Finishing Basement Stairs
First Impressions
You finally completed your dream basement remodel. Everything’s perfect down to the lighting. You invite some friends over to show off your new living space, open the door to the basement, and suddenly you realize you’ve completely overlooked finishing the basement stairs.
Those unfinished, plain lumber stairs leading down to your newly remodeled space are the first impression your friends and family will have of your basement, so they should be an essential part of the overall basement redesign.
Finish the Existing Stairs or Rebuild from Scratch?
Basement stairs in older homes are narrow, steep, and the steps were designed for people with a size four shoe. This coupled with the increased foot traffic up and down the stairs to the new room screams “new construction.”
If you choose to rebuild your stairs we recommend that you hire a licensed contractor. This segment of the basement remodel is the most difficult area of carpentry. There are calculations of run and rise, stair gauges, millwork, design, and numerous building code requirements. This is not a job for the novice.
If your budget doesn’t allow for a new staircase, or the stairs you currently have are adequate to finish, there are many choices available for your existing stairs.
Finishing Your Original Basement Stairs
Carpet
Carpet is warm and softens the look of wooden stairs. It’s quiet and soft under the feet, and wears well with heavy foot traffic. Though carpeting wooden stairs remains popular it has its pitfalls; moisture, mold & mildew.
Carpet Runner
Another popular choice is to use a carpet runner. This is an affordable way to dress up your stairs however, since the carpet runner needs to be stapled to each stair, the runner must be thin enough to conform to the shape of the stairs. And, like carpet, this material may absorb mold and mildew due to moisture.
Vinyl
Vinyl is a good option for basement stairs because it isn’t affected by moisture in the air. It comes in many colors, textures, and styles. The vinyl must have a metal corner strip on the front edge of each tread to hold it securely and keep it from peeling.
Painting & Staining
Painting or staining your stairs is the most economical way to go if your budget is running thin. Latex floor paint wears well and isn’t too slippery. A latex based porch and floor paint will wear well under the heaviest of traffic. Before painting make sure to thoroughly clean the stairs.
Staining is moderately easy and inexpensive to use. Make sure to sand the stairs and clean them thoroughly before applying stain. Stains and urethane coatings are a nice option for wooden basement stairs though, after everything is said and done, your stairs will still look like softwood lumber under the stain. Urethane is very durable and commonly used on floors so it makes a great coating. A quart of urethane should provide the three or four coats you’ll need, and a pint of stain should be enough to stain a set of basement stairs. You will likely need two coats of stain to achieve a rich even appearance. Once the stairs have been stained you can apply the urethane to seal in the stain and protect it from damage.
Helpful links for Finishing Your Basement Stairs
Finishing Basement Stairs / Basement Finishing Systems / Finishing Basement Walls / Basement Lighting / Basement Ceiling