You don't mention any future plans for the basement. Do you have expectations to finish it or leave as a utility space? We finished ours after several years of living in the house. Original steps were painted wood and were fairly noisy when walking upon them. So, in conjunction with finishing the basement we did the following: Relocated the door in the hallway to the stairway landing in order to relieve congestion of a door opening into the main hall. Painted the walls with a quality washable paint. Painted the stringers. Upgraded the bannister. Added better lighting. Carpeted the steps and risers. Now with an open stairway the basement is inviting and traversing up and down is quiet. Better foot traction too.

It's not right. The code requires a minimum 9" tread. 311.7.4 Stair treads and risers. Stair treads and risers shall meet the requirements of this section. For the purposes of this section all dimensions and dimensioned surfaces shall be exclusive of carpets, rugs or runners. 311.7.4.1 Riser height. The maximum riser height shall be 8 ¼ inches (196 mm). The riser shall be measured vertically between leading edges of the adjacent treads. The greatest riser height within any flight of stairs shall not exceed the smallest by more than 3 /8 inch (9.5 mm). 311.7.4.2 Tread depth. The minimum tread depth shall be 9 inches (254 mm). The tread depth shall be measured horizontally between the vertical planes of the foremost projection of adjacent treads and at a right angle to the tread's leading edge. The greatest tread depth within any flight of stairs shall not exceed the smallest by more than 3 /8 inch (9.5 mm). Consistently shaped winders at the walkline shall be allowed within the same flight of stairs as rectangular treads and do not have to be within 3 /8 inch (9.5 mm) of the rectangular tread depth. Winder treads shall have a minimum tread depth of 9 10 inches (254 mm) measured between the vertical planes of the foremost projection of adjacent treads at the intersections with the walkline. Winder treads shall have a minimum tread depth of 6 inches (152 mm) at any point within the clear width of the stair. Within any flight of stairs, the largest winder tread depth at the walkline shall not exceed the smallest winder tread by more than 3 /8 inch (9.5 mm). 311.7.4.3 Profile. The radius of curvature at the nosing shall be no greater than 9 /16 inch (14 mm). A nosing not less than ¾ inch (19 mm) but not more than 1¼ inches (32 mm) shall be provided on stairways with solid risers. The greatest nosing projection shall not exceed the smallest nosing projection by more than 3 /8 inch (9.5 mm) between two stories, including the nosing at the level of floors and landings. Beveling of nosings shall not exceed ½ inch (12.7 mm). Risers shall be vertical or sloped under the tread above from the underside of the nosing above at an angle not more than 30 degrees (0.51 rad) from the vertical. Open risers are permitted, provided that the opening between treads does not permit the passage of a 4-inch diameter (102 mm) sphere. Exceptions: 4101:8-3-01 58 1. A nosing is not required where the tread depth is a minimum of 11 inches (279 mm).

How often is the door open? What issue is it causing when it blocks the hallway? My basement door blocks a hallway, but the linen closet in the other hallway opens outward and blocks that hallway. The thing is that they are not often open and aren't left open. Maybe put an auto close on the basement door so that it can't be left open and your problem will go away. I am thinking about my sister's homes and both of their basement doors block a hallway inside their home. Their homes are not really all that old. (10 years/ 30 years vs my 70 year old home). I would not want a pocket door at the basement. I have a pocket door in my current home, my parents had pocket doors in their home and years ago I had an apartment where the only bathroom in the apt had a pocket door. None of the pocket doors were ever closed with the exception of the bathroom, and that was only closed when a guest used it or a guest was in the home when I used it. I didn't fuss with it when I didn't have to.

Duplicate post.