When I was a trim carpenter, I did a lot of railing installations on stairs built by framing carpenters. Because they were meant to be carpeted, most of those stairs were pretty rough. The treads and stringers were cut from 2x12s, and the risers were cut from 3/4-in. sheathing. The framing carpenters had built them as soon as the second floor was in place so they’d have easy access to the upstairs for the rest of the job. By the time I got to them, the 2×12 treads were cupped, squeaky, difficult to install balusters on, and rough to walk on. I wish that SturdiStep had been available then. Weyerhaeuser makes this 1-in.-thick tread material from LSL (laminated-strand lumber), the same material that some engineered beams are made from. It warrants them to be uniform in dimension and free from warping, cupping, and delaminating even when exposed to normal construction weather and delays. Prices vary based on the supplier selling the tread stock and the state-to-state variations in code-minimum tread widths. SturdiStep is sold in three sizes. In the West, it’s available in 1-ft. by 12-ft. pieces. In the East, it’s 16 ft. long and comes in widths of 11-1/2 in. and 10-1/4 in.
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