stair problems

[tellittojake]

I need some help. My sister has a newer home, with a stair case that was carpeted. They live on a lake and she wants something that she can clean as people are always tracking in sand, dirt, etc. The treads are bull nose particle board that were glued to the stringers. To take up the treads would be a real mess having been glued down. To cover them with oak would raise them up and also difficult to cover with the bull nose edge. I was thinking of a laminate, but how would you cover the rounded edge? Dont want to use something that might pull off/break and send someone falling down the stairs! Any ideas? Thanks.

[crokett]

I would rout off the rounded edge flush to the riser then use the laminate and a nice hardwood edge. You can buy the half round to get the profile or make your own.

[DaveS]

I would never put laminate on steps, it is waaaay too slippery.

I think you already know what you need to do...

Removing the old treads is the right way to do it. You will be happier with the result.

I think you will be surprised just how easy they end up coming off.

Yes, it will be a mess.

To remove the construction adhesive from the stringers, I used a junky chisel.

Then go get yourself some pre-made 1.25" oak treads - finish them and put them in. (not really that simple... but well worth the trouble).

[mineengineer]

How about using vinyl stair treads?

These treads might do the job but they aren't the nicest looking, but they are fast and easy to install over what you alresdy have down.

http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/...00003+10106001

[LarryG]

I agree absolutely that plastic laminate would be dangerously slippery in this application. Further, the grit that is carried by the soles of shoes would scratch it up horribly in very short order.

[tellittojake]

stair problem

thanks for the advice, will probably have to get into the mess of tearing up the treads. Covering them is an idea, like the vinyl or cutting off the bull nose, will let her know you guys confirmed the options I was thinking of.

[JimD]

I did what David suggests in our previous home. Our treads were softwood. I glued and nailed Launstein 3/8 oak flooring to the softwood treads after cutting off the nose piece so that it was flush to the riser. Then I made a customized piece out of 1 inch thick oak with a bullnose edge and a groove to take the tongue from the last piece of flooring. The nosing piece was held in place by three large finish nails and construction adhesive. I put a cove moulding underneith (oak) to hide the cut edge of the softwood tread and reinforce the nosing piece a little.

The hardest part was cutting the softwood tread. I used a circular saw and handsaw where the circular saw would not reach. I finished a tread at a time and we hopped over it so the stairs were always usable.

It's quite a bit of what I considered pretty fussy work but we were happy with the end result. I was never real confident of the nosing attachment, however. It worked fine but I would have been more comfortable if I had found a way to make a stronger connection - maybe pocket screws? Underneith?

Jim

[tellittojake]

thanks for the advice

thanks for the advice

[rnelson0]

I didn't see it suggested elsewhere. Use some Berber carpet. This style of carpet is more tightly knit so dirt tends to stay on top. A spill will still soak in, but mud will generally sit on top. We have it on our basement stairs and it cleans very easily. If I could, I'd have the whole house done with berber - it's still fairly plush, the padding underneath provides the bounce, and it's easier to clean. Shag carpetting just doesn't do it for me these days.