Best wood for stairs

[TechBoyJK]

Hi All,

Simple question. We need to replace the steps on our basement stairs. The stringers are fine, but since we're going to wall in the stairs we need the steps to be flush with the stringers, and they overhang an inch on each side.

Rather than pull off and cut the existing stairs, we'd like to cut new ones. The existing ones are very old, warped and just all around nasty looking.

I'm wanting a nice, firm, strong wood that will stand up to humidity (basement) and can be stained to look nice.

TBJK

 

[Humpy]

Bocote without a doubt.

Strong as heck and looks good stained.

It's the best!

 

[TechBoyJK]

Is this going to be something I could easily source in the St. Louis area?

 

[Carson Dyle]

Doesn't strike me as something one would use for steps. Makes a nice looking guitar, though.

Pricing/Availability: Likely to be somewhat expensive, close to other mid-to-high priced exotic hardwoods.

Common Uses: Fine furniture, cabinetry, flooring, veneer, boatbuilding, musical instruments, gunstocks, turned objects, and other small specialty wood items.

http://www.wood-database.com/bocote/

 

[boomerang]

I saw what you want on the latest episode of Ask This Old House but can't find the information on who makes or stocks them. Edge glued stair treads wrapped in a veneer. They come with a bull nose on the front. You'd cut them to length and width.

Where to buy them is the question. A reference is made to "the home center".

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pdg4xRb9qzg

I guess one question would be is if the veneer is something you'd be happy with when stained. The video talks of painting which leads me to believe the veneer is probably either a birch or pine. Birch can stain up pretty nice but pine can be blotchy especially if you go with a light color.

Maybe these people would be worth getting in contact with.

http://www.stair-treads.com/faq/edge-glued-stair-treads.html

 

[Humpy]

Doesn't strike me as something one would use for steps. Makes a nice looking guitar, though.

Pricing/Availability: Likely to be somewhat expensive, close to other mid-to-high priced exotic hardwoods.

Common Uses: Fine furniture, cabinetry, flooring, veneer, boatbuilding, musical instruments, gunstocks, turned objects, and other small specialty wood items.

http://www.wood-database.com/bocote/

Steps = flooring!

Maybe I was being a bit facetious though.

Nearly every home center/lumber yard has dozens of options for stair treads. Raw, pre-finished, domestic, exotic, hard, soft, they have it. Just pick one.

 

[UnklSnappy]

Edge glued stair treads wrapped in a veneer.

These are exactly what you don't want and are likely all you will find at HD / Lowes. You want solid treads from a hardwood flooring dealer or someplace like this. https://www.stair-treads.com/
Also a stair wizard will make the job immensely easier. https://www.amazon.com/DNB-Tools-PL200-Stair-Wizard/dp/B0000224Q2
Also be aware that you need to cut off the bullnose flush with the risers on the old treads.

 

[Carson Dyle]

If he's going to enclose the stairwell completely, it should be obvious that aesthetics aren't the most important issue. Make it solid, make it look nice, don't break the bank.

Speaking of which, I'm not at all a fan of the idea of fully enclosing the basement stairwell. My biggest reservation and what I dislike most about finished basements is that shitty, narrow stairwell, usually accessed through a door in a back hallway or kitchen. Fully enclosing it just makes it worse. Upgrading the treads and the railings makes perfect sense, though.

 

[TechBoyJK]

If he's going to enclose the stairwell completely, it should be obvious that aesthetics aren't the most important issue. Make it solid, make it look nice, don't break the bank.

Speaking of which, I'm not at all a fan of the idea of fully enclosing the basement stairwell. My biggest reservation and what I dislike most about finished basements is that shitty, narrow stairwell, usually accessed through a door in a back hallway or kitchen. Fully enclosing it just makes it worse. Upgrading the treads and the railings makes perfect sense, though.

We're actually only enclosing the left side of the stairwell. The right side will remain open. The left side of the stair well is where my music room is and we need to contain it.

 

[Humpy]

The OP, and some of the replies, are a bit confusing with giving an impression that the current treads are not going to be removed.

Unless you want to create death stairs (assuming they aren't already) the thickness of the treads cannot change. Meaning you'll have to remove the current ones and replace them with something of the same thickness. If you just slap new treads on top of what's there, which a lot of people do, the first and last steps will have a different rise.

The code I'm familiar with allows a 1/4" variance in rise, and even that's noticeable.

 

[gbeirn]

Painted or carpets: pine

Stained: oak

If you are only replacing the treads and maybe risers I still don't know how well it will look with the old stringers.

Source: in my teenage years used to work in a stair place.

 

[imported_tajmahal]

Usually oak due to toughness and looks. You can sometimes find Poplar, fir or pine cheaper. I'd stay away from any veneers.

 

[MongGrel]

I'd agree with oak myself, if your budget allows it.

 

[edro]

Red oak is common, and sold at Home Depot.

 

[Phaeton]

If you're going to carpet or paint them, I'd go with pine. You can get them with one square and one finished edge, or both ends square and round one edge yourself.

If you're going to stain them, go with oak. If you do go with oak, get them with one mitered edge for the open side.

You should be able to get oak for right around the same price as pine or poplar, so it's down to what look you want. My personal choice is always oak. Then again, I am a wood floor guy.

 

[TechBoyJK]

Decided since we're ultimately going to carpet, that I'm just going to go with pine. Going to cut them myself and round the edge. Precut ones at lowes and homedepot are both too wide and deep and will end up requiring just as much work to get fitted.

 

[Rifter]

Oak

 

[Rodion Kins]

I prefer to use hardwood. I order such stuff online in dmanufacturies

 

[JEDIYoda]

Balsa wood???

 

[paperfist]

Decided since we're ultimately going to carpet, that I'm just going to go with pine. Going to cut them myself and round the edge. Precut ones at lowes and homedepot are both too wide and deep and will end up requiring just as much work to get fitted.

No offense, but pine is going to look terrible in a few months of traffic. It's too soft.

Oak is $$$ but king. It's like installing a real hardwood floor, you can sand the stuff a lifetime if ever needed and refinish.

 

[Mandres]

I wouldn't use pine either, unless you have access to old-growth stuff. Poplar is a lot cheaper than oak and will hold up better than soft pine.