Red Oak Natural (Prefinished Clear) Traditional Stair Tread Closed 36 in

A:Since the risers will receive no foot traffic, these 1/4" thick risers will last as long as their 3/4" counterparts. At worst, the riser will only receive an occasional kick from a toe as you travel upstairs. The main idea behind a retro riser being 1/4" thick is to keep the offset of the treads as small as possible- 1/2" less than a 3/4" riser. As long as these risers are installed over an existing riser, you should expect the same life-span from these as you would a 3/4" riser (30 years +). --- 3/4" thick retro treads (or 1" traditional treads like this one) actually have more "sandable" wood than 3/4" flooring. With 3/4" flooring, you really only have about 3/8" of usable wood because half of the wood flooring is below the staple used to secure it to the subfloor. If you were to sand a 3/4" floor to remove the top coat and refinish it, you would only have 3/8" of usable wood thickness to work with whereas should you ever decide to sand the retro treads, you will essentially have the full 3/4" body to use. This is really a moot point because the typical sand and refinish job only removes about 1/16" - 1/ 32" of wood at most. Having said that, our prefinished treads have an average life expectancy of 30-50 years under normal residential use - the same as modern day prefinished flooring. Essentially, these treads will last for the entire life expectancy of the home.

A:What you're describing is an open rise staircase. This type of staircase does not have risers and is typically supported by one or more metal stringers. For this type of staircase, you need a special tread that is 1.5" or 2" thick - the standard 1" tread is not well suited for this application. We do make these types of treads in many species. See this link for the thick stair treads: http://woodstairco.com/traditional-treads-and-risers/thick-stair-treads.html

A:You will want to move up a size to the 42" treads and cut to fit.

A:The finished thickness of our standard treads are 1" thick x 11-1/2" wide

A:Traditional treads are used to replace your existing stairs, you could lay them over your existing stairs but you would still need to cut the bullnose off to make it squared. If you want to overlay your existing staircase with treads we suggest using our retro treads. http://woodstairco.com/retro-treads-and-risers/replacement-stair-treads/closed-box-treads/red-oak-natural-retro-stair-tread-closed-36-in.html

A:The 1" treads are designed to be a standalone product so installing them directly on the stringer is typically fine.

A:A traditional stair tread is 1" thick — the standard for new staircase construction or full replacements where existing treads are removed. Required by most US building codes for new builds. Use when existing treads are too damaged to install over, or when building a staircase from scratch.

A:Closed (box) end means both sides of the tread are cut square with no decorative return nosing — it fits wall to wall with both ends hidden. The correct style when neither end of your staircase is open to the room. Most widely available in all species, sizes, and finishes

A:Traditional installation requires removing the existing tread first: pry from below or cut the nosing and pull off stringers. Once removed, check stringer surface is flat and clean. New treads are installed with construction adhesive plus screws from below, or toe-nailed through the back edge. Return styles need additional care when fitting around baluster holes or open stringer ends. Carpentry-level project — many homeowners hire a stair carpenter for best results.

A:Red Oak accounts for over 50% of hardwood floors in US homes built before 2015, making it the natural match for most staircase upgrades. Janka hardness 1290 — handles residential traffic for decades. Open grain accepts stain evenly for consistent color matching to existing floors.

A:Prefinished Natural (Clear) means the tread is factory-coated with a clear protective finish that shows the natural wood color with no stain pigment. For Red Oak: warm honey-amber. For White Oak: pale grey-beige. The aluminum oxide UV-cured polyurethane is applied at the factory for superior durability. Ready to install immediately — no additional finishing required.

A:36" is the standard minimum width for townhomes, condos, basement staircases, and older homes. Most US residential building codes require a minimum 36" clear stair width. If measuring a tight staircase — townhouse, older colonial, or basement — 36" treads will typically fit. Always measure wall to wall before ordering.