Designed Stairs

Designed Stairs has the experience to design structural, open-riser staircases that are also beautiful works of contemporary art.

  • Transforming Your Home by Installing a Hardwood Stair

    We get many calls where people no longer want carpet on their stairs and want to upgrade to a custom hardwood stair. What most people don’t realize is that stairs are a structural item. Stairs don’t come out easily. Replacing a stair is a real remodeling project and not just a decorating project.

    A first question is often “can you just leave in my stair and cover over it with hardwood?” In many cases we can (and sometimes we cannot). Realize there are down sides to covering an existing stair.

    Here is a short blog to explain some pros and cons to consider: Covering Stairs with Hardwood or Replace with New Stairs?

    Once you are committed to a stair replacement, here is an idea of what to expect. The old stair will be torn out and this usually means removing some drywall in the process. Consider hiring a contractor for the demo, new framing and drywall that is likely to be required. At times there are surprises at tear out such as plumbing, electric or duct work under the stair may need to be moved for a new stair design. If you are living in the house, schedule the tear out just a day or two before the new stair is installed. This will limit the time you do not have stair access to the 2nd floor. If you are not comfortable using a ladder for a day or two, consider sleeping elsewhere during the stair remodel. Once the new stair is installed, drywall has to replaced, taped sanded and painted. The stair will need to be stained/painted.

    Putting a new stair into your existing home will transform your home’s interior like few other things can.

    After hardwood stair replacement

    Before hardwood stair replacement

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  • Cover Stairs with Hardwood or Replace with New Stairs?

    “I have ugly carpeted stairs, and I want the look of a nice hardwood custom made stair. Should I cover my existing stair with hardwood or replace with new stairs?”

    New Oak stair

    First consider how old your existing stairs are. If you have fairly new pine stairs under your carpet, the moisture content in your pine lumber will be higher than it will be in the hardwood. The woods dry differently. When a wood with a higher moisture content is covered with a dryer wood, it creates a high probability that it will develop squeaks.

    New wood stair

    Fitting hardwood stair parts to an existing stair can be laborious. There are about 30 pieces in a basic stair alone. This will likely result in over 100 cuts from prepping to installation. Keep in mind it’s harder to make a non-square cut to fit something existing than to make a good/new square cut.

    The cost of buying the hardwood stair parts will be essentially the same as buying parts for a new stair. The main difference is the labor of fitting them onto an existing stair or building a new stair. There may not be a savings to cover existing vs. a new stair.

    Last, but certainly not least is quality. A new custom built hardwood stair will likely have better joinery and fit. It allows you the opportunity to use new routed stringers and have your treads and risers tightly wedged into them. A method of measurably better construction.

    Price out both methods and compare all facts to make an educated cost decision.

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  • Stair Trends: Updating Your Stair

    Custom stair - wood, small

    Remodel newel post

    “I have a nice custom oak stair, but it looks out of date, and I’m not sure I like the oak anymore; should I refinish, or replace?”

    If you are starting with a good quality product, stripping it will likely be more affordable than replacing. When it comes to updating there is always a lot you can do with (re)finishing.

    If you are tired of the graininess of oak, think about going with a very dark color on the treads. The dark stain will hide much of the grain. We recently ‘painted’ oak treads black for a dramatic trendy look, then clear-coated them for durability.

    Consider changing the balusters to a new up-to-date metal look. The balusters alone will give you an entirely new look.

    Another popular trend is the trimmed (square box type) newels. Changing newels will involve a bit more cost and labor (than balusters), but can add to the dramatic updated look.

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  • Stair Remodeling: 3 Reminders to help it run smoothly

    When remodeling your stairs you should know that it IS a full-fledged remodeling project, not a Saturday afternoon DIY project. Your stair has been installed into the structure of your home. Removing and replacing your stair can be as involved as remodeling your kitchen or bath. The process may involve drywall work, some additional framing. The process can be messy and inconvenient.

    Stair installation

    Here are three reminders to make your stair remodel project run more smoothly:

    1. Plan ahead. Prior to removing anything, have your entire stair plan figured out in detail. How will you get upstairs? Will your headroom change? Will you need to change framing? Is the new design fully calculated and every design detail finalized? Are materials and labor fully planned and available? It may be best to have materials precut to some extent to limit the time of construction.

    2. Protect what you’re not changing. Cover up the floor nearby. Remove pictures on both sides of the walls. Cutting can create a lot of dust. Treat the area like a construction zone!

    3. Be ready for the unexpected. When the stair is pulled out, who knows what you’ll find. There may be plumbing, heating, or electric under the stair that needs to be moved. Plan ahead as to how you will handle moving those items if required.

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  • 3 Items to Consider When Replacing Balusters

    Baluster replacemen

    1. Bottom of Baluster

      Will there be a stain line on the bottom where the old baluster sat? This could cause the need to finish the entire stair. Consider selecting a replacement style with the same size or larger baluster.

    2. Top of Baluster

      How were the balusters installed into the rail? Can I reuse the rail to install the new balusters in?

    3. Code

      Will this be inspected? Will the baluster spacing pass code, or will they “grandfather” me into the old code?

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