Replies

1. 
   planewood1 | Feb 19, 2022 09:31am | #1

   kpattison9,
   Don't think wrapping the treads is a good idea - the tread heights need to be the same consistent distance from one to the next. This includes the first and last steps. Otherwise, you`ll have a big trip hazard. The thickness of a veneer would probably be ok (1/8" or less), but any thicker and you'll have to deal with tripping. Plus, if you ever sell your home, you'll get dinged on an inspection ( it won't be up to code). I may be way off base with my thinking and your explanation may have sent my old brain down the wrong path. Can you post a pic or two so more folks can maybe chime in?

2. 
   esch5995 | Feb 19, 2022 10:37am | #2

   If by wrapping, you mean veneering the only way it would work is with a thick veneer ⅛" or more which would require steam bending if the treads have a bullnose leading edge. Anything thinner would wear quickly. If they have a square front edge I would be worried that veneer would peel along the front edge from the forces that would be applied from walking up the stairs.

   A better option may be to cut out the existing treads then using a trim router and template of your own making to cut the tread mortises all the way through the bottom edge of the stringer. This will permit you to slide in new treads the fill the exposed mortise with a filler block cut to fit. This is easiest if you were to paint the stringers afterwards, but with careful grain matching and staining you could keep the stringers stained. I can't believe theses would be in a very conspicuous area, especially as you get closer to floor level. Put extra care into the higher plugs and you can probably get away with less attention down low, but I haven't seen your stairs.

3. 
   gulfstar | Feb 19, 2022 12:14pm | #3

   I dont quite understand the joinery involved in your stairs but you can cover the treads with a thick ''veneer'' like I did for my yellow birch threads that are now mahogany. You can plane the pine down to the thickness necessary to allow the final tread to be the same finished thickness once the veneer has been added, mine was about 1/4 inches thick mahogany slices.

   
4. 
   kpattison9 | Feb 19, 2022 01:42pm | #4

   Thanks for the thoughts all - I’m attaching a few photos. I was just thinking about building a box around the treads for lack of a better description. Good input on the stair height. The mortising was the hangup for me - I couldn’t think how to get around it. Cutting them out and them plugging them is an interesting approach I hadn’t thought about.

   
5. 
   pantalones868 | Feb 20, 2022 02:51am | #5

   I'm going to take a guess that the existing carpet is about 3/8" thick. Assuming that carpet was part of the original design for those stairs removing the carpet gives you 3/8" to play with. If the bottom step from the floor to the top of the first tread( carpet) is equal in height to the distance from the top step to the landing then you will need to, or at least should , replace the carpet with something of similar thickness. You could box in the treads with any material of your choice. If the top piece for the treads is the thickness of the carpet then the values will stay the same. 3/8 "(+ -) is much better than 1/8 " I would think.
   Even if the top stair and bottom stair as they exist now are not the same or not the same as the rise for all the other stairs( which would be the case if the carpet was added later) it shouldn't matter. Your living with that now so it works for you. If your not peeling house guests off the floor it works for them too!
   The stringers can be stripped and refinished or you could box them in as well.
   They sell or you can make an adjustable measuring jig for getting a really tight fit between the stringers. Think of a double ended bevel gauge.
   By the way, That carpet under the treads is really weirding me out! Hospitality for flys?

6. 
   rob_ss | Feb 20, 2022 04:11am | #6

   Ew - I see why you want rid of the carpet.
   @pantalones... has the right of it.
   Personally, I'd go with paint.