Stair Remodel in Bozeman, Montana: Pony Wall Removal, Metal Railings, Tongue & Groove & LVP Flooring
This was a bigger job for a repeat client in Bozeman — a stair remodel in their 1990s split-level. The staircase sits right off the kitchen and den, and the pony wall that ran its length had been chopping up that whole area for years. Carpet on the treads, treads that squeaked, a wall that blocked the light. They wanted it gone and something better in its place. We tore it out, had metal railings fabricated, put up a tongue and groove accent wall, pulled the carpet and laid LVP to match the rest of the house, and did the drywall repair and paint to finish it out. Here’s how it went.
The Pony Wall Comes Out
The pony wall was the first thing to go. It ran the full length of the staircase, right between the kitchen and the den, and taking it out changed the feel of that whole main level. Suddenly those two spaces connected. The light moved differently. It’s the kind of change that makes a 90s split-level feel like a different house.
Tearing out a pony wall means dealing with whatever it was hiding — framing that needs attention, subfloor work along the stair edge, drywall gaps on both sides that have to be patched back properly. You don’t know exactly what you’re getting into until it’s down, but none of it was out of the ordinary. You assess, plan, and work through it.
Stair Tread Rebuild
The treads squeaked. A lot of 90s-era stairs do — years of movement and settlement work the fasteners loose. We didn’t just tighten things down and call it good. We pulled the treads, reshaped them where needed, and reset each one with liquid nails and screws. The adhesive bond combined with mechanical fasteners takes out the flex that causes squeaking. They’re solid now and they’ll stay that way.
Metal Railings
We had railings fabricated to fit the staircase. Custom was the right call here — stock railing systems rarely sit right on an existing stair run, and this space deserved something built for it. The metal keeps the sightline open from the kitchen and den all the way up the stairs. Posts are set solid, rail is level, connections are tight. It looks clean and it doesn’t move.
Tongue & Groove Accent Wall
The client chose tongue and groove wood paneling for the staircase wall and it was a good call. The wood brings warmth into the space that drywall alone wouldn’t. It works well against the metal railing and ties into the LVP flooring below. Installing it on a stair wall means following the rake of the stairs and keeping every course level — it takes some patience but the result is worth it. The grain and finish on the wood they selected were excellent.
Carpet Out, LVP In
The carpet came off the treads. LVP went down to match what was already throughout the rest of the house. Each tread fitted carefully, fastened solid, edges finished clean. The flooring runs continuously from the main living area up the stairs now — no transition, no mismatch.
Drywall Repair & Paint
The drywall repair was the most time-consuming part. Removing a pony wall on a staircase leaves a lot of surface to deal with — angled walls, voids where the framing was, edges that need to be built back and feathered into the surrounding surfaces. Multiple coats, proper dry time, texture matched. Then paint throughout the staircase and the adjacent areas to tie it all together.
On Bigger Projects
Most of what we do wraps up in an hour or two — a drywall patch, a door adjustment, a fixture swap. But every so often a job like this comes along that runs over multiple visits and touches every trade. We handle both. The approach is the same either way: work through it correctly and don’t cut corners on the steps that don’t show.
If you have something on your list — quick fix or full remodel — take a look at our interior home services in Bozeman and the Gallatin Valley or reach out directly.
Contact Montana Home Services — Bozeman and Big Sky, MT.