Improving the look of stair risers

Hi all.

I removed carpet from staircase and am going to paint staircase.

The wood used for the risers has a lot of dents and uneven blemishes. What would be the best way to cover the risers so that they have a flat surface prior to painting?

I presume a thin plyboard is one option. But I'm holding off starting that as the cutting and the fitting will have to be pretty much exact, or it will look a bit obvious. Just checking there isn't a better way to go about it. Thanks.

Calahonda52

You will see the edge of the ply and may crush at the edges who walked on.

Whats happening on the landing: changing/( making it uneven) the riser height is frowned upon in terms of building regs/safety.
Maybe an epoxy filler

looksee

The riser is the vertical bit isn't it? It would not affect the height of the steps. If they are very uneven you might try those decorative stickers that cover the risers and just paint the treads. I agree ply would have to be a very perfect job and might be more noticeable than if you just work with what you have.

Thanks folks. Yes the riser is the vertical part and indeed, using ply could be a nightmare of a job with poor results. I might have to stick with what I have for now.

Its probably just me being overly conscious of it, rather like that bit of cutting in I didn't get quite right when painting the ceiling during the summer!

ZX7R

Depends on the painted finish,if going the way of undercoat and gloss finish , good quality wood fillers sand it and caulk gaps , stairs are going to get a lot of traffic so might be worth while adding a few screws to stop squeaking steps.
A good quality paint is a must
Home brand paints ie woddies , won't last on a stairs for long

listermint

Are you putting a runner back on the steps ? Because timber stairs are no fun, sound reasons and if you slip or miss a step no crack. What is the advantage of doing this ?

listermint

listermint wrote: »

Are you putting a runner back on the steps ? Because timber stairs are no fun, sound reasons and if you slip or miss a step no crack. What is the advantage of doing this ?

We have 3 dogs and a cat and keeping carpets/mats clean is a nightmare.

We've had bare wood stairs for about 5 years, and we've had no sound issues, but I take your point on the safety aspect of it. Touch wood we've had no problems, but anything that improves safety is well worth doing.

seamus

Anti-slip tape on the edges would be a good idea. You can stuff that's relatively discreet so you don't feel like you live in an office:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Non-Slip-Discreet-Safety-Strips/dp/B01DPR4GTK?th=1