Can you put Hardwood Flooring on Stairs? - WFC Wood Floor Cleaner (2023)

FAQs

Can I put hardwood flooring on stairs? ›

Hardwood is one of the best flooring choices for stairs, but a lot goes into installing it. In most home improvement projects, the skeleton of your stairs is already built, but the surface parts, the treads, and risers might need replacing.

Both customers asked whether or not they could use their hardwood flooring on their stairway as treads, which is a question we are commonly asked. The short answer to this is yes you can. To elaborate though, you will find that most often although you can, if you want a long lasting product, you should not.

Don't use straight ammonia, alkaline products or abrasive cleaners. They'll dull or scratch the finish. Don't rely on lemon juice or a vinegar-and-water solution to clean hardwood floors. "I don't recommend using vinegar or lemon juice, at least not in large quantities, as these can damage the floor's seal," said Wise.

The best mop for hardwood floors is the Bona Premium Microfiber Floor Mop because of its durable microfiber mop head and lightweight design. We also liked the iRobot Braava M6 Robot Mop, which uses mapping technology to navigate your home by itself and clean grime from your hardwood flooring.

You may love the look of your hardwood flooring, but it's really not a good idea to put it in your laundry room. Foyer– All manner of things can be tracked in from outside, and the foyer of your home will bear the brunt of all of them. Sand, dirt, mud, water, snow, and more can all damage hardwood.

Vinyl is a good flooring material for a staircase because it is easy to clean and not slippery. It is also an affordable option that also comes with an easy installation process. There are different types of vinyl that come in sheets, tiles, and planks.

Thanks to its performance and style, one of the most popular choices for stairs is real wood flooring. Easy to maintain whilst adding a touch of elegance to your home, it's easy to see why it's such a popular flooring choice.

Out of all the options on our list, carpet is by far the safest type of flooring for stairs. A carpeted staircase with short, dense fibers can do a lot for your home. The shorter fibers are more durable and can weather heavy foot traffic while still feeling soft and comfortable underfoot.

Whether you're cleaning one area or all of your flooring, Murphy® Oil Soap is safe to use on hardwood floors.

Is Swiffer Safe for Hardwood Floors? As per the wooden floor repairing experts of a renowned hardwood floor company in Los Angeles, the Swiffer is absolutely safe for prefinished hardwood floors when used with either wet or dry refill cloths.

How do you clean hardwood floors on stairs? ›

You can also use dish soap diluted in water, as this is a relatively mild cleaner. Don't use any harsh or abrasive cleaners, as this can damage the finish on your wood, making it look dull and lifeless. If your stairs are unfinished or have a protective seal, you'll need a liquid or paste wax as well.

First, sweep or vacuum the dust and debris off your wood stairs, starting from the top of your stairs and working your way to the bottom steps. Next, apply a mild wood cleaning soap solution, such as Murphy's Oil Soap or Orange Glo.

Moisture in Spring and Summer

Fall is a perfect season for hardwood flooring installation because the cool, crisp weather exposes your hardwood flooring to less moisture.

We recommend waiting 6 hours before walking on your new floors in socks. After 24 hours you can walk through with shoes on. Allow 48 hours before setting furniture and returning pets. Carpets and area rugs can be placed after 1 full week.

Solid hardwood flooring is the most difficult of all to install. It's usually attached with a special flooring nailer then sanded with a drum type floor sander and finished.

You can laminate stairs through the use of wood effect laminate boards. Laminate boards are commonly used as flooring for rooms but can be used as flooring on stairs, affixing to both the tread and the riser, with a stair nose to connect the two.

Often people use vinyl flooring not only for the floors but for the stairs as well. Vinyl is a good material for stairs because it is easy to clean and not slippery which protects against injuries. It is also an affordable option that comes with an easy installation process.

Wooden stairs don't have to match your floor. It's not necessary for them to be the exact same type of wood or stain. In fact, mixing different elements can create an interesting interior. However, having matching wooden stairs and flooring will make your space look more cohesive.

Safety: Wood is slippery, and wood on the stairs can be dangerous in a home with children and the elderly. For this reason, carpet is the better choice, as it will greatly reduce the chance of a slip and fall that could cause serious injuries.

Should stairs match upstairs or downstairs flooring? ›

Stairs should match both the upstairs and downstairs levels. If the flooring upstairs is entirely different from downstairs, find a middle ground that can act as a fitting transition. Determine which floors the stairs are most visible from to decide which type of flooring to feature more of.

Which staircase material is most durable? Stone is the most durable material for a staircase, with solid stone being a more durable choice than stone cladding. Wood is the least durable material to build a staircase from. Concrete is harder, but can also be brittle.

Laminate flooring is among one of the most popular alternatives to carpet on stairs for many reasons. Laminate floors are notably less expensive than other carpet alternatives and offer a brilliantly affordable alternative to expensive carpeting.

Cost of installation of hardwood floor staircase ranges from $1500 to $4000, depending upon the type of wood material, risers, runners and contractor you have selected.

For example, if you want carpet installed on your stairs, expect to pay between $3.50 and $11 per square foot and $11 to $160 to carpet each step. Hardwood installation on stairs will run you about $160 per step.

Clean well with wrung-out mop, and mop any excess water. No visible residue, no rinsing required.

It's safe for wood and hard, nonporous surfaces. You can apply it to the floor directly from the bottle. For more information about the Pine-Sol^® lineup of products, visit our FAQs page.

Bona is safe for all unwaxed, unoiled, polyurethane-finished wood floors. It's a water-based, pet-safe, pH-neutral formula. It doesn't leave a residue and dries in about a minute and a half.

Do not wet mop wood flooring. Damp is good. Dripping wet is bad. If you can ring out the mop or pad, you're working with too much water.

Mop Hardwood Floors

When mopping hardwood floors, make sure to wring most of the water out of the mop so it's damp and not sopping wet. Rinse the mop when necessary. Avoid leaving any standing water on the floor, which can damage the wood.

How do you clean hardwood floors without damaging the finish? ›

Dry-mop at least twice a week using a microfiber head, focusing on corners. Avoid using water to clean your hardwoods, and never wet-mop, as the moisture can damage the material. To avoid staining and cracking, blot up spills immediately with a dry, clean cloth.

Overall, microfiber mops have more pros than Swiffer mops. Microfiber mops can be used as a two-in-one to both sweep and mop at the same time. However, a Swiffer mop can typically only clean after the sweeping has already been done.

Be sure to use a vacuum that has a setting for hardwood flooring. Or pull the plug on the vacuum altogether and use a Swiffer SweeperVac. It's great for sucking up dirt in between grout lines missed by other traditional cleaners. Make sure you're using the right cleaner for your hardwood floors.

Dish soap is a gentle cleaner that won't damage the natural wood, and it's perfect for light jobs and daily upkeep alike. In a large bucket, mix two to three tablespoons of dish soap with one gallon of warm water. Dip your mop and wring it over the bucket, then gently mop the surface of your floors.

Wooden stairs can be cleaned with a vacuum or by simply wiping with a slightly damp, soft cloth then dried and gently buffed. For stubborn dirt and scuff marks, our range of PH balanced, non abrasive stair cleaning products are just the thing.

You can start by simply increasing your stair traction with carpet strips or anti-slip adhesive treads for stairs. You can also apply coats of paint to the stairs that are anti-slip and will keep you safer. Just keep in mind that the paint will need to be reapplied every few years.

Treads should be swept with a broom or vacuumed with a heavy-duty commercial vacuum cleaner at least once a week. When needed, scrub surface vigorously with a stiff bristled brush using a mild detergent, making sure it does not contain Sodium Hydroxide or Potassium Hydroxide.

An easy way to fill in microscratches and shine wood floors is to polish your floors after mopping. After dusting and spray mopping, use a designated microfiber mop pad to apply polish to wood floors to add shine. Bona floor polish is easy to use and adds a protection and shine with every application.

Why do you use vinegar to clean hardwood floors? ›

Vinegar is an acid and hardwood floors need a pH neutral or close to it cleaner. When mixed with water, the solution's acidity is drastically lowered and it becomes an effective method to wash hardwood floors. The vinegar and water mixture cuts through dirt and grime, leaving a streak-free and naturally clean floor.

Hardwood Flooring During the Humid Seasons

During the hotter and more humid months of the year, hardwood flooring will absorb moisture from the air, which causes it to expand and swell. The expansion of the boards can cause them to warp.

A general rule of thumb is that hardwood generally costs twice as much as carpet, so take that into consideration before you make a decision.

Should it match the flooring or is ok to be different? Stairs should complement the rest of the house but do not have to be the same color as the flooring. It should, however, match so that it brightens up the stairwell and adds a general piquancy to the structure as a whole.

Not Resistant to Humidty: Wood can be damaged by spills, standing liquids, and humidity which is why wood floors are not recommend for areas of high moisture and humidity such as full bathrooms.

Besides, a properly maintained wood floor can go 20 or 30 years or more before needing to be refinished, says Lupresto. And it can be sanded and refinished "easily six or seven times" over its lifetime, he says.

While underlayment isn't always necessary for your hardwood floors, there are always benefits to it. One of the most significant reasons to install underlayment is the added stability and durability. Underlayment provides support for your floor and helps smooth subfloor imperfections.

Wooden stairs don't have to match your floor. It's not necessary for them to be the exact same type of wood or stain. In fact, mixing different elements can create an interesting interior. However, having matching wooden stairs and flooring will make your space look more cohesive.

If you want to install vinyl planks on a stair landing, you can follow the same directions that you would with a standard floor. The only change is that you need to add a stair nose along the edge first.