Carpet, Vinyl, Laminate, or Wood: Choosing Flooring for Your Stairs

Stairs are one of the most noticeable spots in a two-story home, and one of the hardest to get right. They take concentrated foot traffic, need to be safe, and have to match the floors at the top and bottom. Here's how each option compares.

Carpet on stairs

Carpeted stairs are comfortable, quiet, and forgiving if someone slips. They're a great fit for homes with small children, older relatives, or pets. The trade-off is wear on the stair noses, so choose a dense, durable carpet.

Luxury vinyl and laminate treads

Most hard-surface stair jobs we do today are vinyl or laminate with matching stair nosing. Vinyl stairs handle spills and are slightly softer underfoot, while laminate stairs are very scratch-resistant. Both let you run the same look from the first floor all the way up.

Engineered wood treads

If you have engineered hardwood downstairs, hardwood stair treads give a seamless, high-end finish. They need felt-padded shoes and a little more care, but nothing beats the look of real wood.

What stair installation involves

• Removing old carpet, tack strip, and staples from every step.
• Cutting and fitting each tread and riser individually.
• Installing nosing so every step edge is secure and safe.
• Blue tape you'll see in our job photos holds treads while the adhesive sets.

See finished stairs on our jobs page, including the Michael project and the Pam project.