Tips for Fixing a Wooden Staircase

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How To Determine When a Wooden Staircase Needs Repair

Wood is one of the most amazing construction materials in the whole world. It is strong, lightweight, incredibly durable, and reliable. That is why it is the traditional building material of choice on all six continents.

Wooden staircases are the centerpiece of so many wonderful homes. It is absolutely true that most homes are built around the staircase. This is true in both the figurative and literal sense, because the staircase is often the thing that construction workers build first. It is also the thing that the construction crew will test most thoroughly. The most stress most staircases ever face is during the construction, as workers loaded with heavy gear tromp up and down it hundreds of times a day as they work to build the home. They build the staircases strong, and they stay strong. That is why, in the event of a hurricane or tornado, the safest place to be is under the stairs.

Though most staircases are extremely well built, and they are by their nature extremely sturdy, they will still need repair over time. A well-built staircase can last for hundreds of years. Over that time, they will need some maintenance. Fortunately, there are many easy traditional techniques to find when a wooden staircase needs repair.

The first is sound. Wood is one of the finest acoustic devices known to man, and when something is wrong in a wooden staircase there will be squeaks and groans to let you know.

The second way to tell when a staircase needs help is by the way it feels. If the stair gives way beneath your foot, or sags too much, then it is time to get out the tools.

How To Fix a Wooden Staircase

If you need to remodel a wooden staircase, make sure you do your research first.

All photos courtesy of Stair-Pros.com in Cary, NC

Check http://www.gsa.gov/portal/content/112594 for helpful advice about stabilizing a sagging wood stair. Know your tools, and know your limits. A staircase is extremely important, and if it is repaired incorrectly then people can be hurt. If you do not know how to fix something, and you find the instructions unfamiliar, it is probably best to hire a contractor. Sometimes it can be cheaper to find a contractor than to purchase the tools necessary to do a specialized repair. The Painting and Decorating Contractors of America ( http://www.pdca.org/ ) offer many useful suggestions and quick resources to find a local contractor.