Are you an old homeowner?
Old homeowners belong to a niche community. They’re the people who fall in love with the charm of vintage homes. They also take on old home renovation projects.
One puzzling renovation project for old homeowners is the old staircase. For many homeowners, the temptation is real. Tear it out and start from scratch!
Read today’s post before you begin a staircase demo. We’ll show you how to restore and take care of your old stairs.
What to Do with That Old Staircase
Nothing adds as much character to an older home than its original staircase. The good news for people deciding whether to renovate or demolish? Even the most archaic staircase is worthy of rehabilitation—provided it has good bones.
It’s rare to find a staircase with such serious structural problems that it’s not fixable.
You’re more likely to find worn-out treads. Since the tread is the piece you step on, it’s not uncommon to find a few in need of repair. Tread repair entails cutting away the worn area and splicing in a new piece of good quality wood.
Depending on the extent of your stair renovation project, you may also need to refinish or replace other staircase components like newel posts, balusters, and handrails.
You Can Also Restore Concrete Stairs
Old homes don’t only come with wooden stairs, they often include concrete staircases. Concrete lasts for decades with relatively low maintenance.
That said, concrete does bear the brunt of weather extremes and heavy foot traffic.
Many homeowners find it’s easier to restore a concrete staircase than a set of wooden stairs. Usually, the restoration is limited to repairing cosmetic flaws. However, if you discover structural issues, you can still restore your concrete stairs.
Even when things look ugly, concrete stair repair can give stairs a complete facelift. Resurfacing concrete stairs makes them safer and restores their appearance.
Structural damage requires more than resurfacing. You don’t want to avoid structural repairs, because they only get worse over time. Shoring up a concrete staircase takes extra effort, but most homeowners can handle the job themselves.
How to Maintain Your Restored Staircase
Once you’ve restored a staircase, you can help extend its life for years to come. Start with regular maintenance checks.
For a wooden staircase, check each tread and listen for creaking. Pay attention to any loose handrails, balusters, and posts.
Keep the stairs clean—both inside and outdoor staircases.
Maintaining concrete stairs includes sweeping, removing stains quickly, and filling cracks early before they morph into large crevices.
Want to Read More Posts Like This?
We hope this post helped you love your old staircase enough to keep it! With a little extra love, you can restore, repair, and keep those old stairs looking as charming as they did when your home was built.
If you’ve enjoyed this post, check out the archives on our blog. You’ll find even more articles on ways you can maintain your home.
