Close the steps of an open staircase yourself with custom sawn panels, by Susan

Turning an open staircase into a closed one is a fun and achievable DIY project, especially when you choose to order the cut panels online. Susan opted to use poplar plywood for this project. Read below for more about her experience.

Description by Susan

I closed off our open staircase to create a calmer and tidier hallway and to be able to create storage space under the stairs (next project).

How I made this project

I researched various DIY forums about closing off staircases. Then, I ordered custom-cut poplar plywood planks from this webshop to fit between the steps. I applied construction adhesive to the top (where the plank makes contact with the step above) to reduce the chance of the stairs creaking. Next, I clamped the planks one by one between the steps. I screwed the planks to the steps with screws to the step below. At the top, I used pine slats against the back of the plank, screwing them from bottom to top into the top step and securing them with construction adhesive against the plank. This ensures the planks are firmly in place and resistant to knocks. It's useful to pre-drill the slats to prevent splitting. I'm very happy with the end result. Next project: creating a cabinet under the stairs!

Dimensions of my DIY project

80.0 x 16.0 cm per step (14 steps in total)