Find out what's under the carpet

If you have carpeting over hardwood stairs check their overall condition by pealing back a corner of the carpet in an out of the way place. If your stair's wood is in fairly good shape it's well worth the time and effort to refinish.

I recommend: HarwoodInstaller.com and The Natural Handyman for plenty of tips, suggestions and instructions on how to safely remove carpet from hard wood.    

Research wood stair design plans for an authentic stair case for your home

Historic homes retain their value more when interior structures are as close to the original as possible. When wooden stairs need replacing or refinishing, doing the research on your particular home style will help you make the right style choices.

I recommend: The Wood Factory and Vintage Wood Works for all your historically accurate wood stair needs. These companies offer design services and parts to keep your home true to its original design.   

Repair and replace worn treads, risers, rails and newel posts to make your wooden stairs safer

Safety is a key issue for original wooden staircases. Risers can crack over time, especially when covered with carpet multiple times. Railings, spindles and newel posts can become loose and wobbly, presenting a real hazard.

I recommend: Using top quality stair replacement parts from high quality wood staircase manufacturers like Sierra Stair Co., Inc and Westfire Quality Stair Parts. These companies offer online ordering and parts for most types of wood stair construction.  

Save large wooden stair refinishing jobs to the professionals.

Although refinishing hard wood floors is a moderately easy do-it-yourself project, using experienced floor refinishers is the best choice when refinishing stairs. Wood stairs are the centerpiece of your home, and you want the job to look as professional as possible to increase your home's beauty.

I recommend: FinishingWoodFloors.com and The Marketplace to locate qualified hard wood refinishers in your area.