Stair Refinishing Options for Treads, Risers and Stringers
HomeGuide says stairs cost more per step than flat flooring because they need careful sanding and finishing, much of it by hand around nosings and corners. Four kinds of job cover most staircases.
Stained treads with painted risers
The usual split puts the wood finish on the treads, which take the foot traffic, and paint on the risers. The treads are sanded, stained or left natural, and clear-coated, and the risers are prepped and painted. HomeAdvisor says that when parts of a staircase need different treatments or color-matching for a uniform look, the price goes up. Ask for the tread finish and the riser paint as separate lines on the quote. In a house built before 1978, sanding old painted risers falls under the federal lead renovation rule; lead-safe sanding explains what that means for the job.
Full sand of treads, risers and stringers
When the whole staircase is wood, everything is taken back and refinished together. Homewyse's estimate assumes the old finish is sanded off and two coats of polyurethane go on, with a drum sander and an edger on the job. HomeAdvisor adds that the fine-grit pass switches to hand sanding in corners and along edges, and Bob Vila says a complex design or spindles push the per-step price up.
- Homewyse (basic two-coat job): $10.94 to $13.32 a square foot.
- HomeAdvisor: $4 to $8 a square foot, or $700 to $1,100 for a 10-step staircase.
Recoat-only stairs
If the finish is dull but hasn't worn through at the front edges, a maintenance coat may be all the stairs need. HomeAdvisor notes stairs can be refinished without a full sanding by putting a fresh finish over the existing coat, after a light hand-sand so the new finish bonds. Wear patterns and wax change that answer; the tests to ask for are on the screen and recoat page.
Matching stairs to a new floor color
When the floor at the bottom of the stairs is getting a new color, the treads can be sanded and stained to match it. Bona's stain data sheet says results vary widely by wood species and calls for a sample or test area, so ask for the test on a tread rather than on a floor offcut. Colors, dry times and water popping are covered under hardwood floor staining.
Why Pompano Beach homeowners call Pompano Wood Flooring
- One local flooring contractor calls back, not a bidding list
- Asking costs nothing and commits you to nothing
- Ask for the slab moisture readings in writing
- Florida doesn't license flooring: ask for the business tax receipt and insurance certificates
Stair Refinishing Costs Line by Line
Per step
$25 to $85 at HomeGuide and Bob Vila; Bob Vila prices complex designs and spindles toward the top.Per square foot
$4 to $8 at HomeAdvisor; $10.94 to $13.32 for Homewyse's basic two-coat job.Whole staircase
$321 to $1,255 at HomeAdvisor, average $788; its 10-step example comes to $700 to $1,100.Carpet removal
Bob Vila adds $7 to $10 a step.Railings
HomeAdvisor says doing the railings along with the treads costs more, especially when they need a different treatment.
Stair Tread Refinishing vs Replacement
Refinishing keeps the treads you have. HomeAdvisor says stairs that are scratched, stained or warped may need deeper sanding, filling or minor repairs before the finish, and that taking off carpet, paint or old finishes adds to the time and the bill. When carpet is coming off, look at what's under it before choosing. New hardwood treads cost several times more per step than refinishing (hardwood stair treads), so check whether the treads under old carpet are sound before pricing new ones.
Plan around the finish too. The stairs stay out of use until the last coat can take foot traffic, and that time depends on the product (cure times by finish). Get the day you can use the stairs again in writing.