Just moved into a new (well, new to me, house). First floor is all tile and
hardwood (oak). Second floor is all hideous teal carpet (all the rage 10
years ago, I guess). We have ordered all new carpets, but SWMBO wants me to
change the stairs to oak treads and white painted risers. The stairs are
still carpeted, so I am not positive, but I think they are make out of OSB.

My idea is to make a cap for each stair out of 1/4" plywood with a solid
edge. I have a few questions:

-What type of plywood should I use? Just BORG oak face or is there a better
grade out there that I should find?

-How should I adhere the tread to the stairs so it remains adhered when I
want it to, but I can remove and replace if it is damaged? Titebond II?
Hide Glue? Nails? or some type of Mastic?

I know I could replace the entire tread, but I am hoping to do this job with
minimal effort.

Thanks in advance

Montyhp

On Wed, 18 Aug 2004 17:43:32 -0700, "Montyhp"
wrote:

Just moved into a new (well, new to me, house). First floor is all tile and
hardwood (oak). Second floor is all hideous teal carpet (all the rage 10
years ago, I guess). We have ordered all new carpets, but SWMBO wants me to
change the stairs to oak treads and white painted risers. The stairs are
still carpeted, so I am not positive, but I think they are make out of OSB.

My idea is to make a cap for each stair out of 1/4" plywood with a solid
edge. I have a few questions:

-What type of plywood should I use? Just BORG oak face or is there a better
grade out there that I should find?

-How should I adhere the tread to the stairs so it remains adhered when I
want it to, but I can remove and replace if it is damaged? Titebond II?
Hide Glue? Nails? or some type of Mastic?

I know I could replace the entire tread, but I am hoping to do this job with
minimal effort.

Thanks in advance

Montyhp




it's more of a can of worms than you might realize.

first, the veneer on plywood is very thin. it'll get torn up right
away if you walk on it.

second, the regs on stairs are pretty tight. you are *not* allowed to
just go randomly changing the rise...

bridger responds:

it's more of a can of worms than you might realize.

first, the veneer on plywood is very thin. it'll get torn up right
away if you walk on it.

Way too thin.

second, the regs on stairs are pretty tight. you are *not* allowed to
just go randomly changing the rise...

Not really regs, but stairs need to be almost dead even in size. Any
significant (over 1/4" or less) variation causes tripping.

Basic solution: find a carpet you like better.

By the way, I tend to doubt the stair treads themselves are OSB. Possibly
plywood, though even that is a rotten choice.

Charlie Self
"Bore, n.: A person who talks when you wish him to listen." Ambrose Bierce, The
Devil's Dictionary

"Montyhp" wrote in message
...
Just moved into a new (well, new to me, house). First floor is all tile
and
hardwood (oak). Second floor is all hideous teal carpet (all the rage 10
years ago, I guess). We have ordered all new carpets, but SWMBO wants me
to
change the stairs to oak treads and white painted risers. The stairs are
still carpeted, so I am not positive, but I think they are make out of
OSB.

Probably plywood, maybe even pine boards (mine wre) and who kow, maybe you
got lucky and they covered up real hardwood. It does happen.



My idea is to make a cap for each stair out of 1/4" plywood with a solid
edge. I have a few questions:

-What type of plywood should I use? Just BORG oak face or is there a
better
grade out there that I should find?

I'd say none of the above, base on my own experience. I have a split entry
and covered the stairs. At the time, maybe 7 years ago, laminates were
getting popular and engineered hardwood was not known, at least to me. I
chose WilsonArt laminate. www.wilsonart.com This is tough stuff that will
not wear out. I can't see anything different from the day it was installed
in the most trafficked part of the house.

They make a bullnose for the stair front and you use the boards for the
treads and risers. It is glued in place.

If I was doing it today, I'd use engineered wood and the matching stair
molding. I put engineered wood in my family room and hall.
www.mannington.com

Either way, you will have a durable, professional job.
Ed

http://pages.cthome.net/edhome

I have been "gearing up" for a similar project in
our house for about 3 years. I have done some
research and so far, the best solution I've found seems
to be the soid oak stair parts sold at Home Depot. These
consist of 1/4 in thick overlay for the tread and separate
bullnose for the front.

Our stairs are fully carpeted also. Our plan is to
cover both sides of each step and bullnose the front
(about 8-10 inches on each side).
leaving the center of the step untouched and
eventually carpeted. This way, we will not be changing
riser height on the first and last step.

The solid oak overlay HD sells is about 1/4 inch thick
as I recall. I fully expect to be scribing each of the 13
steps to get a good fit. I may resaw my own overlay oak and just
buy the bullnose.

To make matters more complicated, the steps we have
now are already bullnosed, but not oak, so I will be
routing/chiseling off the bullnose from each side of
each step also.

Hope this makes sense!

Good luck to both of us.

Lou

In article , Montyhp
wrote:

Just moved into a new (well, new to me, house). First floor is all tile and
hardwood (oak). Second floor is all hideous teal carpet (all the rage 10
years ago, I guess). We have ordered all new carpets, but SWMBO wants me to
change the stairs to oak treads and white painted risers. The stairs are
still carpeted, so I am not positive, but I think they are make out of OSB.

My idea is to make a cap for each stair out of 1/4" plywood with a solid
edge. I have a few questions:

-What type of plywood should I use? Just BORG oak face or is there a better
grade out there that I should find?

-How should I adhere the tread to the stairs so it remains adhered when I
want it to, but I can remove and replace if it is damaged? Titebond II?
Hide Glue? Nails? or some type of Mastic?

I know I could replace the entire tread, but I am hoping to do this job with
minimal effort.

Thanks in advance

Montyhp

lou responds:

Our stairs are fully carpeted also. Our plan is to
cover both sides of each step and bullnose the front
(about 8-10 inches on each side).
leaving the center of the step untouched and
eventually carpeted. This way, we will not be changing
riser height on the first and last step.

The solid oak overlay HD sells is about 1/4 inch thick
as I recall. I fully expect to be scribing each of the 13
steps to get a good fit. I may resaw my own overlay oak and just
buy the bullnose.

To make matters more complicated, the steps we have
now are already bullnosed, but not oak, so I will be
routing/chiseling off the bullnose from each side of
each step also.

Hope this makes sense!

Well, good luck to you. Your toes will probably tell you of the difference in
bottom riser and top riser heights when you're done.

Charlie Self
"Bore, n.: A person who talks when you wish him to listen." Ambrose Bierce, The
Devil's Dictionary

Well, good luck to you. Your toes will probably tell you of the difference in
bottom riser and top riser heights when you're done.

Charlie Self

Charlie - maybe I'm missing something. The middle part of each step
will remain exactly the same as it is now. I will only be adding
oak to the sides of the steps - thus forming a 1/4 inch "slot" which
will get carpeted.

I don't think this will have any affect unless someone walks on the
8 inch (or so) oak sides.

I could be missing something.

Lou

Lou responds:

Charlie - maybe I'm missing something. The middle part of each step
will remain exactly the same as it is now. I will only be adding
oak to the sides of the steps - thus forming a 1/4 inch "slot" which
will get carpeted.

I don't think this will have any affect unless someone walks on the
8 inch (or so) oak sides.

I could be missing something.

You're not adding a tread cover? If you're not, no problem. If you're covering
the treads, the bottom tread/riser combo will be 1/4" higher than the next step
up. The end step will be 1/4" lower.

Charlie Self
"Bore, n.: A person who talks when you wish him to listen." Ambrose Bierce, The
Devil's Dictionary

Charlie Self wrote:


You're not adding a tread cover? If you're not, no problem. If you're
covering the treads, the bottom tread/riser combo will be 1/4" higher
than the next step up. The end step will be 1/4" lower.

Charlie Self

Doesn't have to be:
In my case, I added the same thickness material in the foyer so the
relationship is the same. I also added the same material for the path from
the stairs to the kitchen door. Everything is in the exact same
relationship.

But even if it is:
On the stairs from the lower level to the foyer, I added nothing to the
bottom so it was 1/4" difference to the first step tread for about 6 years.
No one ever noticed. I've since added engineered wood in the hallway so now
it is 3/8" less than the past six years. No one has ever noticed. The
laminate thickness is about the same as the carpet and padding the OP has in
place now.

Adding laminates to stair treads is done every day in hundreds, maybe
thousands of homes. If it was a concern, the govenment would have new laws
to protect us from ourselves and our stairs.

--
Ed

http://pages.cthome.net/edhome