Skip to Content

Can You Put Ceramic/Porcelain on Stairs? (How To)

If you’re doing a remodeling project that will include your stairs, you may want to put a new covering material on them. Ceramic and porcelain are used in other places in the house with successful results. Is this a good choice for putting on your stairs? 

The short answer is yes, you can put ceramic and porcelain tiles on stairs. It’s important to find out whether this is a suitable material to place on yours. You might have to consult with an expert to determine if this is a good option, but either way you’ll need to do research before this project. 

clean white wood stairs

Should You Put Ceramic/Porcelain on Stairs? 

clean white wood stairs

The general expert statement is that ceramic and porcelain are great for use on stairs. You can lay down this material in the form of tiles that will surely add to the aesthetic appeal of your stairs and they also are quite durable. 

Ceramic and porcelain tiles are a great thing to place on stairs. You’ll want to make sure that your stairs are level, flat, and solid. They have to be stable enough to take on the weight of these tiles. Also, this is appropriate for use on interior steps. 

Consider putting the ceramic and porcelain tile on your stairs if you would like something that will withstand heavy footfall. They’ll offer you a safe surface that is anti-slip. What could be better than that? 

What Tools Do You Need to Put Ceramic/Porcelain on Stairs? 

tools for stiars

Now you know that it is possible and even beneficial to use ceramic and porcelain on interior stairways, you might want to turn this into your next DIY home project. You need to gather up the necessary tools and other supplies. 

Gather up the required tools for your DIY ceramic/porcelain installation project. You’ll need water, premixed mastic or thinset mortar, and your ceramic tiles, as well as your safety gloves, eye protection, drill machinery with a mixing palette, wet saw, notched float, rubber hammer, and a bucket. 

Copyright article owner is ReadyToDiy.com for this article. This post was first published on January 6, 2023.

You may already have some or all of these things at home. If not, you should be able to find most, if not all, of these items at your local hardware or home and garden store. It’s best to take stock before you begin any step of this project, so that you don’t have to scramble around and find them at crucial points during the process and end up losing momentum. 

What Preparations Do You Need to Put Ceramic/Porcelain on Stairs? 

clean white wood stairs

Of course, make sure that you have all the necessary ceramic tiles and tools ready. Choose your tiles by determining the size and type that would be best for your unique situation. You need to give special attention to riser tiles and tread tiles. 

One of the most important things here is that you’ll need to pay close attention when you select the ceramic tiles you plan to use for your stairs. There also are different types of grout. It’s crucial to know which type to use so that you don’t run into any issues. 

You need to make sure that you’re getting ceramic tiles that have grip on them when you’re using them on stairs. If you have wooden stairs, it’s ideal that you place them on a cement backboard.

If your stairs aren’t stable enough, it’s important that you reinforce them so that they can handle the weight of the ceramic/porcelain. Consider if your stairs are in high traffic area of your house. If this is the case, you’ll want to use tiles that are hardened and will not crack or chip easily. 

How to Put Ceramic/Porcelain on Stairs 

confused woman standing

As you’re installing your tread tiles, you have to make sure that none of the tread tile extends over the stair edge. You’ll want to work left to right, and from the top of the stairs to the bottom. This will make it easier for you to conduct this task within just one day. How great would it be to have this project done without any interruption to your daily routine? 

Your ceramic/porcelain tile on stairs project will require that you use whole tiles at the rear of your stair tread. Then, when you’ve run out of these, you should use the cut pieces in order to fill out the rest. Ensure that the sizes are as close as possible to fit each stair so you can minimize how much you have to cut. 

It’s good to keep in mind that ceramic tile installation on stairs is much the same as how you would lay down these tiles on a floor, wall, or countertop. 

Prepare your surface by checking that they’re clean, dry, and smooth. Measure the top riser on your stairs. Next, you’ll need to locate the vertical center line on your riser, then snap a chalk line at this spot. 

Mark out an area close by and the same exact size as your top riser. Spread some mortar on this riser using a trowel. Then, press your ceramic tiles on the riser using the same pattern that you determined during your dry layout. 

ReadyToDIY is the owner of this article. This post was published on January 6, 2023.

Place grout in the joints of the tiles. This is what’s going to keep them securely in place. Before long, you’ll have your beautiful ceramic tile covered stairs to admire. You’re also sure to get some compliments from your guests on your stair project.