Staircase Installation and Refinishing in New Jersey

Hardwood is our specialty, and a staircase is hardwood work with higher stakes. Every step is a surface people use daily, so the fit, the fastening and the finish all matter more than they do on a flat floor.

Morais Construction is fully insured, with general liability, workers compensation and employers liability coverage. The estimate is free, and we serve Monmouth County, Ocean County, parts of Middlesex County and South Jersey.

The most common staircase projects are carpet to hardwood conversions, refinishing existing wood stairs, replacing worn or damaged treads, and matching the stairs to a new or refinished floor nearby. Each one starts with the same question: what is under the covering, and what condition are the parts in?

Four terms help when you describe a problem. The tread is the part you step on. The riser is the vertical face between treads. The stringer is the structural board that carries them along each side. The nosing is the rounded front edge of the tread.

This is how stair work is properly done. The covering comes off, whether carpet, pad or old finish. The stringers and framing are checked for movement or damage. Treads and risers are fitted to the existing structure, then fastened securely so they do not creak or shift. Rise and run have to stay even from step to step, because uneven steps are a safety problem. Stairs must be safe and consistent, and local code requirements should be confirmed for your project. Finish goes on last, and the finish should give good footing and not a slick surface.

Converting carpeted stairs is one of the most requested staircase projects, and it changes a house. The carpet and pad come off first, then the tack strips and staples. What is underneath varies: sometimes plain framing, sometimes old treads that are worth saving, sometimes a mix.

New treads and risers are cut to the real opening, because stairs in older houses are rarely perfectly square. Fitting to the actual structure, and not to a drawing, is what keeps the gaps small and the steps quiet.

Existing wood stairs can often be sanded and refinished instead of replaced. The finish is taken back, the wood is sanded, and a new stain and coat are applied. If the treads are cracked, split or loose, they are repaired or replaced first, because finish cannot fix a structural problem.

A finish on stairs needs full cure time before use, because stairs carry every foot in the house. Planning the work so the household has another route, or a few days without the stairs, makes the job simpler.

The stairs rarely stand alone. They begin in one room and end in another, and the wood, color and sheen at the bottom and the top should read as one. Common pitfalls include squeaks from treads that were not fastened tightly, loose treads, uneven risers, a finish that is too slippery and stairs that do not match the floor at the top and bottom.

If you want the stairs to match a newly sanded floor, our sanding and refinishing page covers that process, and the stair finish can be planned with the same color and sheen. For the work underneath a new floor, our carpet removal and subfloor preparation page explains the base.

Handrails, balusters and newel posts are what the hand and eye meet first. When the treads are refinished, these parts are usually refinished with them so the whole staircase reads as one piece. Handrail height and baluster spacing are set by local code, and the requirements for your township should be confirmed before any change to them.

Request a free estimate by phone or through the form. Tell us whether the stairs are carpeted or bare, how many there are, and what floor they lead to. We handle the work from the estimate to the finished staircase.