What Should I Do About My Stairs Without Subfloor?
Asked by Z4nDyG5l
Hey everyone! So my wife and I are in the process of renovating our home and we're tiling downstairs while putting down LVP upstairs. We've decided to LVP the stairs too, mainly because the landings don't match the wood and the painted risers are just too scuffed up. Plus, we think it would look nice if the stairs matched the flooring upstairs. We got some photos showing the mismatched landings and the missing subfloor. Our contractor offered us four options: 1) Carpet over the stairs, 2) Paint them, using material to make the landings look seamless, 3) Treat the wooden stair as a subfloor but that could lead to inconsistent heights on the stairs, or 4) Do nothing and just put our LVP in the landings, which might not look too bad. Adding an actual subfloor seems out of budget and a lot of work. I'm leaning towards option 3 but would love some different opinions!
Answers
Honestly, just go for the right fix and avoid shortcuts. It might be more expensive now, but it'll save you from problems later on.
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I suggest buying or making new treads and adding a protective stain. I did that recently, and it really turned out nice! You could also repaint the risers for a fresh look. It might be a bit of a project, but it's totally doable as a DIY task.
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I really wouldn't go for changing the heights of your stairs; that's a safety issue. Look into capatreads or something similar that could match your color without compromising the stairs' height. That way, everything stays level and safe!
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If you're going with LVP upstairs and tile downstairs, your top step should match, right? The bottom might be slightly short, but I'm not sure what code says about the height differences. I personally think you should just carpet the stairs. It adds some fun, and hey, it's great for sliding down! ?
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Z4nDyG5l: This is great. Thank you!