Say goodbye to carpet and transform your stairs with Stoneform flooring! See step-by-step how we installed new treads, risers, and stair noses for a seamless wood look.
DIY Stair Renovation
Our stairs were long overdue for an update. The old carpet was worn out, impossible to keep clean, and didn’t match the rest of our home. Since we had already installed Stoneform flooring in our kitchen and downstairs, I knew I wanted our stairs to flow seamlessly with the same look.
Stoneform is a plank-style luxury floor with a tongue-and-groove design, and it comes with matching stair noses. But since the stair noses alone aren’t deep enough to cover an entire tread, you combine them with a cut plank for full coverage. This gave us the perfect opportunity to transform our stairs into a continuous wood-look finish that ties both levels of the house together.
Products I Used Installing Stoneform Flooring
- Stair tread template tool
- Pine unfinished stair treads
- Oak unfinished stair treads
- Stair risers
- Adhesive for treads
- Liquid Nails Fuze It adhesive
- Rubber mallet
- Stoneform nose pieces
- Stoneform planks (Mendocino)
Step 1: Removing the Carpet
The first job was ripping out the old carpet. A utility knife helps with tricky edges, but most of it can be pulled up by hand (wear gloves—it’s messy work!). Don’t forget to remove the tack strips, staples, and any adhesive so you’re working with a clean surface.
We originally planned to keep our existing treads, but they were squeaky, worn, and covered in stubborn adhesive. That led us to swap them out with unfinished stair treads instead.
Step 2: Replacing the Stair Treads
If your treads need replacing like ours, remove the old ones with a drill, crowbar, and hammer. Ours were nailed and screwed into the stringers, so it took a little patience to get them all out.
We installed unfinished pine treads, though you can also choose oak treads depending on the look you want. Pine is a softer wood and will be more subject to knicks and dings, but it is more affordable. Since we were planning to cover them with the plank flooring, we weren’t concerned about the look itself or wear and tear. We actually used these same pine stair treads on another stair project though, where we didn’t cover the treads, and they held up really well. Oak treads will cost more, but oak is also a hard wood, so it will wear better over time. A stair tread template tool is key here—it helps get precise measurements since stairs are rarely perfectly square.
Each tread was installed with both screws and adhesive. This combo not only holds everything in place but also reduces squeaks.
Tip: If you’re stopping here, you could stain or paint your unfinished treads and call it done. Here’s an example of another stair project where I used these same treads and finished them with a paint wash and sealer.
Step 3: Prepping the Risers
For the risers, I wanted the same Stoneform flooring look for a seamless flow. Our existing wood risers were solid, but full of staples and rough spots. Instead of replacing them, we flipped them around to get a smooth, clean surface. If yours need replacing, pre-cut risers are an easy option.
Step 4: Installing Stoneform Flooring on the Risers
I used the Stoneform planks in the color Mendocino. Each riser was measured and cut individually (trust me, no two are exactly the same size).
To attach, I applied Liquid Nails Fuze It adhesive and pressed the planks firmly onto the risers. You can use weights or paint cans to help them set while drying.
Step 5: Installing Stoneform Flooring on the Treads
This part is the most satisfying!
- Start with the Stoneform stair nose piece. Measure and cut it to the width of your stair using a miter saw.
- Dry fit the nose piece and measure the remaining depth for the connecting plank.
- Cut a plank to size and snap it together with the nose.
- Apply adhesive to the tread, press the plank and nose piece firmly in place, and walk over it (literally!) to set the bond.
I repeated this for each step, cutting individually since there were slight variations from step to step. A rubber mallet also helped snug everything into place.
The Finished Look
After finishing all the risers, treads, and stair noses, I caulked small gaps and let everything cure. The final step will be adding trim, a handrail, and touching up the wall—but even as is, the transformation is incredible.
Our new stairs not only look amazing, but they flow perfectly with our kitchen and downstairs flooring. It’s definitely a project that takes time and patience, but the impact is huge.
A stair renovation may sound intimidating, but with the right tools and a little patience, you can create a gorgeous transformation that ties your whole home together.
