Sealing an open staircase yourself

Closing an open staircase yourself is a fairly simple job. Especially with precisely cut-to-size timber from OPMAATZAGEN.nl. In fact, cutting the risers for the stairs is half the job. In this article, you can read exactly how to close your open staircase and we share examples from our handymen.

In this article:

• How do you close an open staircase?
• What items do you need to close an open staircase?
• How do you measure the size of the risers?
• How do you attach risers to stairs?
  • Screwing directly into the steps
  • Using slats
  • Using dowels
  • Milling and screwing
• Finishing the stairs
• What wood do you use to close an open staircase?
  • MDF
  • Plywood
  • OSB
• Examples of sealed stairs from our handymen
  • Closed staircase with solid beech
  • Safe stairs for small children
  • Sealing stair treads with primed plywood
  • Stairs lined with PVC
  • Stairs with plywood risers
  • Stairs closed with MDF primed
  • Stairs made of OSB for a warm look
• Get started sealing your own staircase

How do you close an open staircase?

Do you want to close your open staircase? There are several reasons for this. Maybe you think it is safer for your small children or you want to be less bothered by noises from upstairs or downstairs. Or maybe your motivation to close your staircase is purely cosmetic: it can also look very nice, after all! 

In this article, we explain exactly how to seal an open staircase yourself. At you order precisely cut-to-size wood for this job. Super handy, because then all you have to do is fit your stair risers!

What items do you need to close an open staircase?

To close an open staircase, you will need a number of items. Exactly what you need depends on how you want to approach your project. But keep the following in mind:

• Tape measure or laser range finder: for accurately measuring the risers
• Cordless drill: to easily pre-drill holes and screw the screws into the staircase
• Drill set with countersink: to hide the screws nicely
• Screws: use screws that sink nicely into the wood
• Wood glue and possibly dowels: may be needed to attach the risers to the steps
• Primer and varnish: Almost all timbers from have yet to be finished - priming first, then varnishing
• Sandpaper: always handy to have on hand, with a coarse or small grain
• Router: if you want to make slots in the steps to insert the risers

What are risers?

Sealing an open staircase basically revolves around one thing: fitting risers between the steps and finishing them neatly. What are risers? Fenders are the vertical boards between the horizontal steps. Exactly what is still missing from your open staircase, in other words.

How do you measure the size of the risers?

The most important thing if you want to close an open staircase is to accurately measure the measurements of the risers. Do not assume that every riser is the same size, as there are almost certainly differences between stair treads. 

Measuring the size of the risers is a precise job. Use a tape measure or laser gauge to do this. Measure from the back of the stairs. Start at the bottom step, measuring each gap one by one. You measure from the bottom of the step below to the bottom of the step above. 

Write down the length and width measurements in mm on a piece of paper and make sure you know which measurements correspond to which steps. You can do this by numbering each step, e.g. from bottom to top. 

You now have a list with the exact size in mm for each riser. With this list, you can order the wood exactly cut-to-size at . This way, we take the hardest part of the job off your hands: cutting the risers to perfect size!

Tip: give each riser a number and state this when ordering. We will then deliver each riser with a sticker to you, so that you know exactly which part needs to be fitted in which place.

Also check out our article with fitting tips for more on fitting.

How do you attach risers to stairs?

You can use several methods for fixing risers on the open staircase. We discuss four of them here.

Screwing directly into the steps

First pre-drill the risers and steps. Hold the riser in place and screw in the screws one by one. Finish the drill holes neatly with putty or wood filler so that you won't see any of it.

Some of our handymen, such as Rick who closed this open staircase, use a special kit (Wolfcraft undercover jig) for screwing that allows you to turn the screws in at an angle and have them countersunk.

Using slats

Another method is to attach slats to the steps first, as handyman Hugo did with this staircase. Again, pre-drill the screw holes first and then screw the risers to these.

The advantage of this over screwing directly into the steps is that you do not have to screw (at an angle) into the steps.

Using dowels

Of course, you can also use dowels to create a solid connection between the stair treads and the risers. Drill the holes for the dowels with a dowel drill and apply a little glue to the dowels. This will create a rock-solid connection.

Milling and screwing

If you have a milling machine, you can choose to mill a slot in the step, into which you drop the riser. At the top, you screw the riser into the step. Or you do it exactly the other way round (as handyman Ruben did with this open staircase): you mill the top step and drop the riser into it. Fastening at the top is then not even necessary.

Finishing the stairs

Once the risers are on, the rest of this nice job awaits you: finishing the stairs and making them look nice.

To finish off corners and seams nicely, you can seal them with a polymer sealant. Do not apply the sealant too thick and apply it neatly (with a finger and a little water with detergent or with a special sealant tool). 

Close the screw holes neatly with a paintable filler and then sand lightly. 

The best result is achieved if you finish the entire staircase again with stair varnish or oil after sealing.

What type of wood do you use to close an open staircase?

To close an open staircase, you can use many different types of wood. The wood used for the risers is not load-bearing and does not need to be a structurally sound type of wood. However, you do want to use wood that can take a beating, as intensive use will often cause the risers of the closed staircase to be bumped into. 

In the projects of our handymen, we often see the use of the following types of wood:

MDF

MDF boards belong to the family of fibreboards. It consists of wood fibres compressed under high pressure. This makes MDF easy to work with. You can also opt for MDF with a lacquer carrier film, which you don't need to prime yourself. That saves you a lot of work!

Plywood 

Plywood is an attractive, strong board consisting of several layers of wood veneer. The layers of plywood can be made of hardwood or softwood, think birch, beech, poplar or okoumé.

OSB 

A material we are seeing more and more in various interiors is tough OSB. This will give your staircase a completely different, tough look! OSB is relatively cheap and easy to work with.

Examples of sealed stairs from our handymen

Not sure yet how you want to close your open staircase? Then take a look at the projects of our handymen. They went before you with this job. Now you can let them inspire you.

Closed staircase with solid beech

Handyman Ruben closed this staircase with solid beech lumber panel. He used a domino router to attach the risers. It was neatly oiled to make the staircase one piece again.

Safe stairs for small children

If you have small children, an open staircase can be unsafe. Handyman Michel agreed, so he closed his open staircase with 12 cut-to-size sheets of plywood. Michel drilled the screw holes with a countersink so that the screws disappear nicely into the wood.

Sealing stair treads with primed plywood

Handyman Koen noticed that measuring the steps is a big job when he wanted to seal his staircase. He ordered primed plywood from , which at least made the painting job a lot easier.

Stairs lined with PVC

That you can also turn an open staircase into a stylish closed one is proven by handyman Hugo. He covered his staircase with PVC after sealing it. To prevent the stairs from creaking, he shaved a piece off each riser - read more about this in his DIY project. The result is beautiful!

Stairs with plywood risers

Handyman Wilco used dowels to attach the plywood risers properly to the steps. In hindsight, he would have preferred to make the risers slightly shorter, but the result is still fine!

Stairs closed with MDF primed

You can finish faster with primed MDF. So experienced handyman Pascal, who used it to clad his staircase. He chose to shorten the risers himself with a crosscut saw and fasten each board with countersunk 6x80 chipboard screws. After three coats of lacquer, the staircase looks beautiful!

Stairs made of OSB for a warm look

Handyman Sarah wanted a warm look and therefore chose risers made of OSB. It looks very cool indeed.

Get started sealing your own staircase

In this article, we have explained to you how to close an open staircase yourself. The most important part of this job is properly measuring the different stair treads. With the cut-to-size wood from }, the rest of the job will be a lot easier after that. 

Are you going to work on your stairs yourself? Then we would appreciate it if you would share your result with us. That way, you can inspire other DIY enthusiasts.

Have fun sealing your staircase!