The nicer weather may have got you thinking about what you can change around your home. If you want to make a change without busting your budget, there is an effective way to do it: by revamping your stairs. The staircase is usually a home’s central feature, and by redesigning it, you can make a huge impact on how your home’s hallway or entrance looks.
Something Different: Laminate Flooring
Usually, carpet is chosen for staircases because it allows for added comfort as well as more grip for the elimination of slips. But laminate flooring is just as viable an option as carpeting for your staircase. Applying it to your staircase has several benefits:
A Fashionable Touch
Installing laminate flooring onto your stairs will give them a modern appearance, as well as help them look cleaner and more defined. But there are also other advantages. Laminate flooring on stairs means they will be far easier to clean. If anything is spilled, they need only be wiped with a damp cloth. Also, laminate is incredibly durable, and so will be able to handle the heavy foot traffic your stairs endure.
Lots of Options
Whatever your home’s colour scheme, there is very likely to be a laminate that goes with it. There are hundreds of colours to choose from, and just as many styles and finishes. You can make your stairs look like they’re made from virtually anything, including expensive wood, thanks to the options available with Karndean flooring.
To ensure that your flooring is safe for your staircase, it’s best to choose laminate with some texture that is matte in appearance.
Tips and information about Fitting Laminate on your Stairs
There are several ways to fit laminate onto stairs. It may be that professional installation is best for you if you haven’t done this particular kind of installation previously. Of course, you can certainly install laminate on your own, as long as you keep the following tips top of mind.
Parts of a Stair
By understanding the parts that make up a staircase, you can be better able to understand installation instructions.
The part of the stair you step on when ascending or descending is known as the tread. The piece which lies between the tread you’re on and the next step is known as the riser. The board at the side of the staircase that runs all the way up is called the stringer, and the stair nose is at the front of the tread, and usually overhangs the riser by approximately one inch.
Wait Before you Install
When installing any kind of laminate, it’s important to give it time to adjust to your home’s temperature and humidity. This will ensure that no contracting, expanding or warping of the laminate occurs. Once your flooring is in your home, you must unpack it and pile the flooring in an open and airy space for 48 hours.
Begin from the Top
When starting your installation, it’s a good idea to start at the top. Not only is this safer, but it will avoid you having to stand on newly-installed laminate. Also, by ending at the bottom you can keep away from the stairs until they’ve had time to settle.
Stair Overhang
One important consideration will be whether or not your stairs have an overhang, otherwise known as a stair nose. If they do, there are two options: you can either remove them altogether by cutting them off, or you can even up the space between the overhang and the riser by nailing a piece of plywood to the riser to fill up the space. Both of these options will need to be done before you begin installing your laminate.
The best idea before doing this kind of installation is to ensure that you are confident and sure about what you’re doing. If you aren’t, you can always call one of our local flooring experts to come and fit your laminate for you.