Featured Project From Worn Out Carpet to a Gorgeous Red Oak Staircase in Woodbury The carpet on this Woodbury staircase was worn out, but the carpet was only half the story. Underneath it, the structure had given way and several treads were broken — a repair job, not a simple surface swap. A homeowner in Woodbury, Minnesota, reached out to us directly about her stairs. This wasn't part of a larger remodel; the staircase was the whole project, and she wanted it done right the first time. Because the stairs sit at the center of daily traffic in the home, every step had to be solid before any new hardwood went down. Our in-house crew handled the teardown, the structural repair, and the finished hardwood stair installation from start to finish. Key Takeaways THE CHALLENGEBadly worn stair carpet concealed broken treads and a failing stair structure that had to be repaired before new hardwood could be installed. THE INSTALLWe removed the old carpet, rebuilt the structure beneath the stairs, and installed red oak steps carrying a commercial-grade water-based finish. THE RESULTA repaired, hardwood staircase completed in roughly four days — about two days of shop prefinishing and two days in the home. Stair carpet hides wear, and it hides damage. Once we had the carpet off and could see broken treads, the course was clear: repair the structure first, then anchor the staircase in solid red oak. We prefinished her stair material in our Fridley showroom ahead of time, which kept the messy, time-consuming part of the job out of her house. Project Summary Client Profile: Private homeowner, direct-to-consumer (no general contractor involved) Project Location: Woodbury, Minnesota — east Twin Cities metro Primary Objective: Replace failing stair carpet and repair the broken structure underneath with durable Hardwood Flooring Services Materials & Finish: Red oak stair treads carrying a commercial-grade water-based finish, prefinished in our Flooring Showroom before installation Key Outcome: Structurally sound hardwood staircase completed in about four days — roughly two in the shop, two in the field Inspecting Worn Woodbury Stair Carpet Our first look told us the carpet was finished — worn through and well past any reasonable repair. What the homeowner couldn't see was the condition of the stairs themselves, which were carrying the full weight of daily household traffic under that covering. Once the carpet came off, the treads told the real story: several were broken, and the structure beneath needed rebuilding before anything new could be fastened down. Installing hardwood over compromised framing would have transferred the problem to the new material, so the repair came first and the finish work came second. Before: worn-through stair carpet on the home's main staircase. Cutting out damaged wood from the stair structure before rebuilding. Rebuilding and Installing Red Oak Steps Our crew stripped the existing carpet off the full run, then repaired the structure underneath the stairs and replaced the broken treads so every step sat solid and level. With the framing sound, we installed new red oak steps, a species that holds up well to the scuffing and heavy foot traffic a main staircase takes in a Minnesota home. Her stair material was prefinished at our Fridley showroom with a commercial-grade water-based finish before the crew ever arrived, plus additional prep ahead of the installation date. That sequencing is deliberate: finishing in the shop reduces the time we spend inside your home and keeps sanding dust and curing odors out of your living space. The whole project ran about four days end to end — roughly two days of shop work and two days on site — and you can see similar in-house results in our Flooring Gallery or talk through your own staircase with a Free Flooring Estimate. Broken treads were repaired and the stair structure rebuilt before the red oak steps were set in place. Red oak steps placed and ready for finishing touches. A Solid Staircase, Finished Right The finished staircase gave the homeowner exactly what she asked for: no more tired carpet, no more flexing treads, and a hardwood surface that reads as a deliberate design feature rather than an afterthought. Red oak brings a warm, familiar grain that coordinates easily with the oak trim and millwork common in Twin Cities homes. The commercial-grade water-based finish is the detail that matters most over the long haul. Stairs absorb more concentrated wear than any other surface in a house, and a finish built for heavy traffic keeps those treads looking sharp through years of shoes, pets, and daily trips up and down. Thinking About Your Own Stairs? We've been handling hardwood stairs, structural tread repair, and full floor installations across the Twin Cities metro since 2009, and our installation crew is full-time and in-house — never subcontracted. When a staircase needs structural work before the finish work, we tell you straight and handle both. Have tired stair carpet or treads that feel soft underfoot in Woodbury? Let's take a look and chart the course together. Lakeside Floor Coverings 7500 University Ave NE APT 1, Fridley, MN 55432 Call 763-503-0100 or Schedule Online Frequently Asked Questions How long does hardwood stair installation take in Woodbury? This Woodbury staircase took roughly four days from start to finish. About two of those days were spent prefinishing the red oak in our Fridley showroom, and about two days were spent on site removing carpet, repairing the structure, and installing the new steps. Prefinishing ahead of time is what keeps our crew's in-home days to a minimum. Can broken stair treads be repaired instead of replaced? It depends on what we find once the carpet comes off. On this project the carpet was bad and the structure underneath was bad too, so we repaired the framing beneath the stairs and installed new red oak steps on top. We'll always inspect the structure before quoting new treads, because fastening hardwood to a compromised stair simply moves the problem downstream. What's the difference between prefinished and site-finished hardwood? Prefinished material is coated before it reaches your home, which reduces the time we spend working inside your house. On flooring, prefinished boards carry a small bevel at each edge because boards are milled around 3/4 inch but aren't always exactly the same height — the bevel hides that difference. Site-finished floors are installed raw and sanded flat board to board, so the two look noticeably different, and our floor captains will walk you through which approach fits your space.