ServicesStair Flooring
Stair Flooring in Katy, Planned Around Your Day
We replace worn stair carpet and tired treads with hardwood, vinyl plank, laminate or new carpet. Before we start, you get a clear picture of how long the stairs will be out of use, when our crew arrives and what happens if something under the old covering changes the plan.
What Stair Flooring Involves
A staircase is not a small floor. Each step is really several separate parts: the flat tread you stand on, the upright riser behind it and the rounded nosing at the front edge. We cut and fasten every one of those pieces individually. Treads are rarely square, walls lean, and the skirt boards along the sides leave a different gap on every step. So a single flight can take more labor hours than a whole bedroom floor several times its size, and we measure each step on its own rather than working from one average dimension.
Many two-story homes here were built with carpet over particleboard or OSB treads, and the bullnose edge is often just carpet wrapped over a rounded board. Switching to a hard surface means removing that edge or capping the old tread so the new nosing sits tight and safe underfoot.
We tell you up front how many days the stairs will be off limits, what time window to expect us each morning, and how we will reach you if we find damage that changes the schedule.
What the Work Includes
Full tear-out and tread check
We pull carpet, pad, tack strip and every staple, then check each tread for splits, loose fasteners and squeaks. Leftover staples are the most common reason new treads rock or click.
Step-by-step measuring
Each tread and riser is measured and scribed individually so the new material meets the skirt boards and wall without wide caulk lines.
Treads, risers and nosing
We install prefinished hardwood treads, retrofit caps, or vinyl plank and laminate with matching stair nose. Pieces are set in construction adhesive and mechanically fastened so they stay flat and quiet underfoot.
Carpet on stairs
For carpet, we fit new pad and tack strip and choose between a waterfall wrap or a tighter upholstered style that follows each nosing. See our Carpet Installation page for more on carpet types.
Landings and transitions
We tie the top and bottom steps into the floors around them, so the stair nose height and color work with your hallway or living room flooring.
When Your Staircase Needs a New Surface
Bare backing at the nosings
Flattened fibers and visible backing along the front edge of each step tell you the pad underneath has crushed out. Without that cushion, the carpet shifts with each footstep and wears through even faster.
Squeaks and soft spots
That creak under your foot is wood rubbing on wood or on a nail shank. Most often the tread has pulled away from the stringer below it, or the original glue bead has let go. We correct that while the covering is off, before new material goes on.
Loose or lifting nosing
A stair nose that shifts under your heel is a trip hazard. It often traces back to failed adhesive or a nosing that never matched the tread thickness.
New floors downstairs
If you just put in hardwood or vinyl plank on the first floor, carpeted stairs can look out of place. Matching the stairs finishes the room.
How a Stair Job Runs
- 1
Phone call and measure
We talk through your stairs on the phone, then schedule a visit to count steps, measure each one and look at what is under the edge of the carpet. You get a start date and a realistic number of working days.
- 2
Arrival window and setup
We give you an arrival window for each work day and send a heads-up if it shifts. We cover nearby floors and rails and set up cutting outside or in the garage to keep dust down.
- 3
Removal and repair
Old covering comes off and treads get re-secured. If we find a cracked tread or rot, we stop, show you, and explain how it affects the timeline before going further.
- 4
Install, top to bottom
We work from the top step down so you can reach the second floor at the end of each day when the material allows. Adhesive needs cure time, so we tell you when the stairs are safe for normal use.
- 5
Walkthrough and cleanup
We walk the stairs with you, check every nosing for movement and haul away the old material.
What Affects the Cost of Stair Flooring
Stairs are priced by the step, not just by the square foot, because labor drives most of the cost. The number of steps and the material set the baseline. What we find under the old covering can move it. We go over each factor during the measure so the estimate matches the actual staircase.
- Step count and shape
- Straight runs go fastest. Winders, pie-shaped steps and landings each need custom cuts and add time.
- Open or closed sides
- An open side with exposed tread ends needs return nosing and careful mitering around balusters, which takes more labor than a staircase boxed in by walls.
- Material choice
- Solid hardwood treads, retrofit caps, vinyl plank with matching nose and carpet all carry different material and labor costs.
- Condition underneath
- Damaged treads, missing fasteners or a carpet-only bullnose that has to be cut back add repair steps before installation.
Stair Flooring Questions
Something not covered here? (346) 559-3108
How long will I be without my stairs?
A straight staircase of about 13 to 15 steps usually takes one to two working days for a hard surface, and less for carpet. Adhesive cure time is what stretches it. We give you the expected number of days at the measure and update you if repairs change that.
Can I still get upstairs during the work?
In most cases, yes. We work top down and plan so you can use the stairs carefully in the evening. If a step can't be walked on overnight, we tell you ahead of time so you can plan.
Do I have to remove the old treads to install hardwood?
Not always. If the existing treads are solid and level, retrofit caps can go right over them once the bullnose is trimmed flush. If they are cracked or particleboard in poor shape, replacing them gives a better result, and we will show you which applies.
Will vinyl plank or laminate match my stair nose?
Most vinyl plank and laminate lines offer a matching stair nose molding. We check that it fits the tread depth before ordering, because a mismatched nose sits loose and wears early.
Is the work covered after you finish?
Yes. We are insured, and stair work falls under the 1-year workmanship warranty that comes with all of our installations. Should a nosing work loose or a tread develop a squeak during that year, and the cause is our workmanship, we schedule a return visit to fix it.
Get a Clear Schedule for Your Stairs
Give us a rough step count and tell us whether the stairs are carpeted, wood or something else today. From there we book a measure and hand you a start date and a timeline you can build the week around, with homes in Katy, Cinco Ranch and Fulshear on our regular schedule.