How do I pick a wood for stair treads?

[Tom Jones III]

A couple months ago I installed about 800 sq ft of peruvian walnut floor upstairs. (The attached picture is from the store selling the flooring) SWMBO is gently reminding me that it is time to start on the stairs. The stairs are currently carpet covered and I don't know exactly what I am going to find when I pull up the carpet. I bought a piece of peruvian walnut from the lumber yard to make carpet transitions and they turned out nice, but a little darker than the floor. Do you have any suggestions for what wood I should use for the stair treads and landing?

[Chris Padilla]

Does the store have a bullnose piece in their offerings? That is what one normally uses to finish off the end of the stair tread. Although, it doesn't sound like it if they didn't even offer you transistions and you had to make your own!

I'm laying down a nice maple engineered prefinished plank (5" wide) floor in the next month or two and the company offers tees, transitions, base molding, and bullnoses all finished to match the floor.

My wife and I are still deciding if we want to do the stairs or just replace the carpeting. We'll probably go with carpet as we feel wood stairs would just be too slippery. I would like to hear ideas about making wood stairs less slippery.

[Lloyd McKinlay]

Use a carpet runner on the stairs with the hardwood on the sides. A quality low level loop commercial carpet will wear better than any hardwood floor finish and can be replaced fairly easily. It's time consuming but when done correctly it looks really sharp.

[Tom Jones III]

My wife and I are still deciding if we want to do the stairs or just replace the carpeting. We'll probably go with carpet as we feel wood stairs would just be too slippery. I would like to hear ideas about making wood stairs less slippery.

My sister, with 3 small kids, decided wood stairs are safer than carpet. Somehow she got the idea that kids are more likely to trip because their feet drag the carpet than slipping on wood steps.

We don't like the idea of using the 3" wide planks to make up the stair tread and we want to use a solid wood for the tread. I had assumed that I would simply buy peruvian walnut but it may be too dark, possibly domestic walnut would match the floor better.

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

My sister, with 3 small kids, decided wood stairs are safer than carpet. Somehow she got the idea that kids are more likely to trip because their feet drag the carpet than slipping on wood steps.

True. So too is the prospect of a little padding when one does fall.

we want to use a solid wood for the tread. I had assumed that I would simply buy peruvian walnut but it may be too dark, possibly domestic walnut would match the floor better.

I think that a common interior design theme is to lighten shading as one proceeds upward. So a slightly lighter wood might be the ticket.

[Pete Brown]

The stairs are currently carpet covered and I don't know exactly what I am going to find when I pull up the carpet.

Just a warning, you may not be able to use anything that is under the carpet.

What I found when I pulled up my carpet is a pre-made set of box stairs (captured on both sides, no support underneath) made of 1970's era MDF for treads and risers. I had to completely rip the stair unit out. including the drywall under it I replaced it with a much nicer oak and poplar (oak treads, paintable poplar risers) pre-made drop-in unit.

That doesn't help you with the question at hand, but if you can't get underneath to see, I think you'll want to rip out the carpet to see what you have in front of you.

BTW, solid wood is definitely not safer than properly installed carpet. Socks slip on wood treads. You'll end up either putting a grip grit on the top of the finish, putting on individual tread rugs (could be a tripping hazard) or leaving it as is and watching out.

Pete

[Mike Parzych]

A local millwork shop that does lots of stairtreads uses Cumaru quite often - besides the usual oaks, etc. I got a piece for kicks and it has to rank right up there with Ipe on the indestructibilty scale. It looks a little lighter in tone than your picture wood, and it's straight grained and relative bland looking. Weighs a ton.

[Jeffrey Schronce]

I would like to hear ideas about making wood stairs less slippery.

There is a clear sand like product that you can mix into your finish (poly). They have it at most paint stores including big box stores. You only need to use the material on the area of the step where people will be walking, not the entire step system.

[Mike Murray]

Do you have any suggestions for what wood I should use for the stair treads and landing?

If your stairs are enclosed on the sides, you may want to consider 3/4" walnut ply with a glued-on solid walnut bullnose. However, as others have said, it all depends on what you have under the carpet. I would suggest you pull some up and see what you've got before planning too far ahead.

[Jim Becker]

Mike, I don't think I'd use a veneer plywood for a stair application...the veneer is so very thin as a wear area.

[Steve Schoene]

The other think to consider is that the height of the risers needs to be consistent, under building codes, and for basic safety. Material added on top of rough treads can shorten the top riser and lengthen the bottom riser, if you are not careful.

[Mike Murray]

Mike, I don't think I'd use a veneer plywood for a stair application...the veneer is so very thin as a wear area.

Jim, good point, as always. I should mention that I'm in the middle of a similar project as the original poster. I'm using solid maple for the treads. Here's a photo from my intro thread a while back:

maple-treads.jpg

However, I have a neighbor who re-did his stairs several years ago with 3/4 oak ply. He thinks I'm crazy for wasting money and time on the solid maple and reminds me of such every time he wanders over. I've seen his stairs and they have several coats of very durable WB floor finish and look very good. No shoe sole has gotten anywhere near the veneer layer itself. I'm beginning to think he's right, but obviously I'm already committed to the solid maple.

I should also mention that lots of people are getting engineered wood flooring installed on stairs. I know two people that have gone that route. Personally, I don't like the look, but I do think a properly finished veneer can hold up to a lot of abuse.

[Bruce Wrenn]

Most of the prefinished floor materials have aluminum oxide in the finish. Your sandpaper most likely is aluminum oxide. My stairs (red oak) have been in place for twenty six years. The finish is Pratt and Lambert floor varnish, oil base. It shows no sign of wear yet. Truely amazing!

[Jim Becker]

I should also mention that lots of people are getting engineered wood flooring installed on stairs.

Engineered generally has a "thick" wear layer as compared to veneer plywood...and then the special coatings.

Your neighbor with the plywood stairs...much traffic? or empty nest?

[Mike Murray]

Engineered generally has a "thick" wear layer as compared to veneer plywood...and then the special coatings.

Agreed, it's rare to find less than 2mm on eng floor. Then again, if rubber never touches the veneer...?

By the way, where can I buy these "special" coatings?

Your neighbor with the plywood stairs...much traffic? or empty nest?

Empty nest, but frequent visits by grandkids. Still not as much traffic as a family with kids.