Staircase Renovations & Railings

Why stairs are the hardest carpentry in a house

A staircase is where geometry, code and finish carpentry all meet, and none of them forgive approximation.

The geometry is unforgiving because everything happens on a rake. Skirt boards run at an angle and must be scribed to each step. Balusters meet the handrail at that same angle and have to be cut individually. Landings interrupt the run and every component has to resolve cleanly at the transition.

The code is unforgiving because stairs are the most common site of serious injury in a home. Riser heights must be consistent — a variation of even a few millimetres between steps is a genuine trip hazard, and the code limits how much variation is permitted across a flight. Baluster spacing is limited so a small child cannot pass through. Handrail height and graspability are specified. These are not aesthetic preferences.

And the finish is unforgiving because a staircase is usually in the entry, at eye level, and looked at from below — which shows every joint from an angle that flatters nothing.

Stair projects we take on

Carpet to hardwood

The most common request. Carpet comes off, the existing rough stringers and treads are assessed, and new hardwood treads and risers are fitted. Whether the existing structure can be re-clad or needs replacing is determined once the carpet is off.

Railing and baluster replacement

Replacing dated oak spindles with metal balusters, cable, glass or a contemporary timber profile. High visual impact, and often possible without touching the treads.

Open-riser conversion

Removing risers to create a floating look. Only possible where the structure supports it and where the resulting opening still complies with code — the gap between treads is regulated.

Newel post replacement

Newels anchor the whole railing structurally. Replacing them properly means fixing into structure, not just to the stair.

Skirt boards and wall trim

The trim running up the wall alongside the stair. Frequently missing or poorly done, and adding it markedly improves how a staircase reads.

Basement stair finishing

Basement stairs are often left as bare construction stringers. Cladding them to match the upper stairs is a comparatively small job that makes a basement feel connected to the house.

Stairs are the most code-governed carpentry in the house

Almost everything else we build is a matter of preference. Stairs are not. Rise, run, headroom, handrail height, guard height and the maximum gap between balusters are all set by the Alberta Building Code, and they are checked. The most consequential rule for renovation work is uniformity: risers within a flight must be consistent within a few millimetres, because an inconsistent riser is the single most reliable way to make someone fall.

That matters when re-covering an existing staircase. Adding a new tread surface over old treads raises each step — and if the top or bottom step is not adjusted to match, that flight now has one riser taller or shorter than the rest. It is a common outcome of a quick refinish and it is both a code failure and a genuine hazard. Getting it right means working out the finished dimensions across the whole flight before any material is fitted.

The other consideration specific to older Calgary homes is that stairwells settle. Stringers move, treads develop a crown or a dish, and openings go out of square. New treads fitted to nominal dimensions will rock. Each one is scribed to the actual opening, which is slower and is what stops the squeaks and movement that make a renovated staircase feel worse than the one it replaced.

Alberta stair requirements to design around

What a stair renovation involves

Survey the existing flight

Every rise and run measured individually. Variation between steps determines whether the flight can be re-covered or needs rebuilding.

Resolve the finished dimensions

New tread thickness changes every riser. The top and bottom steps are adjusted so the flight stays uniform.

Address squeaks before covering

Loose treads are re-secured to the stringers from below where access allows. Covering a squeak makes it permanent.

Fit treads and risers scribed

Each scribed to the actual opening rather than cut to a nominal width.

Handrail and guard

Brought to current requirements, with balusters spaced so no 100 mm sphere passes.

Finish

Site-finished or pre-finished. Site finishing gives a seamless result; pre-finishing means less disruption in an occupied house.