stubborn parts I used a stripper (you can find it at Home Depot or Amazon). This stuff is awesome!
Please follow the directions though…be careful please.
You basically brush it on, let it sit 20 minutes and take a metal scraper to it and the paint and gunk just shrivels right off!
So satisifying
When you are finished getting all the gunk (for lack of a better word, sorry) You need to clean the steps gently with some mineral spirits to remove any residue from the sander and the epoxy remover. We decided instead of staining we wanted to paint the treads a deep chocolate color and the risers a semi-gloss white. We could have stained….but a couple of stairs really had paint built in…and we loved the color of the paint. It looks really rich…but also has a lot of character. Love that!
Sneak peek at sample board…..so pretty!
Phase 2 we spent:
$3.94 for 2 drop cloths
$5.97 air-masks
$5.05 for 2 packs of 60 grit sandpaper
$2.68 small metal can for epoxy remover
$8.97 Epoxy and Paint remover
$2.00 for 2 chip brushes
$2.94 jar of sample paint
$31.55 spent….
Stay tuned for Phase 3!
such a good guy….he vacuums more than me! Love you babe!
Carpeted Stair To Wooden Tread Makeover Phase 3
Here is where we started this project if you are just joining me….Phase 1 and Phase 2 of Operation Stairs Makeover…..
Putter has lost all patience with me by this point. Poor dog…if he could talk, he would be saying “could you please just put back the carpet and end this nonsense woman…” oh no….no carpet for you!
After stairs were all cleaned up good, I could start painting. I primed the risers with a white primer.
Then I painted the treads with the brown. We loved the color Behr Sweet Molasses, it is a true chocolate color–rich and warm and has lots of character. I bought a quart of eggshell finish.
Valspar Signature is a paint and primer in one. I chose Eggshell finish because I am going to be putting 3 coats of polyurethane on the steps and I didn’t want the paint to be so glossy the poly wouldn’t adhere. Perfect for this project. You can find it at Lowes. A quart was plenty for 2 coats on just the treads.
Purdy is really a great brush to use! You can find them at most home improvement stores including Lowes, Walmart and Amazon.
I didn’t bother taping since I have to paint all the white anyway. I painted a coat on…let it dry 2 hours (can said I could recoat after 2 hours) and then put on the 2nd coat. We were able to go up the stairs at night. I painted while the kids were at school so it really wasn’t an inconvenience at all.
The next day I was able to cover the treads with some craft paper and tape the sides so that I could paint the trim white and the risers. Craft paper is sold in rolls near the paint supplies. I cut it to fit on the stairs.
Frog tape really seals nicely—when you go to take it off it has a nice clean edge.
I used a semi-gloss quart of Valspar Signature in White Umber (the color of my trim). I put 2 coats of white on and let dry overnight before taking the paper and tape off. Placing a fan at the bottom of the stairs helps the drying process.
Phase 3 Money Spent:
$30 for 2 quarts of custom mixed paint
$3 roll of Kraft paper
Grand total Spent so far on Operation Stairs: $70.51
You’ve been so patient….so encouraging…so excited for me. Thanks! I am still in the middle of polyurethane all the coats on the treads….but you can see the final product.
A few of you have asked how many hours this project has taken me…well the first phase (clearing out the carpet and pulling all staples and tacks) took me 2.5 hours–mind you I did this by myself on a Friday. Phase 2 took Bill and I from about 11:30 on Saturday morning till about 4:30 (that includes prep work, sanding, and cleaning up all the dust!). And on Sunday I took about an hour and did all the scraping with the stripping remover stuff. Phase 3 was the painting process and that took about an hour per coat…then I would let it dry for 3 hours and a re coat. So I think you could accomplish this in one weekend (minus the polyurethane step…because that requires some dry time).
If you haven’t seen the first few post on these stairs you can read all about it here….Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3 …..
If you haven’t seen the first few post on these stairs you can read all about it here….Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3 …..
Electric candles people…not to worry—wouldn’t advise real candles on newly lacquered stairs…just sayin
Ta Da!
BOOYAH!
I am coating the stair treads with Minwax Fast-Drying Satin. I am doing every other step. I put one coat on, let it dry 4 hours; then placed another coat. I am doing 3 coats on just the treads. I placed a small piece of tape on the steps that I was allowed to step on (just a mental note for me!) I am using a foam brush. Place a fan at the bottom of stairs to aid in quick drying. It is about $11 for a can.
I know they look dark here but I wanted to show how pretty they look at night with these electric candles on…
He’s impressed….my biggest supporter 😉 We feel so satisfied knowing how much we saved and that fabulous feeling that comes from doing something with your own bare hands.
Goodbye worn out carpet….HELLO pretty wood stairs!
I would say they look like a million bucks—-but then again….I only used $81…and a bit of sweat—but that is always a good thing!!
[pinit align=”center” url=”https://www.remodelaholic.com/under-100-carpeted-stair-to-wooden-tread-makeover-diy/” image_url=”https://www.remodelaholic.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/Redo-stairs-with-this-tutorial-for-changing-from-carpet-to-wood-by-Cleverly-Inspired-featured-on-@Remodelaholic-533×800.png” description=”Update your stairs with this tutorial for removing carpet and finishing the wood beneath”]
Video Tutorial is here….
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More DIY Stair Tutorials:
Before I rip up the carpet on my stairs, was the house new construction when you purhased? I am wondering how realistic it is to do on new construction. I don’t want to open a can of worms.
Thanks!
Kristin, My house was built in 2001 and I did a whole makeover on my stairs. It was a bit more involved, but it did work out beautifully! You can see the whole project here: https://www.remodelaholic.com/tag/park-house-stairs/
THANK YOU! I have been looking for a simple but comprehensive guide for this process– this is definitely going to be my next project!
Mary, you are welcome. Good luck on the project. Let us know how it turns out.
Would love to do this with my stairs. Just wondering if they are slippery? My stairs are very steep.
Mary, you might have to be careful when walking up and down with just socks on. If you need, you could add a runner on the stairs. That is one thing that we wanted to do but didn’t have time. I hope that helps.
Very Nice! Thanks for sharing. I plan to duplicate this now at my home.
It looks like you did this about two months ago. Did the poly protect the paint? Any scratches or wear? Thanks:) It looks AMAZING!
Stairs look amazing.. Question.. IM thinking about painting like you did.. my main concern is the paint is slippery.. .. is this a problem you have noticed thanks
You inspired my fiance and I to tackle our hunter green steps last weekend! Did you end up filling any scratches or holes with wood putty? We have a few, but they aren’t too bad. Just wondering. Thanks!
As long as it is a good wood putty I think you would be okay to fill it. GOOD LUCK!
We are moving into a house that has stairs– the carpet is already removed (YEAH!!) and they are painted brown. I’d been trying to figure out how to make them look better–maybe a fresher look. They are dull and don’t appear to have any poly on them. You gave me the answer–I think a fresh coat of paint and some poly will do the trick! Thanks!! Your stairs are beautiful!!
Yay! Good luck with your project!
One question…do you think I will need to sand the coat of paint of brown paint that’s on there already before applying another coat or can I just start painting?
A quick sanding is always a good idea! Or at the least use a deglosser to make the surface clean and help the paint to stick.
First of all…YOU ROCK!!! Amazing job. And thank you for posting this. I’ve always wanted to do this with my carpeted stairs but thought it’d be too hard. You made it look easy…and I LOVE how it costs less than $100! Thank you!!!
I really want to do this too. Very inspiring. Thank you for sharing it.. Found you on pinterest..
We are glad you found us Candi! Welcome!
You are my hero – I have wanting to do this with my stairs and had no idea what to do after I ripped up all the carpet. Thanks for sharing! Your stairs look AWESOME!
I’ve been wanting to do something similar on our stairs. Do you have carpet at the top of the stairs? what sort of transition did you have at the top?
What did you do with the very top/landing? Our stairs lead to the carpeted play room and I want to keep the carpet there.
I love what I’ve seen in here so I’m asking for help. I really want to pull up our carpet on the stairs. However we do live in a track house and I’m afraid that the wood underneath is just plywood. What do you recomend.
Thanks
I love it and been wanting to do this myself. But truly, how has it held up w the dog. We have a Shephard.
I love your stairs. Now that you’ve had them for a while how are they holding up? Anything you regret, noticed, or would have done differently?
Ok, the next time my husband goes out of town on business, I’m gettin busy ripping out carpet…ring, ring, “Hello?” “Hey babe. Watchya doin?” Oh, trying to get these stairs cleaned up a lil bit. What time is your flight?” “My flight, woman it’s in three days, what are you doing over there?” I’m just cleaning up a lil bit.” “Umhum.”
You just can’t blame me, if you are sleeping in the dog house when he gets home!!! But seriously I loved our made over stairs, it was totally wroth it!
So glad I stumbled on your blog – this is EXACTLY what I need to do!!
Glad you found us, Shashi! We’d love to see pictures if you do this!
Love it!! You inspired me to try it out. I am half way done with my stair remodel and so far love it! Thanks for the step by step guidance and pictures!
Just followed your directions almost to a T, and wanted to send you gratitude. We are installing laminate downstairs, and I didn’t have the money, skills or time to install on the stairs. From craft paper to frog tape to a satin polyurethane finish, I mirrored your directions. After sanding, I didn’t need the Jasco and versus mineral spirits I used a 60/30 water/bleach mix (I read 50/50 but not a fan of bleach. The laminate is grey and black so we chose a similar hue and I’m so so happy with the outcome. I have hated my filthy carpeted stairs for a good three years..and I’m floored (lol) at the outcome. Thank you!!!!
Thanks, Jamie!