Stair Tread Recapping

Many homes are now built with generic stair treads, either a wood composite or plywood. These are the carpeted or covered with a thick, hardwood stair tread or replaced with a wood-filled, hardwood veneer tread.

The pluses that come with using a hardwood veneer product is that they are cheap, strong and usually have a full wood-grain finish whereas even solid ones can be three or more pieces of board glued together. However they are only available in certain wood species. And what about the homes that have good stait treads but they just need a face lift? Do you paint them or remove and replace the trades with a nice hardwood or hardwood finish? Recapping old treads or new construction is a great way to go if you want a new look with about half the cost of replacing the treads.

Tread caps are made to go over the exiting treads. They can be from 1/2″ to 1″ thick and are meant to go with a 1/4″ riser piece. The “stinger” and risers can be made from the same wood. A top stinger is the wide strip that goes up the staircase and is notched to fit the stairs on its bottom and straight on top. The bottom stinger is notched in the same way so that the top fits the angles of the treads and the bottom is straight.

In this way a homeowner can redo the complete staircase without having to remove one stick of wood.

Stair Treads

Stair treads are sometimes the most overlooked part of flooring. They are covered with carpet or carpet runners and no one sees them until they get loose and squeak. But steps can really show off a home as they are at eye level.

Painting: The most common design for steps in the Victorian age was paint with carpet runners. You can clean the steps with TSP (tri-sodium phosphate) and then prime. Most paint companies make a latex porch-and-floor paint but oil-based ones are more resistant to abrasion and wear better. However, latex is a non-slip paint whereas runners would have to be used for oil finishes

Runners: When you paint stair treads runners are a good idea and a good carpet can fit in with your home design. In addition, a sisal or jute runner are great in high traffic areas.

Rubber Treads: For basement steps and other utility areas rubber is a great alternative. The treads are shaped to go over the nose of the tread. So you can paint them in a high gloss paint and then glue the treads down. They are available in a few colors.

Stain and Urethane: Another good idea to spruce up basement and utility steps is to sand them down with a belt sander until the clean wood shows. Not all of the blemishes will be gone but now you apply a dark stain. When this sets put on 4 coats of a water-based urethane. The grain will raise a bit giving the steps traction.

New Hardwood Treads: Most people prefer this method of treads for new homes. However for finsihiong there has to be traction for safety.

Painting Steps

A staircase is the grand entrance to your home. If you are tired of the look of carpet on your steps there are other options. Carpet is desirable because it looks great, is warm on the fee and it is a non-slip surface. However, most new staicases do not go with a full carpeted look.

Old staircases look grand because of their spacious look. The pickets and stair risers stand out because they are a different color that the treads – usually white or an off-white. Some stair rails ar a natural oak and older ones can be painted forest green or an earth color.

When refinishing old step treads, if the wood is plain pine or spruce, the best way is to paint them. Old wood steps, unless you are really into rustic, does not finish well back to the original wood. But this is your choice. Otherwise take the paint down to the wood with an orbital or belt sander and then use a good oil-based primer. Latex should not be used for areas of foot traffic. If you have the time give the steps 2 top coats.

Oil-based paints take a while to dry, especially in humid conditions. To paint stairs the rule-of-thumb is to paint every odd step. In this way you are not inconvenienced waiting for the paint to dry.

For traction you can use a rubber-backed carpet runner or glue on rubber stair treads. Never leave the steps a glossy color as this is a recipe for disaster.

When finished dull, wooden steps can be transformed into a beautiful staircase which showcases the place.

Staircases

The proper treatment of stairs takes up a lot of the flooring budget for a new home, especially if it’s hardwood. The stringers are prepared differently and the treads and risers, of course, have to be of the same material because everything shows.

The basis of any stairway is the stringer system. Stringers hold the steps and provide the incline. In a lot of cases they are 2″ X 12″ board. If the steps are made to be covered then the treads and risers can be made out of spruce or any solid wood. Some people use plywood and oriented strand board but solid wood is the best. In extreme cases, especially in commercial buildings, stone and marble steps and risers are used for their beauty and longevity.

For those who like the “open concept” stairs – where the stringers are metal and there are no risers – the advantages are better air flow and a more airy look because the stringers are thinner and the treads are only 2″ thick at most. The only drawback is that you can hear unwanted sounds from the level below but the appearance is graceful. The wooden treads on staircases, however, should be coated with a non-stick finish, or a carpet runner to prevent slipping.

Open concept staircases can be in a variety of models, the most classic of which is the spiral staircase. However, there are “L” shaped systems with a landing and the simple stright staircase as well.