Staircase Repair

A large proportion of the houses in Kingston and the surrounding areas are of mid to late Victorian construction. 130+ years of footfall takes an inevitable toll on the fabric of the building, and that was the case for the staircase in this Victorian cottage. Complete removal and replacement of a staircase is a relatively major, messy, structural undertaking, but in this instance I was able to effectively repair and renovate the existing staircase by over-boarding the risers and treads in MDF.

Before:-

The pictures above show the poor condition of the existing pine treads. Worn down as much as 10mm in the centres, split, uneven, worn leading edges, and creaking and moving considerably underfoot.The home owner had fallen on them twice in recent weeks, and it isn't difficult to see why.

After:-

The individual treads and risers were made structurally sound and stable, and levelled. Then finally over-boarded with new treads made from 22mm MDF, and 9mm MDF for the risers, both screwed and glued.

Ready to be carpeted. This staircase should now be good for another 100+ years at least! This repair proved to be a cost effective, and less disruptive option than completely removing the old staircase and installing a new one.