Staircase Remodeling in Atlanta, GA

Stairs take more concentrated wear than almost any other surface in a house, and in an Atlanta home that wear shows up in different ways: treads that dip in the middle, a rail that flexes, balusters that rattle, finish worn through on the top steps. Staircase remodeling deals with those problems in a sensible order, starting with what holds the stair up and ending with the finish you see.

Precision Remodeling plans each stair around its current condition: the treads and risers, the layout of the railing and the spacing of the balusters. What turns up there decides how much of the budget goes to repairs and how much is left for the parts you will look at every day.

Starting with the structure under the treads

Stringers are the long notched or grooved boards that carry each step. Over time they can crack at a notch, pull away from the wall framing or sag where a tread has been loaded unevenly. A remodel is the one time those boards are fully exposed, so we check them, along with the landing framing, before any new material is ordered.

We pay particular attention to landing transitions, where a run of stairs turns or meets a platform, and to every point where the railing is fastened. A rail that moves usually points to a newel post fastened only to the finished floor, or to wall brackets screwed into drywall with no wood behind them. Fixing those anchors belongs to the structural work, not the trim work.

Tread and riser condition, railing layout and baluster spacing

With the structure confirmed, attention turns to the visible parts. Treads may be solid hardwood worth sanding, or builder-grade boards that were always meant to sit under carpet. Risers may be paint-grade plywood or matching wood. The railing layout, meaning where the rail runs, where it turns and where it ends against a wall, determines how many fittings and posts a new system needs.

Baluster spacing is checked tread by tread. Uneven gaps are common where balusters were replaced one at a time, and openings need to stay narrow enough to keep small children safe. A new layout sets the spacing evenly from the start. We also note how the finish changes at the landing and what shape the skirt boards are in, since both affect the trim work later.

Picking a handrail profile, baluster style and newel posts

These three parts are seen and touched together, so choose them as a set and confirm them before anything is ordered. Handrail profiles range from simple rounded shapes to wider molded rails; the rounded ones are easier to grasp, and the wide ones look more substantial on an open stair.

Baluster style sets the character. Square wood balusters suit plain trim, turned ones suit more traditional rooms, and metal balusters in twist, basket or plain bar patterns give a lighter look. Newel posts should be sized to the rail and the stair, since a heavy post on a narrow stair can crowd the bottom step.

Stain, paint or both

Settling on a stain or paint system early keeps the schedule clean, because the two are applied differently. Stained wood is usually sanded, stained and sealed with several clear coats, with drying time between each. Painted parts need primer, light sanding between coats and a durable enamel.

A common combination is stained treads and handrail with painted risers, balusters and skirt boards. It hides wear on the parts that get kicked and keeps the wood grain on the parts you touch. Painted treads are possible, but paint wears quickly under shoes and can be slick, so it suits stairs with a runner better than bare steps. If the new treads need to tie into existing floors, our hardwood floor refinishing in Atlanta can bring those floors to the same color.

Permits for stair work in Atlanta

Atlanta spans parts of Fulton and DeKalb counties, and permits inside the city are handled by the Department of City Planning’s Office of Buildings. Replacing stringers, changing the rise or run of the stair and moving the opening are all structural changes; before taking on any of them, find out from the Office of Buildings whether the work calls for a permit.

Stair remodeling questions from homeowners

Can worn hardwood treads be sanded instead of replaced?

Often, yes. Solid hardwood treads with enough thickness can be sanded to remove the worn finish and shallow dents, then stained and sealed. Treads that are cracked, cupped, deeply worn at the nose or made from material never meant to be exposed are better replaced. We check thickness and condition tread by tread before recommending either.

Why does my stair railing wobble even though it looks fine?

A wobble usually comes from the anchors rather than the rail itself. The newel post may be fastened only to the finished floor, a bolt may have loosened, or wall brackets may be screwed into drywall with nothing solid behind them. Tightening surface hardware rarely lasts; the lasting fix is reattaching the post or brackets to the framing.

Is it better to stain or paint stair balusters?

It depends on the look and the upkeep you want. Painted balusters, often white, are easy to touch up and contrast nicely with a stained rail. Stained balusters show the wood grain but reveal scratches more readily and have to match the rail color. Metal balusters arrive prefinished, which shortens the finishing stage.

Describe your stairs and set up a visit

Call 404-409-4448 to tell us about your stairs, what bothers you about them and how you would like them to look. We can come out to inspect the structure and measure each step, then write up the estimate. Projects elsewhere in the house are covered on our remodeling services in Atlanta page.