I am replacing some pet-stained carpet with hardwoods. This includes the stair treads, but the owner doesn’t want to have to rebuild the railings. This means that I have to mate up to the existing 1/2″ plywood ‘tread’ under the spindles. My first impression was to mill some maple down to 1/2″ and try to flush it out. However, I can’t see me being able to do that as the previous trim carpenter’s work was pretty shoddy (see pics). My co-worker seems to think that I should leave the maple at 3/4″ and just chamfer the edges down to 1/2″ and mate it that way. I would cover the risers with 3/4″ painted ply that is similarly chamfered. The front edge would then be bull-nosed, but would be higher than the existing bull-nose (again, see pic). He thinks that the end-grain on the existing painted molding wouldn’t be too noticable since it would be below the new treads. I’m leaning towards this option. Does anyone have any opinions or other suggestions? Thanks for your time.
Replies
A job and a half
I would suggest that you are going to half to remove the OSB treads and pine risers in order to install a new hardwood material. I don't think you'll be able to get the strength out of a projecting 1/2" overlay on top of the oriented strand boards at the nosing. So clear away the temporary oriented strand board treads and pine risers and give yourself some room. A 3/4" overlay might cause a riser to be more than 3/8" different from the others, a code problem you don't want.
No matter what you choose, you probably can't make a flush joint to the existing material on each side. The time honored way of hiding the joint would be either a projecting trim piece or a reveal at the joint. If you can't hide it, flaunt it.
In the end it might be easiest and best solution to convince the owner to remove the railing, temporary treads and risers and replace them. Talk over the options and explain what they want done is expensive, impracticable and unwise over time. Be a shame to in the end have them cover up your best work with another carpet runner.
Peter
Squeak City
I ageee with PS above. I'll go further and say this is doomed. I have seen this several times before, and it never comes out as anyone involved hopes.
Raising a surface above the existing false ends will make the first rise too tall - outside of code and unsafe.
I suggest new treads and risers, just like real stairs have. If you proceed and are making a living at this, tell them time and materials, and mock one up so they can see how it will and won't work.
No warranties, implied or otherwise, and don't call when it squeaks. It will. A lot.
Dave S
The center of that staircase was never meant to be seen. It is set up for carpeting. Originally, they saved money by just doing the treads, risers and ballusters as faux ends. The pad and carpet would come out fairly flush with those false ends. You shouldn't have to touch those ends, the rails or ballusters. The particleboard treads probably had a nosing on them and some of those may have broken. They were hacked off at a later date, probably when the original carpet was replaced. Stairs take a beating, natural wood or carpet will need more frequent replacing or refinishing than floors. The smart thing for the owner to do would be to recarpet the stairs, that's what they were made for. The stairs will be quieter, less slippery and less expensive now, and later. Of course, they probably don't want to do the smart thing and will have to pay the cost for somebody cutting corners in the past.
There is a good chance the false ends are on top of the particleboard treads, looks like the false tread is only 1/2" thick. I would cut the existing treads and risers flush with those false ends and remove them. You should be able to shim the stringers if needed behind the risers and/or treads as necessary. I would not try to make the new treads and risers come flush with the false ends. I'd would leave a reveal 1/8"-1/4". You will likely need to add support under the ends of the new treads and risers where you cut the old ones off flush with the false ends. Chances are, you can screw blocks to the stringer under the false ends. The hard part will be getting a nice fit between the new parts and the false ends. The false ends may have come as a partially assembled kit so they should be straight.
From your pictures, it looks to me as though it would be easier to replace the railing than it would be to fool with all the fitting up to old materials. Looks like you're going to need to do new risers too. That staircase was originally made to be carpeted and I just don't think there's an easy way to make it into something else without going back to square 1
This forum post is now archived. Commenting has been disabled