I have wanted to rip the carpet off the staircase for a couple years now. The carpet was white but looked grayish tan (is that even a color 🤔) from the countless spills, constant foot traffic, and our dog using this as her bed. 😑 No professional carpet cleaner stood a chance. Believe me! We had our stairs professionally cleaned several times. 😭
Can you believe it only cost $75 to makeover this space?
Even though the staircase was in desperate need of a makeover, I continued to put-off redoing this space because I knew it was going to be a labor intensive project. Well, I was right. BUT, the 6.2 million 45 degree angle cuts were worth it!
The first thing I did was remove the carpet. Ripping up the carpet was the easiest part of this project. It literally took me 20 minutes. I started at the bottom stair using THIS TOOL to shimmy underneath the carpet and pulled upward. Seriously, this tool has paid for itself. This is (in my opinion) the best tool to have to take up carpet and/or remove any type of residue/paint from a flat surface.
There were A LOT of staples in the carpet, so if you do this, be careful where you place your hands to pull the carpet up. I jabbed myself a couple times. Thank god that I’ve had a tetanus shot in the last ten years! 😂 After the carpet and padding were ripped out, I removed the remaining upholstery staples from the treads and risers using needle nose pliers and a flathead screwdriver.
Tip: I kept a ramekin nearby to put all the staples in while I pulled them out. I didn’t want to chance leaving one on a step and my kids stepping on it.
After the staples were removed, I used the vacuum to remove all the leftover debris and wiped the stairs clean with soap and water.
Now for the sanding. I used my orbital sander and 80 grit sandpaper to remove all the excess paint and level the wood as much as possible. I didn’t bother sanding the risers since I planned on covering them up anyway. I then used 120 grit sandpaper to smooth the treads.
Tip: I recommend using a surgical mask while sanding to prevent breathing in the sawdust. I also recommend putting a tarp over anything you don’t want sawdust on.
After sanding the treads, I vacuumed and wiped them clean, then measured the risers to find the center.The length of our risers are 39”, so I drew a line down each riser at 19.5” to work my way outward.
Tip: The length of the risers on the first set of stairs are different from the second set of stairs. The width is the same though. Just something to check before doing your cuts.
Next, measure the cuts needed using a speed square. If you are not familiar with a speed square or how to use one CLICK HERE for helpful information.
Then cut the wood. I used my dual bevel compound miter saw. This thing has paid for itself 100 times over. I use our miter saw for every single DIY that involves wood. Plus this thing has the ability to cut 45 degree angles like a champ.
After I had all the cuts from the first riser, I used them as templates, which sped up the process. See below.
Tip: If you want to use the first cuts as a template, make sure the measurements are the same for each riser.
Tip: If you are using a miter saw with a laser, make sure the blade is aligned to the marking. Our miter saw has a laser that shows you where the cut will be, but I found out quickly on my first project that the laser and blade are not aligned, so my cuts were off. 😑 Moral of the story, double check where the blade will hit and don’t depend on the laser. The below photo shows where the laser is lined up even though the blade is where it needed to be for this cut.
For the stair risers I decided on Poplar. I used about 12 planks for one set of stairs. There are 6 steps in each set of stairs, so basically two planks per riser. The cost per plank was $3.16. I bought double this amount to complete the second set of stairs, so in total we spent $75.84 + tax on 24 pieces. That is crazy inexpensive, right?!? If you plan to do this, the amount of wood you’ll need depends on the width and number of stairs you have. However, I would buy more than what you think you’ll need, unless precision is your middle name. 😝
After all the pieces were cut, I stained the treads. Since I couldn’t rip the treads off, I had to stain them inside. 😷 I had a fan blowing on them the entire time to speed up the drying process and to push the fumes toward the ceiling. For the stain I used Minwax Early American. I simply made one stroke then immediately wiped it off with a rag. I didn’t want the stain to be very dark which is why I used a rag.
So much better, right?
I was so proud of myself! Then of course, this project started going downhill, fast. 😭
See how you can’t really see the lines? Yeah. I thought that paint would make the lines standout, so I tested it on one, and I was wrong. My hubby tried to warn me, but I am stubborn…and in this case, I was wrong. So I had to recut the last three pieces on each side. Yeah. 😭 Moral of the story, when you are cutting the wood, use tile spacers to space out the wood and measure from there.
Once I had all the recuts complete, I started securing the wood pieces to the risers using wood glue. I used the tile spacers to make sure the lines spacing was consistent and dramatic.
After the wood spacing fiasco was resolved, it was time to paint! I used Sherwin Williams Snowbound. After getting all the pieces on, I actually thought about just staining them a lighter color, but my hubby really liked the contrast of the white against the dark stain.
Since I decided to secure the wood before painting, I used blue painters tape to prevent me from getting it on the wood.
After painting each riser, I ran a toothpick through each space, to prevent dried paint bubbles in the lines.
Can you believe this makeover cost $75?!?! That’s me including both sets of stairs. 😱
Well, if I haven’t scared you off, below are the lists of materials and tools I used.
Wood
2.5” x 3” x 4’ planks (Poplar)
Tools
Paint scraper
needle nose pliers
Flathead screwdriver
Patience
Speed square
Miter saw
Tape measure
Pen/pencil
Orbital sander
Patience
80 grit sandpaper
120 grit sandpaper
More patience
Tile spacers
Wood glue
Blue painters tape
Minwax Early American stain
Paint brush
Lint-free towel
And that’s a wrap! I hope you enjoyed my tutorial and leave here feeling inspired to create a space you love. In part II of this post I will be revealing the landing makeover as well as the other set of stairs. Hopefully I will have it out in two weeks. Fingers crossed! 🤞
If you have any questions, please comment below or message me on Instagram. My handle is @acarriedaffairdesigns
Until next time. Xo
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28 Comments
Maureen Ellis
Congratulations, that is an amazing job and it looks wonderful! I love the tutorial too, as it makes it so much easier to follow.
Carrie
Thank you so much!! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Emalee
Where did you purchase your boards?
Carrie
All from Lowe’s. ❤️
Becky
This is gorgeous! I love it and want to be a copycat😸How has it held up?
Meghan
I saw that you listed 2.5”x3”x4’ poplar planks. Is that correct? They seem super thin, not as thick as 2.5”. Can you clarify this for me? I absolutely LOVE this idea and I would love to try it on the stairs at our new house!
Carrie
Hi! Great catch! I believe I meant .25” thick. Definitely not 2.5”. Sorry about that. Hope that clears it up. Let me know if you need anything else. Thanks!
Kristen
Can you please give more info about cut angles for the risers? I’m a serious newbie and intimidated by making mistakes on the angles. Thank you!
Carrie
Hi! Honestly, it is a trial and error process. I made so many bad cuts. Give yourself some grace and just know you will. Figuring out the first riser is the hardest part. Once you do that you can use those cuts as a template for the remaining risers. I do recommend purchasing a speed square or use blue painters tape to mark the lengths. Hope that helps. Good luck!
Janin Gough-Iler
What a great job!! I’ve been staring at the same looking stairs for awhile. I just need to go for it!! I have two projects I am currently in the process. My poor hubby!! Lol. Cant wait to tackle my stairs…hopefully it turn out as beautiful as yours!! Great job!!
Carrie L
You inspired me! My stairs are exactly like yours and I dread cleaning them. Looking forward to your part 2 to see how you conquered the landing!!! Ps. I may have ripped my carpet off and jumped in head first.
Carrie
Yes!!! That’s the way to do it! I came home from work one night and just starting ripping the carpet out because I couldn’t look st it anymore. 😂 After that, I had no choice but to redo them. 🤗 I’ll have part II up by next weekend. Thank you so much for the kind words and good luck with your project! ❤️
Ann
Fantastic job. I admire that you stuck to it. I’m refinishing 2 exterior doors that were painted on both sides. Ugh! Been at it 2 weeks and have not even gotten to the stain. Like is said, I admire that you stuck to it. Nice job.
Carrie
It takes time, but it’s so worth it! You can totally do it!!
Angie
Your stairs turned out so good! Did you prime the popular or just paint?
Have you had any knots bleed through since you painted?
Carrie
Hi! I did not prime them. Just painted them. I didn’t add poly either because I was worried that they would be shiny. They have held up great and it’s been over a year. I use a magic eraser to clean them and they are still bright white. 🙌🏼 Hope that helps!
Tom
How did you get your measurements using a speed square?
Carrie
I didn’t use a speed square. However, I believe using one would have been beneficial. I just eyed all the cuts on the first stair and copied for all the other stairs. The first stair took me hours because I was only eyeing it. I just wanted to give others a tool option. That might not be the right name.
Merrie B.
I am going to do this!! I have stairs from living room to basement t and from living room to upstairs
Question, you put poly on the stained floors correct?
Carrie
I did not apply poly. I was worried they would be too slippery.
Elizabeth Martin
This looks amazing and I am totally going to attempt this on our stairs!! Question- is there a reason you didn’t paint the wood pieces before you put them on the risers? I am thinking through this and feel like it would be easier to do it that way but wasn’t sure if there was a reason not to do it I was missing.
Carrie
Thank you! Yes! Painting beforehand is a lot easier. In fact, if I did it again I would paint the entire plank before cutting it. Great question and good luck!
Jess
Did you use any kind of wood filler to fill in the holes from the staples and Racks from the carpet?
Carrie
Hi! No I didn’t.
Adina Zerboni
What paint did you use for your walls?
Carrie
Hi! The color is SW Snowbound.
Nicole
How did you figure out what angles you needed to cut ?
Carrie
It was a trial and error process. I made a ton of bad cuts and wasted a lot of pieces of wood. 😞 Once you get the first stair cuts you can use them as a template for the remaining. The first cuts are definitely the worst. You could use blue painters tape to decide size then transfer those measurements to the wood. Good luck!