"Nonny" writes:

"blueman" wrote in message
...
One of the 12" wide treads on our main staircase has an ~18"
longitudinal
crack in it. As per an earlier thread, the consensus seems to be
that
these treads are 150 yr old heart pine.

Here is a link to a pic:
http://96.252.37.8:8080/public/1stFlrTread.jpg

I am not concerned about the visual look of the crack (if anyting it
adds "character") but the area under the crack is not well supported
and
gives a bit when you put weight on it -- in fact, the absence of
such
support may be the proximate cause of the crack. The crack has
probably
been there for many years.

Since replacing the tread is not easily feasible given the old wood,
I
would like to repair the tread.

Now removing the tread would not be easy since 2 balustrades are
toenailed into the other side of the tread and removing the entire
bannister and balustrades *seems* to me to be a big job.

So, I was thinking it might be easier for me to access the underside
of
the tread from the alcove underneath the stairway by cutting through
the
plaster and lathe on the underside of the stairway. My idea would be
to
expose enough area so that I could slip another board underneath the
tread to span the crack and add support.

To secure the support, my thought was to cover it with glue (either
polyurethane or epoxy). Assuming that I won't be able to get good
clamping pressure from below, I would run some temporary small gauge
screws
through the face of the tread to temporarily clamp the tread and
support
board together. Alternatively, I could try to expose more of the
stair
underside at the risk of creating more mess and a bigger plaster
repair
job.

Before, I go cutting into the plaster and lathe, I wanted to get
advice
on whether this is a good approach along with any additional advice
or
pointers. Of course, I am open to *any* other better suggestions.

Thanks

Good plan, IMHO. When reaching the underside, I'd do as you plan with
the crosspiece and screws. However, I'd dry fit the entire cross
piece, including the screws. Then, I'd remove it and 1) fill the
crack from above with 30 minute epoxy and
Yes - I was considering filling the crack with epoxy - though I would
probably use West Systems with some filler to get the right viscosity.

Alternatively, maybe the crack would look better to leave natural and
consider it as "character" since I don't think I will get much
structural strength from filling the crack with epoxy given that the
crack seems quite old and weathered meaning that it doesn't seem like it
will draw together tightly to give a good bond. Since much of the force
comes from stepping on the crack, I think the real strength will come
from the supporting piece I plan to place underneath.

2) slather on Liquid Nails from below before reinstalling the
crosspiece and all screws.
Would Liquid Nails be stronger/better than Epoxy or Polyurethane?
I guess it might depend on how flat the bottom of the tread is but just
curious about what would give the best adhesion assuming the bottom of
the tread may be a bit rough.

I'd leave the screws in place, then repair the plaster.
I doubt I will have enough space to put the scews in from below. So, I
was assuming that I would need to drive the screws through the top
face. If so, I was planning on removing the screws after the repair so
as not to mess up the aesthetics. Although, perhaps I should use
trimhead screws, countersink them and fill the holes with tinted
woodfill of some type...

Can I assume that even if the underside of the tread is rough or a bit
uneven that a well glued and clamped board underneath it will provide
adequate support after the screws are removed?