Get great stairs on a budget
If you’ve been longing for stylish new stairs but think you can’t afford them, don’t give up. There are various things you can do to reduce the cost without making any noticeable difference to the appearance of the staircase.
Changing your choice of timber, for instance, can work wonders. Oak and ash look beautiful, but if you are intending to paint the balustrade you may as well use an inexpensive material such as European redwood. This will bring the cost right down, and once the banister is covered in paint no-one will be able to tell the difference.
Of course, you don’t have to paint the whole staircase. To create a stylish contrast with white-painted spindles, you may decide to use wood stain to make your softwood handrail (and newel caps too, if you like) resemble mahogany or oak.
Another option is to do away with timber altogether for certain parts of the staircase. If you are intending to carpet your stairs, you could get away with using MDF or pine for the treads and plywood for the risers, as they won’t be visible afterwards.
If you have your heart set on natural timber stairs, consider changing from an expensive hardwood to a more cost-effective alternative. As an example, swapping American white oak for hemlock will bring the price down considerably while still giving a premium look. For a darker coloured timber, consider using sapele (an economical West African hardwood) instead of mahogany or walnut.
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