What’s the best way to renovate an old staircase?

Is your staircase starting to look a little tired and outdated? Perhaps you’ve recently moved house and the design isn’t to your taste? As the first thing you’ll see when you walk through the front door, it needs to be looking its best. Most people assume that the only way to transform staircases in Edinburgh (or anywhere else) is to replace them with a brand-new design – but this is not the case. You can renovate an old staircase with many different ideas.

Renovating can give your hallway a new and improved look, whilst saving you a small fortune and a great deal of time and effort. In most cases, to give your existing staircase a new lease of life, all you need are some basic DIY skills, a handful of tools and a smidge of creativity. If you’re lacking inspiration for your renovation project, read on to find out some of the simple yet effective ways you can update your flight of stairs without breaking the bank (or a nail!).

Renovate an old staircase by replacing the treads and risers

The treads are the horizontal surfaces that you “tread” on when going up and down the stairs, whereas the risers are the vertical spaces between each step. When you think about how much foot traffic your staircase receives every day, it’s not surprising that these stair parts can start to look a little worn and damaged.

Luckily, though, replacing them with new ones is a relatively straightforward task that shouldn’t take you too long to complete. However, if you wanted to save yourself some time, you could simply clad over them with non-slip oak. Not only will this hide any signs of wear and tear, but it’ll also enhance the safety of your staircase – eliminating the risk of slips, trips and falls.

Update the newel posts

The newel posts are the upright posts that sit at the top and bottom of your balustrade to support the bannister and spindles or glass panels. Aside from providing your staircase with structure and strength, newels are the perfect way to add a decorative touch of style to your hallway.

So, if you’re looking for a quick and affordable solution to renovate your stairs, consider replacing the current posts with new ones. These could either be in the same style, colour or material, or something totally different, it’s entirely up to you.

Fit new handrails

Handrails, whether attached to the wall or the balustrade itself, span the entire flight of your staircase and provide extra grip when walking up and down the stairs. They can soon start to look grubby and become wobbly over time – especially with frequent use.

Swapping old handrails for new ones will not only make it safer for your household and any guests to move between the rooms on the upper and lower floors, but it can create a consistent look and feel across the stairway and the rest of your home.

Install glass panels

Want to give your stairs a more contemporary look and feel? Consider replacing old wooden or metal spindles with glass panels. Glass is a material that allows a large amount of natural light to flood into your home, reducing the need for artificial lighting and creating the illusion of more space.

Another great reason to opt for glass panels for your staircase renovation project is that they are incredibly simple to maintain – requiring little more than a quick wipe-over to keep them looking as good as new.

Don’t forget those all-important finishing touches when you renovate an old staircase

Even if you’re not brave enough to renovate the entire staircase, or you can afford to, you’d be surprised at the difference a few subtle tweaks and changes can make. For instance, installing warm lighting in your hallway can give your home a cosy feel whilst illuminating your space. You could also fit lights beneath your treads, allowing your household to use the stairs safely.

Don’t be afraid to play around with colours, either. Staircases in Edinburgh look fantastic with brightly coloured or patterned runners down the centre, especially if you’ve kept the steps neutral. Or you could keep your costs down by painting the treads and risers alternate colours.

However, if you decide to renovate an old staircase, make sure you have fun doing it and remember to keep your budget in mind.