Stripping your stairs: here's how to get started

Renovating your staircase yourself always starts with an important first step: stripping it down. Whether you want to refurbish an old wooden staircase or remove the worn-out stair covering, stripping your staircase properly is essential. In this blog, you’ll learn the different ways to strip your staircase and what the best approach is for a perfect result.

Would you like to give your stairs a modern look? If so, the first step is to remove the old covering, such as carpet or laminate flooring. Removing carpet from stairs in particular can be a challenging task, depending on the type of adhesive used.

What type of adhesive was used?
If the stair covering was fixed with a water-based adhesive, you can remove it relatively easily. But if a solvent-based adhesive was used, it becomes more difficult. These types of adhesive are resistant to water and often require a powerful adhesive remover. A tip: when applying the remover, cover it with cling film. This prevents rapid evaporation and makes it more effective.

Coca-Cola: the miracle cure for stripping stairsSome stair coverings are fixed with a layer of sealant, which you can recognise by its grey or dark brown colour. This adhesive is often rock-hard and difficult to remove. In these cases, Coca-Cola can surprisingly help. Test it first on a small section of the stairs. If that doesn’t work, the only option is often to sand it off by hand.

Another effective way to strip your stairs is to have them sandblasted. This technique offers a quick and thorough solution, particularly if the stairs have seen heavy use and you want a smooth surface for further finishing, such as paint or varnish.

What is sandblasting?

Sandblasting involves treating the surface of your stairs with tiny grains of grit that are sprayed at high speed. This removes dirt, paint and old finishes, creating a smooth, even surface. This makes sandblasting quicker and more thorough than manual sanding.

Advantages of sandblasting

• Faster than sanding
  Compared to manual sanding, sandblasting is considerably faster and more efficient.
• Thorough results
  Sandblasting cleans your stairs right down to the smallest corners and ensures a smooth surface, ready for further finishing.
• Suitable for various materials
  In addition to wood, sandblasting can also be used on metal or glass, making it a versatile technique.

Sandblasting your stairs is effective, but it also has its drawbacks. It can damage the wood if carried out too aggressively and creates a lot of dust and mess. Furthermore, it is often more expensive than other methods and less suitable for intricate details. It is advisable to hire an experienced professional.

Stripping your stairs can be a time-consuming job. The good news is that we can cover your stairs without any chiselling or demolition work. Our stair tread covers are fitted over your existing steps, so there’s no need to strip the steps completely. The adhesive used to bond the stair tread covers has a levelling effect, which smooths out any unevenness. We take care of the staircase renovation for you; all you need to do is provide a ‘bare’ staircase, and we’ll do the rest! Easy, isn’t it?

Are you interested in finding out more about staircase renovation? Please feel free to contact us. We’d be delighted to help you transform your staircase into a real eye-catcher.