Your stairs are an essential part of your home. They have to be functional, safe, and look nice; these are pretty big requirements! Since your stairs probably put up with much use, it is essential that you make sure they are safe at all times. 

Function is one thing, but you also want your home to be beautiful, so you may also want to update your staircase in pursuit of that vision. No matter the reason, we’ll look at the seven signs that it’s time to update your staircase. 

Staircase Terminology

First, let’s define some of the terms we will use frequently. The stairs we are all familiar with are composed of “treads” and “risers.” 

Treads are the part you step on, and risers are the perpendicular part that gives stability and separation to the treads. 

7 Signs It’s Time to Update Your Staircase

1. Concerning sounds

Creaking and groaning sounds can play on the nerves of many homeowners. It can be challenging to tell when a sound is harmless or if it requires further investigation. 

Repeated creaking sounds can be a source of great annoyance or even a significant hazard for your staircase. Since your staircase can bring you to another level, that height can come with extra risk.

The creaking sound from your stairs could be a misalignment between the stair tread and the risers. If that misalignment is minor, it can be fixed relatively easily with nails or glue. 

However, creaking could indicate a structural weakening of your staircase. This creaking can and should be a cause for great concern, and you should have your staircase assessed for safety as soon as possible. 

You should replace or, at the very least, update your stairs.

2. Broken handrail, post, tread, or riser

Homeowners must replace visibly broken or missing components to their staircase. Handrails, posts, stair treads, and risers are high-use parts of the stairs that can become damaged over time.

It is possible to do these repairs yourself if you have the right tools and know-how. However, if you aren’t entirely confident in your abilities to repair or update this vital part of your home, it’s a good idea to consider enlisting professional help. 

We at Cosmaroma offer installation, repair, and professional guidance to help get your home looking and feeling exactly how you want.

We know renovations can be costly, so our primary goal is to save you money. No matter the size of the job you need to be done, our trained team of professionals is dedicated to bringing you the service you deserve at a better price.

3. Peeling

Peeling can indicate that it is time to update when it comes to painting, varnishes, and other coatings. Not only does it look shabby, but it can even pose a tripping hazard. Of course, painting is one of the most common DIY jobs homeowners take on. It might be a good idea to spend some time repainting your staircase. 

Painting it will improve the look and safety of your stairs, especially if you are repainting the stair treads.

4. Water damage

Water damage is a massive threat to homeowners. Once it has begun, it can be difficult to detect and cause a slippery slope of progressively more challenging (and expensive) problems. 

Therefore, sorting out water damage as soon as possible is essential. You need to act fast if you notice any rot or misshapen warping on your staircase. 

Unfortunately, once water damage has affected your staircase, a complete replacement is often your only option. 

5. Cracks

Several different factors can cause cracking. If you have a wooden staircase, cracking could result from stress applied to your stair treads or risers that exceed their ability to withstand. Cracking might also be from dramatic changes in moisture levels in your home. If wood is subject to moisture and then dries, it might still be subject to weakening or even dry rot.

If you have a concrete staircase showing cracks, it could be from imperfections that have been allowed to worsen over time. If outdoor stairs are experiencing cracking, they could deteriorate even faster from water seeping into the cracks and expanding as it freezes, worsening the situation. 

This aspect is especially true in Ontario, where water and low temperatures can wreak havoc on outdoor concrete.

6. Outdated styles

Of course, styles change, and so do your tastes and needs. When that time comes, there are several things you can do to achieve the look you want. Simply repainting your staircase can breathe new life into your stairs without much work. Yet paint might only be able to get you so far. 

You may want to change the style of your stairs entirely. Changes can entail replacing the stair treads, handrails, posts, or mouldings.

7. Worn stair treads

Your staircase treads are the part you come into contact with daily. They can become tired, worn, or even unsafe from all that use. Replacing them can update the look and feel of your stairs.

Putting new treads on your stairs may be easier than you think. Also, stair treads are an affordable way to update your staircase’s look completely. You can achieve the style you have always wanted with different nosings and trims.

To find the stair tread that will completely update your home, visit our online stair tread shop and find the look you want. If you’d like to ask us a question, please don’t hesitate to call Cosmaroma at (855) 457-1039 or by emailing us here.