RENOVATION

Renovation of stairs custom

Our workshop renovates and refurbishes stairs in hardwood all over Montérégie, on the South Shore and in Estrie: new treads, railing and railing rethought, stain and finishing brought back to the taste of the day.

Measurement, Manufacturing, Installation and Finishing — Everything Is Included

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« The team took the measurements themselves, delivered exactly on schedule and the installation was flawless. No surprises. »
Marie-Ève L.Private Residence · Longueuil
Craftsman applying joint glue on the joints of a wooden staircase
15+
YEARS OF EXPERIENCE
100+
COMPLETED PROJECTS
100%
MADE IN QUEBEC
6–8 weeks
TYPICAL LEAD TIME

Sandblasting to complete replacement, it’s not the same job

The word renovation hides very different work. At one end, a simple sandblasting followed by a new finish, done on site in a few days. At the other, the replacement of the entire flight when the stringers have worked. In between, the takeover of the treads, that of the railing, or both together.

What is decisive is the condition of the load-bearing structure, never the surface appearance. A staircase that cracks, has lateral play, or whose treads has desolidarised from stringers cannot be adjusted on the surface.We open a checkpoint before encoding, because the gap between the two ends is considered maple.

  • Sandblasting and refinition on site, suction connected to the source
  • Replacement of treadss individually, without removing the entire wing
  • railing restored to the height and opening standards in force
  • Complete replacement of the fly when the stringers have worked too hard
Rebuilt wing to treads thick on Central Stringer steel

The railing is almost always the first post

On stairs laid several decades ago, it is the railing that deviates the most from current requirements: insufficient height, balusters too spaced, starting post that has taken play over the years.It is also the post that most transforms the pace of a flight, for a relatively short site.

Then there is the question of wood. A staircase made of solid hardwood is sanded and refined several times in its life, which is not the case with a staircase covered with thin veneer or a re-coated coating.

When the re-opening is no longer sufficient, a complete replacement becomes the most economical solution, and it is also the time to re-plan the layout, if the room allows it, or to switch to an open fly when the objective is to recover light.

Staircase to treads thick on Central Stringer with glass railing

From carpet to wood: covering the treads or replacing them

We remove the carpet and redo the wooden staircase in two ways: the existing treads receive a new piece, or they are removed and redone. It is the condition of the step under the carpet that differs, and the gap is clear — a few days on one side, a longer construction site on the other.

AVANTWooden staircase in a house under construction
AFTERwinder staircase renovated to dark treads and white balusters
Step replaced on a straight staircase classic with wooden railing and wrought iron
THE MOST COMMON CASE

Recovery of existing treads

The step in place is preserved and receives a new piece, with a nose that covers the old one and a matching riser. This is the most common case, because the step under the carpet is almost always a construction step: load-bearing, but impossible to sandblast and dye.

FOUR POSSIBLE MATERIALS
  • hardwoodsands and dyes with the rest of the staircase
  • Wood of engineeringsame appearance, more stable in humidity variation
  • Stratifiévery resistant to wear, does not refine
  • Vinylthe most economical, not refined
Verification of the leveling of a new step in birch during a staircase restoration
WHEN THE TREADS WORKE

Replacement of treads

The treads are laid down and remade in solid hardwood, on the existing stringers if they are healthy. This is the way to take when the agreement with a floor in hardwood must be exact, or when the treads themselves have worked.

hardwood solid · stringers existing preserved if healthy · other access to be provided during work.

In both cases, the removal of the mat, staples and claw strips is included.The cage is released, this is the right time to resume the railing or to verify what a staircase in hardwood.

What makes the price vary

The number of treads, the type of wood used, and the number of risers and the number of sides to be dressed.

The risers and the sides

The carpet often covered them too, and they remained rough underneath. They dress with the rest of the flock, but they count in the countdown.This is the most common surprise when the carpet leaves.

The noise

The carpet cushioned the steps; a wooden flight is more noisy, especially in a closed cage.It is not a manufacturing defect, it is the material, and it is to be known before deciding.

WHY CHOOSE ESCALIERS MESSIER

Renovating a Staircase Means Working with What Is Already There.

The existing structure determines what is possible. We open it, measure it and identify what can stay and what must be replaced before preparing a price.

Staircase Renovation — Escaliers Messier

On-Site Sanding

A hardwood staircase is sanded in place with dust extraction connected. Dust remains contained within the stairwell.

Staircase Renovation — Escaliers Messier

Railing Brought up to Code

Older railings are often too low or have openings that are too wide. This is the first item to correct.

Staircase Renovation — Escaliers Messier

Refinishing After Repairs

Local repairs are refinished with the entire staircase to avoid a visible colour difference in raking light.

Staircase Renovation — Escaliers Messier

Treads Replaced Individually

A cracked or worn tread can be replaced individually. The entire flight does not need to be removed.

Depending on the condition of the stringers, work may range from sanding to full replacement: view our projects et nos custom staircases.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What we are asked about stair renovation.

We have a carpet staircase: do we have to redo everything?

No, in most cases. The carpet removed, the step below is almost always a construction step: load-bearing, but rough, impossible to sandblast and dye. It then receives a returned piece, with a nose that covers the old one and a matching riser — the fly remains in place. New treads are remade only if the existing treads have worked, or if the agreement with a floor in hardwood must be exact. stairs in hardwood.

Can we sandblast a staircase without dismantling it?

Yes, and this is the most common case. Sandblasting is done in place, with a sander connected to a vacuum cleaner that confines the dust to the cage. The only real limit is the thickness of solid wood remaining: a staircase already sanded several times, or simply veneered, does not reappear indefinitely. stairs in hardwood.

How long does the staircase remain unusable?

This depends entirely on the job. A sandblasting followed by a re-initiation immobilizes the staircase for a few days, including the drying time, and this is the time you have to anticipate when the staircase is the only access to the floor. A re-installation of railing is significantly shorter and leaves the staircase passable between interventions.

My stairs are creaking: is it serious?

The crackling signals the play between a step and its stringer, or between the step and the riser. It is punctual, it resumes by gluing and caling from below when the cage is accessible. Generalized over the whole flight, it indicates that the stringers themselves have moved, and the pick-up then changes scale. straight staircases.

Should the railing be upgraded to current standards?

Once it is replaced, yes: the new railing must meet the current height and opening requirements, which are stricter than those applied a few decades ago, which is often why a redone railing appears higher than the old one. See our railing of stairs.

Can we change the layout during a renovation?

Only if the stairwell opening and the clearances allow. Moving from a turning to a straight path requires more length on the floor, and the floor opening must follow: it becomes structural work, not carpentry. The reverse is often easier. winder staircases.

Discover also all our staircase types, but Railings and Handrails and nos Projects, or request a quote.

ONE TEAM, FROM MEASUREMENT TO INSTALLATION

The Staircase You Imagine, Down to the Millimetre.

Tell us about the room, the floor-to-floor height and its intended use. We will explain which layouts fit your space and what each option involves.

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