Replacing a staircase on a budget!

[JingleBellsJuliet]

Just completed on a house, and while I was obviously aware that the stairs had been covered in laminate flooring, what I hadn't realised what what a bad job had been done fitting it, or that the stair treads had actually been completely removed and replaced with laminate!

The stairs are very narrow and shallow and I can envisage either myself or ds falling full length down them, so I would like to remove the laminate and replace the stairs with proper ones that actually fit feet on them!

Has anyone done this? Is it an easy enough job? For the time being, I've glued carpet treads onto each step, but obviously not a long term solution.

you need a joiner or carpenter, who will do a better job, quicker, than a general builder.

A ready-made staircase in one of the standard sizes is surprisingly cheap to buy (hundreds, not thousands) but you have to add on the cost of spindles and rails. If you can get local recommendations for a good local firm, they should have fitted hundreds of staircases and be able to give you an accurate estimate of how long it will take, and point out anything else that needs doing.

If you have an older small house with steep and narrow stairs, or an older grand house with a wide and winding stairs, it will cost more and be more difficult.

I have noticed that some staircases have chipboard treads. I think it is an awful material and prefer ply.

The underside will have to have a couple of layers of plasterboard for fire protection. Delay this for a week or two in case there are any squeaking steps that need to be screwed tight once it is in.

Spindles are about four quid each and rails about 50 starting price . You also need the baserail which comes with the spacer rail that you trim to size required for spacing of spindles

Fitting the rails and baserrail and spindles is easy with a sliding mitre saw .
You need to make sure the spindles are spaced to comply with regs.

Laminate on stairs or kitchens a no no

What ever you do don't try to use MDF for the stair treads it's totally unsuitable

I have seen this and it is a disaster

www.spindlesandstairparts.co.uk/stairsteprenovationsystem.htm

Those prices are basic B&Q parts but look ok
The link has stair treads you fit over existing. You could probably get a chippy to knock up the basic staircase for two or three hundred. Then if you felt capable of some very basic carpentry fit the rails and spindles yourself. As said though you would need a sliding mitre saw for cutting umpteen spacers for the rails and baserail, and getting the spindles to your requirements

That's really helpful, thank you. There's no spindles or rails luckily, as it's enclosed, so it's literally just the steps that need replacing, so looks like it won't cost too much to do :)

you can get "J" section handrail which is screwed to the wall. I like to see it with the screw-heads recessed but accessible, this makes it much easier to remove when redecorating and refit afterwards.

It does not protrude like a rail-on-bracket will, and is stronger.

the J section handrail is also called "pigs ear" due to the shape of its section

Thanks for that PigletJohn - I've been looking for those handrails, as I need one either side on the stairs so as my dad can get up and down easily, and it don't want two that protrude too much. I knew they existed, but didn't know what they were called :)

It does not matter what age you are , the rail saves you if you suddenly lose your footing. I always make sure my hand trails the rail as I come up or down. I don't like the idea of no rail , especially when I am carrying stuff and my dog accelerates past me at manic mode. It's like having a train past you in a tunnel sometimes

Yes I have dogs that do that too! I've got one handrail, but the stairs are quite narrow so another one the same will really limit space. Those pigs ear ones are perfect :)