Refinishing and Re-screening your Hardwood Stairs

How can you take care of your hardwood stairs? It doesn’t matter how informed you are about caring for your hardwood stairs, all it takes to get your home’s staircases looking as beautiful as new is hardwood floor sanding and refinishing. Here’s what you need to know about hardwood stairs refinishing:

If your hardwood staircases have serious problems, such as deep scratches and gouges or water damage, then sanding and refinishing is something you definitely want to consider. You can also replace boards to match the existing staircase.

If your staircase needs minor work, then you should look into re-screening your hardwood stairs. Re-screening typically involves buffing and screening the stairs with an open mesh screen. It will eliminate most of the scratches. This type of process usually roughs up the existing polyurethane finish by applying new finish over the top. This type of service will need to be polyurethane, not aluminum oxide. It’s also much more economical than a full finish and stain, for best results on your hardwood stairs, you’ll need to maintain good hardwood floor care habits.

From refinishing, sanding and stair building, Beach City Stairs is here to help! Contact us today for more advice on your staircase project.

Stair Building 101

Building stairs can be very difficult for anyone and building safe stairs requires exact measurements. There really is no room for error, precise planning is best left to professional stair builders. Stair contractors have a good understanding of stair building; it’s often hard for a novice to tackle a remodeling project. But if you are well informed then you may actually find it easy to build a few stairs to a deck or shed.

First you have to learn the three parts that comprise the anatomy of a staircase. Strings are the sloped boards that support the weight of the staircase. They are generally made from 2x12s and are often called the underdeck. Treads are the surface of the step, they also vary in material depending on their size and look of the step. Lastly, risers are the boards that are under the treads. Risers are optional and are used to protect the stringers from weathering.

When calculating the measurements for your stairs, you will need to figure out the rise and run of the stairway. Start off by determining the height, or rise, of the stairs. Then divide the number by the desired height of each individual stair. Seven inches is a standard height for most purposes. This will give you the number of steps. You may need to round down. The height multiplied by the number of steps will give you an exact measurement of the height of each step, or the distance between notches in your stringers. The horizontal distance, or run, is determined by multiplying the number of steps by the horizontal depth of the step.

For materials, you should always use high-quality wood that is free of large knots such as cedar, redwood, or pressure-treated wood. This will be easier to work with, and the stairs will be long lasting. Bolts, decking screws, galvanized nails and hex bolts are hardware options used in building stairs. You should also assemble a toolkit to include a hammer, hand saw or jigsaw, circular saw, sawhorses, carpenter’s square with stair gauges to complete the task.

Ultimately, safety is always your priority when building stairs. The treads should be a minimum of four feet wide but wider is always better. Tall staircases should be divided into landings every eight stairs. Use a circular saw to trim away the notches on the stringers, but finish using either a jigsaw or handsaw for accurate notches. Remember to check that the notches are level and use a plane to carve away high points. If you have any questions or concerns, it’s always good to contact one of our professional stair contractors.

Questions to ask a Stair Builder | Stair Contractor

There’s nothing wrong with asking your stair contractor questions. In fact, we think you should hammer away with questions!

Serious questions deserve answers, so homeowners shouldn’t hesitate when asking questions. The most reliable stair builders can provide you with answers. So ask your stair contractor questions and then take advantage of their experience.

As a former contractor, I have experience working all types of jobs. I’ve answered countless questions and solved numerous problems before the job even started.

The homeowners, who had hired stair builders before me with less experience were so thankful when I finished the job. It’s a big problem when you hire a contractor who doesn’t have a solution to your problem. So I would suggest taking your time and making sure whoever you decide to hire can get the job done.

For example, if you’re planning on remodeling your staircase, you must have a nice well thought plan. Provide your contractor with a dream design and ask for his or her opinion about the design. Find out whether or not he or she detects any problems.

Your stair contractor and his stair builders are going to be a very valuable source of expertise for you while they are accomplishing your project. A good stair contractor will help you solve your problems and sometimes by solving your problems, they will be solving their problems and this will surely benefit both sides.

If you happen to come across a stair contractor who isn’t willing to help or can’t answer your questions, it really wouldn’t be a bad idea to contact another contractor. See what he or she has to say about your current situation. This is important because having a good relationship with your contractor is going to make the job run smoothly. There’s absolutely nothing worse than being scared to ask questions.

What You Need to Know For Your Next Stair Remodeling Project!

Hire The Right Stair Contractor

Before you decide to hire a stair contractor, make sure you know who will be doing all the work. Many stair contractors sell the job and meet with the clients before any of the actual construction, remodeling or building begins. You need to know the people who are going to be doing the work for you.

So the best way to eliminate such problems is to work with both your stair contractor and stair builders. Make sure you know who will be doing the bulk of the work.

Here are a few important questions to ask your stair contractor:stair builder

Who will be building the stairs? Is it the stair contractor?

Do you plan on subcontracting the work?

Does the remodeling company have their own workers or employees?

Once you ask those questions, you should then aim to view a history of their last few stair remodeling projects. Determine whether or not you like their work. Make sure they can successfully carryout your stair design.

It seems like this misunderstanding can turn out to be a big problem in construction industry. The client or homeowner often believes that the contract will be working on the entire project, only to find out later that he was selling the job. Many times the construction crew provides you with a completely different impression, one that isn’t going to be pleasant.

The last thing you want is a construction crew that irritates you. For example, if you aren’t okay with smoking, ask the stair builders, whether or not any of the construction workers are smokes. It’s a simple question can be answered without hesitation, but you get the point. Ask as many questions as you want because it’s your money on the line. You want to make sure you hire the right company to get the job done.

You need to find out who you can contact if there is a problem on site. Find out who you should contact and how long it will take to resolve them.

So if you want your new staircase design to turn out well in real life, make sure you create a successful relationship with your stair contractor and stair builders. Your goal should be to solve as many of your potential problems as possible, before the job gets started.

Beach City Stairs has an extensive list of clients based in San Diego, Carlsbad, Encinitas, La Jolla and Ranch Bernardo.

Tips for Finding a Stair Contractor

Looking for the right stair contractor to install your staircase can be a very tough decision. Most people have a hard time finding an expert that’s both knowledgeable and reliable. Some installers may limit themselves to constructing only general staircases, whereas more complex designs are new to them.

Here are some good tips for selecting the right stair contractor:

Use the internet to search for reviews. Look specifically for reviews that have photos of their previous projects. See if you can find any testimonials from other homeowners. If not, you can always contact the stair contractor and ask for references. A good stair contractor will be proud of their work and they would have many photos, as well as references available.

Once you select a contractor to work on your staircase remodeling. Make sure to do your research on all the necessary parts. It’s always quality over quantity, so do your best to find materials that exemplify quality work.

Staircases are all incredibly different and they vary in different sizes. Always have the space for your new staircase correctly measured. That will be the best way to find out what parts you need. Work with your stair contractor to build a parts list.

A staircase in most houses is a focal point. But in order for it to be appealing, it will have to be designed properly. Most importantly, any staircase should be 100 percent safe. Safety is always a concern, and a well built staircase will surely provide maximum safety. Don’t ever work with a stair contractor who says it’s ok to cut corners when it comes to saving money.