On Oct 9, 1:25*pm, "cshenk" wrote:
"Jim Conway" wrote

1. Are pre-finished stair treads (for interior staircase) common and
something I would be able to find easily, or do they typically sell
them as unfinished? I'm looking to avoid the toxic aroma associated
with finishing them in their entirety if it can be avoided.

Yes, but may not be at the box stores where you are. *Google will show many
of them you can order online.

2. Present plywood treads are glued/nailed to stringers. To remove
could potentially damage the stringer. Is it feasible to overlay the
new tread directly onto the existing plywood tread? I realize it could
skew the height of the top or bottom stair by the thickness of the
tread....

Actually that will work fine but be sure you do it with all of them. *Like
the other person said 'feet remember'. *It's ok if the bottom step is a bit
different, but the one's between should be the same.

It's ok if the bottom step is a bit different.

I beg to differ, in a most polite manner.

If I'm carrying something down a flight of stairs, such as a large box
or a laundry basket, and my feet have figured out the distance of each
riser, they're going to expect the ground to be at a certain place. If
it's lower by tread width (~ 3/4") then there's going to be a "jolt"
as my foot keeps going after it expects to stop.

It's kind of like stepping out of a tub whose "floor" is higher than
the bathroom floor. The eyes may not pick up the difference in depth
and that extra inch or so can be disconcerting as your foot keeps
going after you expected it to stop.