I recently had a house built and the central stairway is a one-piece pre-fab unit where you cannot remove the pine treads (nailed, glued & inset into stair stringers). I want to remove the carpeting and cover the exiting pine treads with Oak. I can’t use 1″ stair tread to cover as my rise will be incorrect and cause a tripping hazard. I have looked at a laminate stair tread (with built-in bull-nose) from WilsonArt but I am not a fan of laminate and wish to match the existing hardware floors in the foyer.
I have searched everywhere for a full-width (4′) real oak stair tread with attached bullnose and have been unable to find a supplier. I have found small 6″ stairtreads that are placed on either side of a carpet-runner but this is not the look I am going for.
Thoughts at this time are to remove the existing pine bullnose, cover tread and riser with either oak veneer or 1/4″ oak plywood, attach a solid oak bullnose, trim out and stain. Lot’s of work but will accomplish what I am trying to achieve.
Does anyone have any other ideas or does this sound like my only option?
Replies
I suspect that you'll be disappointed if you use veneer. It's not thick enough to allow the kind of wear that a floor or stair tread takes.
I know that this does not answer your question, but I don't want you to have unfounded expectations.
Unless you're the lead dog, the view just never changes.
If you have looked for full size oak treads does that mean if you find them you will undertake to replace the current treads in their entirety?
Lowes has what you need. (At least, the ones I go to have.) Call for pricing. I think plus or minus $40 each.
Also, don't use veneer or ply. One good slip or a series of scuffs and there goes the ballgame.
I would try Brosco, heres the website:http://www.brosco.com
Stair Treads and risers
http://www.coffmanstairs.com/accessories/accessories3.htm
You can then go to Dealers search and find one closes to you.
Edited 9/29/2005 1:04 pm ET by MRinger
Back in the 1920's, a lot of buildings here used a thin T&G oak flooring. It's about 5/16" thick, with strips 1 1/2" wide. I've saved a bunch of it for future floor repairs. If you can find new material of that kind, it might wear better than veneer or plywood.
-- J.S.
I would try your local hardwood supplier to see if they know of a stair shop.
I needed Hickory treads with bull nose returns on the side I couldn't find a place that sold them But I did find a place that made them.
While it seems like you can not remove your existing treads, I change them all the time.
With a sawsall, cut the pine tread in half, being careful not to cut into the sheet rock ceiling below.
With a large chisel, split each tread lengthwise. You can most likely remove all four pieces now.
There should be wedges in the routed stringers, try to leave them in the same place and use construction adhesive and brads to hold them.
Cut the new oak tread to the correct width. Cut to length, measure between stringers and add depth of one routed grove. You may have to bevel the bottom edge of one side of the tread. Use construction adhesive in the mortised groves and put tread in one side and slide down and into the other side. Try to move it slightly sideways to center between stringers.
Start installing at the bottom so you can screw the second riser into the first tread.
If you can't slide the tread into the center of the stringers, you may have to attach wood cleats on the inside of the stringer to hold the treads up.
This may sound like a lot of work, but it is the best solution to your problem and with some patience and effort it can be done very nicely.
Bear
I actually have pulled the drywall from the back of the staircase and see the wedges, glue, and nails. Since I can get to the treads from the back, I was originally going to just attempt the steps that you talk about (but easier from the back). However, I am worried about maintaining the structural integrity of the staircase. Since everything is nailed and glued, the chances of breaking something structural during the removal process concerns me.
Based on your experience, am I being too worried?
I am considering cork tiles over 2x12 treads with hardwood nosing. Maybe thats an
option for you.
That's great that you can get under the stairs. Remove the old thread, still use a sawsall as explained before, try to remove nails, hit the glue blocks with a hammer, most of them will be knocked off, same with the wedges.
You can make new wedges and glue blocks easy enough, the treads you are changing, if you have to replace some riser, that is not to big a deal. The only components you need to be careful with are the stringers. Don't completely remove all the treads at one time. the new wedges will insure that things go together well.
Where are you located, from the construction of the staircase I would guess the North East.
I live on Long Island, NY.
If you have any problem I can help you thru this.Bear
Personally it sounds like a lot of work for something that may or may not last and may or may not look like a DIY mess. This may or may not be a perfect time to simply dismantle and rebuild the stairs from ground zero in a way which will last as long as the house.
i wouldn't be scared of using the 1/4 oak ply and a solid nose... 3 coats of poly and i bet you will never even wear through the poly much less the wood... don't think it'd be a big deal at all
p
I suggest covering your stair treads with 1/4" solid surface material. You can put a bullnose edge on and it will look and perform well. With a matte finish, easily maintained and renewable, the stairs will not be slippery. Much easier than removing and replacing the existing.
You can find some great deals on 1/4" material at solidsurfacegeeks.com