My question is, what is the best way to attach the new treads over the old ones? ... concealed connection between the stair stringer and the carrying header or rim joist while replacing costly framing. If the crack or split remains gaped or other signs of … Stair treads butted against an un-grooved stringer inner face and then nailed or screwed through the stringer into the stair tread. Cut out templates from cardboard for the stair stringers. Hey guys, just sharing a quick little tip on how to caulk hardwood stairs, specifically how to re-caulk cracked stair stringer seams and trim. Ask This Old House general contractor Tom Silva teaches a homeowner how to replace split-level stair treads in his mid-century modern home. This could be a big job, if the balusters are incorporated into the old treads, but maybe your basement stairs have a different, easier design. Stringers on open-sided stairs are called "cut stringers". By continuing to browse our site you agree to our use of data and cookies. You can buy hardwood strips or planks to resurface your treads and risers. Fill the nail holes with wood putty or filler, sand them smooth, and refinish them. Just as in fitting the riser, you may have to scribe the tread and cut it to fit the stringers at both ends. This wedge is far superior to simply nailing or screwing the tread down to the stringers. Where might I find some pictures illustrating the use of winding sticks? Drive screws through the splint and into the stringer every 8 to 10 inches, avoiding the area directly above and to the side of the split or crack by 3 or 4 inches. Determine the original (or appropriate) width of the stairs, and calculate the length of the threaded rod and bolts, leaving enough room to tighten the threads into the coupling. Just touch up the materials after installation where they may have been scratched or marred during the process. This wedge is far superior to simply nailing or screwing the tread down to the stringers. Use a jigsaw or sabresaw to cut all the way to the wall on each end. Worn or broken? Dry fit them first to make sure they fit precisely against both the stringers and the riser. Hold the riser flush with the top of the stair step above it and nail it in place. My answer hinges on that assumption. Insert the rod through the block into the countersunk bolt, then attach the block to the wall-side stringer using polyurethane glue and screws. Tim Inman: Why are you replacing the treads on your steps? See more ideas about stairs stringer, stairs, diy stairs. In all these cases, you may want or need to replace your stair treads. Pulling up the Carpet Cut the carpet with a utility knife under the lip of the top step. Install the stringer to the deck using three-inch nails or screws attached at an angle from the stringer into the deck, and others straight through the stringer into the cleat (block of wood). ... Stairs were done with treads and risers mortised into … We will talk about the type of stair tread that butts up to the stringer attached to drywall. Inside staircase or outside porch steps? There are several different methods of stair construction and replacing the stair treads depends … ... so you too can integrate the most innovative and artistic home improvement products into your home! If so, what is the recommended way to hind the nail head? The owner of the shop knew exactly how the stairs were built (common to most new developments in this area) and he said to do the job right by replacing the skirt, treads, and risers is going to be more expensive than it's worth. Measure for each individual bullnose and cut it out. ... Nail the treads to the stringer using the brad nailer. Some people choose to finish the stair treads, risers, stringers, and bullnose material before installing it. Check the stair stringer for square at each side of the tread. You can adjust the template until you get a perfect fit, then cut the stringers out of ¼” plywood. New or old? This irregularity might not seem like much, but it could cause folks to lose their balance and get tippy. There are five steps, ending in a landing. Replacing stair treads may be necessary due to age or wear, or for esthetic reasons. You will need to cut away the overhang from each rough construction stair step so it is flush with the riser backing below it. Stair Decor Decorating Stairs Replacing Stair Treads Stairs Skirting Stairs Stringer Basement Stairs Stairways Home Improvement Flooring. Since the stairs lead to the basement I have easy access to the underside. Remove all the old carpet, padding, staples, and tack strips. We are not just limited to stairs! After that, shims are driven under the treads and behind the risers to lock them in place. Others are simply butted up to the stair stringer, which is attached to the drywall. attach two tread sections. To finish the stairs, Tom … ... and clamp in place until dry to further reinforce the mended stringer. Stair stringer veneer replacement. So, if you really want to do the job right, remove the original tread pieces, and install the new maple ones correctly – with wedges. Nail the tread down onto the stringers. We use data about you for a number of purposes explained in the links below. In a closed system, the stringers are dadoed out about 3/8" into the wood. Update your stairs with new treads, risers, and skirting. Fit the replacement tread in the place where the old tread went. Check the stair steps, both risers and treads, for plumb and level, and squeaking. Tread Rise The distance from the top of one tread to the top of the next tread. This speeds up the installation where the stairs are in use every day. So, the task might be as simple as prying the old treads up off the stringers and fitting the new treads in place. Tap the new stair tread into place using a block of wood and rubber mallet or hammer. Doing that will change the rise of the bottom step (it gets taller) and the first step below the landing (it gets shorter), which becomes a tripping hazard. If you encounter a stair built this way you should add glued & screwed cleats to support the treads. The stair has skirt boards on both sides and it looks like the treads are recessed into the skirt boards (think they call this a “housed” stair case). With all the risers and treads removed, we’re left with just the stringers, which need to be removed preferably in one piece so that I can reuse them for the new stairs. Use the proper solvent to clean up after using any adhesive. Treads by Design is a stair manufacturing company located in Winnipeg, … Presently the steps are made of 2 x 12 pine. Your treads will get thinner 35" instead of 36" if you use 1/2" ply but no one will notice when you're done. Mar 25, 2020 - Explore Clinton Johnson's board "Stairs stringer", followed by 377 people on Pinterest. It was developed by seasoned stair and flooring experts to save time, meet building codes, deliver a superior … Chris Marshall: Upgrading to maple treads will be a nice improvement to your stairs, but you shouldn’t nail the new treads over the old ones. My home is about 20 years old. Measure the risers and cut them out of 1/4” plywood one at a time. Wooden Staircase – By Kristina D.C. Hoeppner via (CC BY-SA 3.0) ... As an alternative drill countersunk pilots holes for screws and screw the treads with two screws through the tread into each stringer. Measure the stair treads and cut them one at a time. Projects. Attach Two Tread Sections. It keeps the tread tight, and prevents most “squeaking” later on in life. Then, when dry-fitting the new treads from L.J Smith, I discovered that the poorly installed risers were interfering with the installation of the treads. Some people remove the carpet that covers their stairs and find that the treads and risers are of rough construction or severely damaged by carpet tack strips and staples. 1; 2 ... Make it as high as you built up the old stringer so the tops match, Then just get some thicker trim to cover the tops of the stringers. Fill the nail holes in the riser, sand them smooth, and refinish them. Stick with nails and screws. If you think you may be replacing the treads, risers, and stringers again in the foreseeable future, do not use construction adhesive during the installation. There are several different methods of stair construction and replacing the stair treads depends to a certain degree on how your stairs were built. Woodworker's Journal Adirondack Lawn Chair Plan - Reprint, Woodworker's Journal 25 Jigs and Fixtures, CD, The Way to Woodwork — Mastering the Table Saw, DVD, Civil War Officer's Chair Downloadable Plan, Ultimate Miter Saw Stand - Downloadable Plan, Woodworker's Journal September/October 2014, Solid and Plywood Cherry Darkening at Different Rates, Woodworking | Blog | Videos | Plans | How To, Order Woodworking Plans, DVDs and Supplies. Risers are the vertical pieces that keep us from sticking our toes through the back. Total Rise The distance the flight of stairs raises vertically between two finished floor levels. I'm not a finish carpenter, but I've made several stairs where I rabbett the … To reconstruct the stairs, we bought a 2×12 for the stringer and some pre-primed 1×8 boards for the risers. We proudly offer a Lifetime Structural Warranty on wood and a 10 Year Warranty on all stain! Removing the old treads and replacing them is not a simple/easy task, it can be done though. Such low rise stairs were built into the Winchester Mystery House to accommodate the infirmities of the owner, Sarah Winchester, before the invention of the elevator. Stair treads butted against an un-grooved stringer inner face and then nailed or screwed through the stringer into the stair tread. – Peter Sferro. Some stair treads are mortised into the stair skirting or stringers. in retrospect, i'd have rebuilt the stairs to. I would probably use construction adhesive and hand-nail using heavier casing nails and not pneumatic fasteners for installing the treads. Underneath each tread, on both ends where the tread fits into the stringers, a wooden wedge is driven to tighten the tread and hold it in place. Pry up the tread carefully. The easiest way IMO, would be to cut the nosing off the treads flush with the risers then just install new risers in front of the old, flush with the top of the old tread and install new thread on top of the old. If there is an open stringer on one side of the staircase and access from beneath, remove the open-side mouldings and release balusters. The stairs are made up of plywood treads and mdf risers which are installed into a "grooved stringer" and everything is tacked together with nails, shims, and adhesive (see photos). Although we hired out the job of refinishing our carpeted stairs to wood treads, I took on the job or re-caulking the stair stringers and trim. In all these cases, you may want or need to replace your stair treads. You will also need bullnose material that matches your treads and risers. Note that the top riser measurment includes a 3/4" allowance for the carpet on the landing, which will be replaced with a 3/4 oak bull nose along the edge. Treads are the workhorses. For a truly professional … Cut a piece of nosing to use as a mitered return on the side of the tread. Again, this is just basic demo. Do I just use construction glue? NuStair stair treads are Amish American made in Pennsylvania using select or better American hardwoods. Just remember this: if you “top” the old treads, then the first step up at the bottom of the staircase will have a higher rise, and the last step at the top of the staircase will have a shorter rise. Do I also nail them? I will be staining the maple to match the oak trim in the basement. To replace a damaged tread, pry or cut it out without damaging the stringer. Place a drop of glue in the countersunk hole and add a plug to the hole. Those stairs were … How to Caulk Hardwood Stairs & Repair Cracked Caulk. Secure them to the stringers with wood screws. These wedges can only be seen or accessed from beneath the staircase, which is often not accessible upon final installation. The right approach is to remove the old pine treads altogether. When treads are installed in a staircase, there is customarily a wedge-shaped mortise or “slot” cut into the stringers to hold the treads where they belong. so i'm retrofitting the existing paint grade material open stringer stairs to look like a closed stringer oak tread and … When I make a housed stringer stair the treads and risers are glued & screwed together. Unique Jobs. Treads and risers usually slot into pockets in the stringers, the inclined boards that carry the stair. All the cuts made installing stair treads, risers, and stringers are precise so use the very best sharp thin kerf carbide blades you can buy for your saws. As you install one riser, position and fasten the corresponding tread so you can carefully climb to the next step for installation. Underneath each tread, on both ends where the tread fits into the stringers, a wooden wedge is driven to tighten the tread and hold it in place. ... Slide the tread into place, ensuring the rabbet on the tread slides into the dado on the riser. If the tread is nailed to the top riser, work the tread until there’s enough of a gap to insert a saw to cut the nails, then carefully puli the tread off the bottom riser … ... be poured into it than it is worth. And, doubled-up treads will look odd. After the stringers are attached, install the stair treads and risers. Treads are the flat part we step on. Our most popular stair for residential, commercial, and multi-family projects is designed and built to accept numerous flooring products. Some people remove the carpet that covers their stairs and find that the treads and risers are of rough construction or severely damaged by carpet tack strips and staples. Since I want to replace the treads and risers, is it best to just pull them off then get the skirt board out of the way? Step 3 - Attaching Additional Stringers. Pry, hammer, and curse as needed. however, it's tool late for that. And now we are offering the latest in home improvement...barn doors! Replace any handrail balusters and toenail them into place on the new tread. You may have to scribe the end of each riser to fit the stringer perfectly. Cracks often occur at the back of the step, where the tread and risers meet, or the outside stringer, when it doesn't contact a wall. If you need to replace more than one stringer you should know how many you will need. The stairway is a closed stringer stair - so I have no access to either side of the stringers as everything is enclosed by. As always, fill the nail holes, sand them smooth, and refinish them. Stair Treads Installation. How to Update Oak Stair Treads and Risers | Ask This Old House - … The very important, but hidden and often unknown, element of tread installation is a blind or hidden wedge. I need some advice regarding replacing a broken stair tread on an interior stair case in my house. Keep broom, dustpan, and shop vacuum handy during installation to prevent damage from loose fasteners, sawdust, or debris. I had the Amish make up new treads made from maple. While the 'right thing to do' is to replace all the treads, risers, and stringers, I would not like to do that. Install the risers beginning at the top of the staircase. You can also use construction adhesive behind the riser, as well. Stair treads are the part of the stairs where you place your foot as you climb up or descend them. Use a new, sharp … Tags: remodeling, replacing stair treads, stair remodeling, stair treads, stairs, Discuss this and other Home Improvement Topics in our How To Forum. It is too late to repair squeaks or gaps once the treads and risers are installed. This bothered me. Drill holes for the nails and install them. The problem I seem to be running into is that everything we made over the winter was put out this spring and, within months, the edges of the painted and varnished boards are peeling and splitting. The very important, but hidden and often unknown, element of tread installation is a blind or hidden wedge. The wedge, properly installed, keeps working itself tight over time. This video shows how I replaced my carpet and pine stairs with stained oak stair treads. Replacing stair treads may be necessary due to age or wear, or for esthetic reasons. Be careful. The shims are usually glued and nailed (1 per shim) in place. Call – 859-466 … Click Here to View More. Repeat this process until all the treads have been replaced and the risers have the veneer. If treads are cracked or badly worn, they need to be replaced First, remove the bullnose side molding and balusters. We use cookies to improve your experience on this website and so that ads you see online can be tailored to your online browsing interests. Depending on the type of the staircase, glue or nail the tread secure with 2 1/2-inch finish nails. Stair treads are the part of the stairs where you place your foot as you climb up or descend them. Anyway, I need to remove a tread because the nosing is broken off. The adhesive will help prevent the treads from squeaking down the road. The plan was to duplicate the existing stringer pattern, so we used a Milescraft angle finder to match the stair angle. Constructing a Stair Stringer. ... i built walls and rooms around the existing stairs. Since you say ‘”in” your house, and you’re making maple replacements in place of the pine, I’m going to guess that you’re replacing the treads on an interior staircase to give it an upgrade. The treads are installed from behind the stringers by sliding them into the dadoes on each side. It all makes a difference to the answer. Install the stringers with a good quality construction adhesive. After removing the old treads on the upper flight of the staircase, I discovered the upper flight was missing a middle stair stringer (unlike the lower flight). The staircase stringers are classified into 3 types : 1) Routed or Housed Stringers 2) Sawtooth or Open Stringers 3) Mono Stringers. I’m remodeling the steps in my basement. Larger gaps forced closed by wedges could crack the stringers A larger gap usually means stair replacement. 1. I have finish nailers (15-,16-, 18- and 22-gauge). Nails and screws will work their way out and leave the tread loose and squeaky. Click Here to View More. Routed or Housed Stringers. It is critical that you ensure all the rough construction is straight, plumb, level, and tight before proceeding to install the risers, treads, and stringers. If you just need new wearing surfaces, then about any way you want to install them will work – for a while. Install the bullnose material on the front face of the stair tread with construction adhesive and nails. Use a circular saw to cut the treads to the length of each riser. Jump to Latest Follow 1 - 20 of 33 Posts. … Do not bevel the ends of the bullnose material like you did for the risers. Field slopeable to all common stair stringer pitches, the … Transfer the angle to the 2×12 and mark the layout. In addition to exterior stairs, we offer complete deck and fence packages, sheds, etc. How hard is replacing stair treads and risers? Shim them where necessary to plumb and level them and eliminate noise and add long spiral screws or nails. Cut each end of the riser on a slight bevel from front to back so you can achieve a tight fit flush with the stringer. I started by removing the fasteners/prying the stringers loose at the bottom and working my way up. Also see UNSAFE STAIR TREAD TO STRINGER CONNECTIONS; ... concealed connection between the stair stringer and the carrying header or rim joist while replacing costly … Routed stringers consist of notches (hollowed out) in which the treads, risers, and wedges can be inserted. Use a plate joiner on the tread edges to be … Including: wood stair treads, wood stair risers, replacement stair parts, tread and riser covers, decorative stair risers, adjustable iron balusters, Ole’ Iron Slides™, decorative exterior shutters and stair design consultation. ... Five years of research and development went into every aspect of the NuStair® product. If you encounter a stair built this way you should add glued & screwed cleats to support the treads. When we moved in the basement was unfinished and the stairs were just paint grade pine. I have a split level home and I need to replace a couple of stair treads.