Renovating a staircase is often the last thing on people’s mind when they move into a new home. But some simple upgrades to your staircase can have a huge improvement on the overall feel of your home’s entry area.
This article will help you decide which staircase renovation is right for you. From a simple lick of paint to a full renovation, we’ll discuss the pros and cons of each option. We’ll also provide some guidance of costs if you want to budget as part of a larger renovation project.
Before we begin, here are a few cautionary notes so you can stay safe while carrying out a staircase renovation in your home.
1. Beware of sharp objects
During the transition, your stairs may be bare of carpet and coverings, so be careful that you don’t step on any nails from carpet grippers or screws that might be coming out through the floorboards.
Where possible, remove any sharp objects immediately. You don’t want to run up and down the stairs only to find that you have blood coming out of your foot.
2. Beware of missing side-rails
If you’re going through a full renovation, there may be points in time where your stairs don’t have any handrails. These are there for safety and it’s therefore very important to take extra care when going up and down a staircase which doesn’t have a bannister or handrail.
Where possible, try to get your bannister renovation done in one go so you have minimal time without without it and therefore minimising the risk to your and your family’s safety.
A Simple Paint Renovation on your Staircase
A simple paint renovation on your staircase can go a long way to improving the aesthetics in your home.
For example, going from a dark brown to a white bannister can brighten up your hallway or staircase area very quickly and for minimal cost.
Some trends show that people are choosing to paint the spindles a light colour and the handrail a darker colour so that the handrail doesn’t look or get too dirty. Especially if you have kids going up and down the staircase.
There a many different types of paint on the market so it can feel like a jungle. We would recommend either a satin or gloss finish because they are both hard wearing and wipeable.
Satin vs Gloss Paint
Gloss offers a strong protective layer to the materials being painted however it can often turn a dim yellow colour after some time. It’s also more difficult to remove if you want to repaint a different colour in the near future.
We recommend aiming for a satin finish which can give you hallway a bit of shine, but also means you can wipe it without taking the paint off.
Of course, you may have your own personal preference and want to spend some time looking at the different paint options.
Costs & Budgets for painting your staircase
It’s often said that painting incurs a minimal cost for maximum benefit.
You should be able to do a couple of coats on an average sized bannister with no more than 5 litres of paint. On that basis, a pot of quality paint will set you back around £30-£40.
Of course, there are premium brands out there who will charge more but it really depends on your budget and favourite colours.
Simple carpet and underlay upgrade on your staircase
Having new carpet laid can do wonders for your staircase. Especially when you choose a high quality carpet and a high quality underlay.
Going for a lighter colour will brighten up your stairs in a great way. It may even make your home seem bigger, which is something to note down if you’re selling the property soon.
When changing the flooring though, there are a few things to bear in mind.
– Foot traffic
Foot traffic in this part of the home is more intense and higher volume than most other parts of the house. Therefore, you should choose a high-density underlay for longer lasting stairs.
– Measurements
Measuring how much material you need is important. Mainly because you don’t want to overspend and you also don’t want to run out of material during the fitting stages.
Read our article – how to measure stairs for carpet and underlay
– Fitting
Fitting carpet and underlay on the stairs can be a challenging task. So, you may want to get help from a professional on the fitting side. More on the costs for that is below.
We also have a blog for the fitting if you’re a keen DIYer – How to fit stairs carpet
Costs for upgrading carpet and underlay on stairs
Correct planning for your upgrades is crucial to making sure costs don’t spiral out of control. Especially when measuring for carpet and underlay.
There are 2 aspects to the costs – one for materials and one for labour, if you decide to have it fit by a professional carpet fitter.
Before choosing your underlay, be sure to have a read of our article – What is the best underlay for stairs?
Here’s a breakdown of the costs changing your carpet and underlay
– Carpet = £12.99 to £35.99 per square meter
– Underlay = £2 to
– Fitting = c. £200 in an average sized house.
Doing a Full renovation on your staircase
If your hallway is looking dark and dated and not giving a good first impression, you may benefit from a full renovation
This is the full shebang and one renovation you should be fully prepared for. A little planning can go a long way.
If you want to rip out the full stairway, then it’s important to know that the costs can be somewhat higher than a simple makeover.
The main work that will be undertaken is joinery work. However, you may wish to add a touch of glass to your staircase too.
Glass can definitely give your home that chic effect, while bringing through plenty of light to make the space look bigger.
Cost of a full staircase renovation
The costs of a full makeover can be anywhere from a few hundred pounds to £1000+. It really depends on how far you want to go.
There are also a few regulations to adhere to when installing your new materials – you can find them here
