Another keep or replace question.

[Tootsiroll]

I've had several carpenters out to quote me on getting new stairs (riser and tread) and the one thing they all agree on is anything they replace it with will be of lesser quality than what's there now. Every single one recommended restoration over replacement though they all said they would do it if I really wanted it done.

I can't have carpet down since I have awful dust allergies so it has to be either wood or those laminate covers you can get. The stairs aren't uniform though so there's no solution that's out of the packet, some moderate level of alteration will be needed.

So the question is, how does one "polish a turd' so to speak. They are structurally sound and very likely over 100 years old but they have screw holes where the rods use to be and layers of paint on both sides. I actually think the unpainted centre will be the worst since it's not had any protective layer on it and the grime looks like it's been ground in. It's looking very grimy and dull and I'm not convinced sanding them down will give a decent finish for staining.

I'm willing to give it a go if it will save me £2300 but looking up videos online makes me wonder if it's worth the effort.

Maybe you could have rubber pads fitted to the treads?

What do the carpenters suggest to solve your problem with the old stairs?

“very single one recommended restoration over replacement”

So get them restored. Tell the carpenter you don’t want carpet, and ask what solution he suggests - there will be one.

I think trees are grown much more quickly these days so the wood isn't as dense.

I think the solution is sourcing old wood from reclamation yards, people who are pulling old flooring up, and the like.

Idk why they haven't offered to do that for you; probably too much time and work to source the wood.

We have had both, in different houses.
In the 1897 house we had the stairs refurbished as they’d been hacked about and hardboarded up. A good quality carpenter will do a fantastic job, think Repair Shop quality.
In the 1960s house refurbishment the staircase to the lower ground floor were not up to Building Regs standard and had to be completely replaced. Even then the new stairs were not as good quality as the upper floor original ones.
So I’d say go for refurbishment.

I have new build stairs and when I took the carpet up to put a runner in they were in a bit of a state. Plus I think they are creaky and made with cheap wood. So I don't think your situation is unusual even in relatively new houses.

If the stairs themselves are solid they are repairable with some effort. You need to take up the old carpet and then fill and sand all the holes, sand them flat. I did this with mine. You can get special wood filler and caulk to fill all the cracks.

To return them to a state where they can be stained to bring out the natural finish is much harder than just painting them and obviously staining is difficult to do if you have filler all over them.

After you have restored the surface you could either just paint them, or as someone else pointed out put rubber pads on the treads. It will look at bit office like but probably better than wheezing all the time.

Or you could add interest by painting the treads and risers two different colours.

Modern stairs are generally factory-made to a competitive price. They are adequate to meet regulations but the quality is not as good. Refurbing an old one used to be a common job for carpenters, you have to get at the underside and remake all the loose joints tightly with new wedges and glue. If it is inaccessible with plastering or panels it has to come off. It will be slow and dirty work, so expensive. Many carpenters would not want to do it. The old treads can probably be sanded, filled and stained. You need someone committed to painstaking detail work. You may need to replaster afterwards for fire resistance and noise but this can be done with plasterboard and is simple.

Old linseed oil paint is surprisingly easy to take off with a hot air gun and scraper, and sandpaper the remnants when cold.

There are specialists who make new stairs in the restoration of old houses but I guess the cost would be astronomical. If a factory makes a staircase to order they would usually make it to modern standards that are not as good.

Stair treads wear out on the middle of the top, from foot traffic. Hopefully yours have spent most of their lives carpeted and will not need new pieces. It is possible to put new tops on with ply cut to size, but it will not be as good as solid wood, so fit them so they can be renewed. I like the idea of a pad made of rubber or other material which will also reduce noise. There might be a modern non-slip alternative.

Are they structurally sound and 'just' need decorating?

I used a paint stripper heat gun to get all the old paint off mine, then filled holes and sanded before repainting. Not hard, but was a bit time consuming. And I had to sleep downstairs to allow the paint to dry!

Actually just re-read your OP and you want to stain them. You could do, but it's very hard to get a good finish that removes all the paint from the grain and a wood colour filler that will stain well. Paint is more forgiving in that it will cover things (and seal in years old grime).

I'd get them sanded professionally. My front room looked horrendous when I bought my house, had them sanded and varnished, not perfect by any means after over 100 years down but every single person who visits comments on how they love the floor! Cost me £300 in 2013🤷‍♀️