"bp" wrote in message
oups.com...
Hi,

I live in a terraced house approx 100yrs old. I have only bought this
house a while ago

The other day I lifted up the carpet on the stairs as I have always
felt that they were not right in some way.

Lifting up the carpet I could see that the step (the bit of wood that
you stand on when climbing) is totally worn out. I would say the
stairs are the original ones from when the house was built.

Near the edges its OK (as people dont really step there), but the
middle of the step is almost totaly gone on some steps. On others it
is very badly worn.

The previous owner attempted to fix the really bad ones by screwing a
piece of wood, the same size as the step on top. Some steps have this
some dont. So as you climb, those steps with a extra peice of wood
make the step shorter to climb than others - this is the 'not quite
right feeling' I was getting.

Anyway the fix the previous owner applied does not seem that good.
The wood itslef as cracked and broken (i guess because he used
chipboard).

WHat I want to know is what is the best way to fix. Do I have to
replace the whole staircase. This seems expensive.

Is there a way where just the steps can be replaced?...

Not easily. The bit that overhangs the vertical part is called the nosing
and I would fit aluminium nosings over the existing ones. They are usually
fitted to improve grip and / or to make the nosings more visible. Being
relatively thin, all you would need to do is screw them down onto the sound
parts of the step. Although this is not a UK site, it gives a good idea of
the sort of profiles available:

http://www.ullrich-aluminium.co.nz/nosinglg.htm

Colin Bignell