For one, like the stair runners, they act as sound-proofing elements. Do work at least one riser ahead before installing treads. Stair-Treads.com offers several solutions to your stair repair needs from replacement stairs and handrails to custom staining. Pin It. ... is straight, plumb, level, and tight before proceeding to install the risers, treads, and stringers. Stair stringers are the side boards that support the risers (the front of the step) and treads (the top of the step) of your staircase. Stair treads, made to fit tightly in between the stringer (the side support) and the risers (the toe-kicks that sit perpendicular to the treads) provide a smooth, solid finish to a staircase. When I removed the treads, I found the stair stringers had been shimmed level with oak blocks (indicated with red arrow) to provide a level nailing surface for the treads. I'm not sure it is worth doing without flattening the treads as well. Hold layout square on tread to ensure straight, level holes. Such splits can also be caused by resting heavy furniture on the tread edge during moves. To replace a damaged tread, pry or cut it out without damaging the stringer. Stair Repair Aluminum & Abrasive Grit Tread System The "Once -And-For-All" Stair and Platform Renovation Treads Stair Repair Aluminum & Abrasive Grit Tread System safety renovation treads are designed for the modernization and restoration of all types of stairs, while providing excellent anti-slip protection for pedestrians. In most cases, this supporting member is along the perimeter of the tread as well as down the middle of the tread. Some covers also conceal the old step risers, the vertical boards between the treads. You can see here how nice and finished it looks already and the caulking seams will not be that bad at all. The tread nosing can wear and even split over time. Step 2 – Repairing the Step. Cleaning your stair treads is important for ensuring proper friction for stairway traffickers. The goal is the push the middle of the bow flat. Then, replace the medium-grade disc with a fine-grade disc and sand them again. I just bought a 1920's house and a few of the risers appear to have been "kicked inward" for lack of a better descripton. Mainly, though, these supplementary stair treads act as a bridge, redistributing the walker's weight across the width of the stair … If during your experiment, the stair does not squeak when you step on the edge, but it does squeak when you step in the middle, then the tread is most likely bowed. ... And, at that point I’d probably also consider hiring him to repair the steps to make sure you are abiding by your local building codes. Print. View Stair Treads, Factory-Finished Suppliers. If you can, try to fix the tread without eliminating it. by Journal Staff • May 27, 2014. Treads are the flat part we step on. 2. Drill 3 equally spaced holes, 2 ½ inches deep, into the area of the step that is being repaired. Stair treads probably get more---and more intense---foot traffic than just about any other surface in your home. There’s too much at stake, including lives, if steps are built or repaired incorrectly. This depends on the type of string you have, either a cut string ora closed string (see staircase glossary inour information hub).. Each one has a slightly different approach in removing an individual tread, they are as follows. Damage to treads are rare and are normally limited to split or broken nosings.. Damaged treads can be repaired or replaced based on how your staircase is constructed. not painted. Pull on front edge of tread to open crack. In this video, This Old House general contractor Tom Silva reveals his quick fix for cracked wooden stair treads. Treads and risers usually slot into pockets in the stringers, the inclined boards that carry the stair. Steps: 1. Stair Tread Installation: Hello ladies and gentlemen!Today's lesson will teach you how to install non slip stair treads (or stair nosing) on an existing staircase. Installing two risers is one way to ensure proper strength and performance. Wood caps that you cut to size and fit over your stair tread and runner do a fairly good job of eliminating squeaks. The stair treads won’t have much to touch up either, those nails are countersunk and all I’ll have to do is add a little caulk to those and touch up with paint. The risers support the front edge of the stair treads. What we need to do is to pull the stringers inward and re-secure all parts. The important thing is to remember to install riser, tread, riser, tread or install the risers first. Depending upon how the staircase is constructed, this can be easy or it can be far too made complex for an amateur to tackle. Fixing a Broken Stair Tread Specific treads can be replaced when absolutely needed. 3. Be safe! Rather than demoing the old staircase or removing the original treads, I just built new treads right on top. Typical stairs are made up of treads, risers and stringers (as seen in photo). Over time the stringer(s) can pull away from the treads and risers. The stair treads, whether new or old construction is normally attached to a substantial framing member, such as a 2X12, or another wood member that is supporting the tread. I trimmed the old stair tread to the same depth as the stair riser. Tread and nosing covered in dirt, grease, grime, or build-up may not provide appropriate slip-and-fall prevention. How to Easily Raise Stair Treads Without Removing the Old Tread. Stair Repair Costs. Putty edfinitely will not help in this situation. If this proves difficult, consider your choices carefully: If the treads are Treads are the workhorses. If there is an open stringer on one side of the staircase and access from beneath, remove the open-side mouldings and release balusters. When you re-stain, you also will have to re-gloss over the stain, which looks good and protects the wood. The sanding block can be found online. It is important to maintain your stairs in order to keep them in safe condition. If you watch the remodel update from a couple weeks ago, you can actually see the first step already done! How to repair loose stair treads. How to repair / cover up badly cupped stair treads? Before you begin any DIY project, you’ll need plan your budget. Figure 5 - Screwing a stair tread to a stringer from the top. They can be tightened and reinforced by installing a wooden block on the underside of the staircase. If you need to repair more than just a stair tread, contact a pro today for up to four quotes from contractors in your area for free. The area underneath is finished plaster and lathe. The process is quite simple if you're used to using power tools and a measuring tape.Before we begin, here is a… Concrete stair treads tend to crack over time. Use the following steps to maintain your stair treads and keep your staircases safe for users: 1. Sometimes a stair tread will get so worn-out that no amount of repair-work can fix the problem, and you will simply have to replace the tread with a new one. Jul 31, 2014 - This Old House general contractor Tom Silva reveals his quick fix for cracked wooden steps We'd like to remove the paint and finish the wood underneath, but the gaps at the end are the worst part of the staircase. Tweet. The danger is that the loose parts can affect the integrity of the entire stair-case. 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. Some stair treads are mortised into the stair skirting or stringers. Use tapered bit to drill three holes into the edge of the cracked stair tread. Roll a pencil up into a piece of fine-grain sandpaper and hand sand all of the corners and edges. How to Repair Worn Stair Treads. Others are simply butted up to the stair stringer, which is attached to the drywall. Here’s what you’ll need: 1. Resources: To refinish stair treads, the old finish will need to be completely sanded off. There is NO access to the underside of the staircase. Loose stair treads that make a rattling noise or worse when you stand on them can be very annoying and distracting. The repair process is similar to fixing a cupped tread, only in this instance, the nail goes in the middle of the tread. Treads will have to be fastened to the stringers from the top. Stained-wood stair treads can become worn and discolored over the years as a result. Risers are the vertical pieces that keep us from sticking our toes through the back. It is too late to repair squeaks or gaps once the treads … If you have a natural wood staircase, the repairs have to be done with some precision in order to maintain the appearance. How to Caulk Hardwood Stairs & Repair Cracked Caulk 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. For example, if your new stair treads measure a new thickness of 1/2 inch, install 1/2-inch … They can even awaken others who are sleeping or trying to sleep nearby as the sound seems to echo through the house which is particularly quiet in the wee hours. Read below how to do it. If your new stair treads will rise higher than 1/8 inch from the existing stair tread height, you may need to adjust the height of the lower and upper floors at each end of the staircase. Fixing Detached Stair Treads? Stair repair is an inevitable part of having staircases in a home, especially stairs that endure a lot of traffic. Step 1 – Remove the Old Tread Any suggestions short of replacing the treads? Replacing Stair Treads. The best method is to secure the treads using 2 inch #10 beveled head wood screws. Contents1 Stair Repair – How to Do-It-Yourself2 Repairing squeaky treads and risers3 Repairing squeaky treads and risers step-by-step guide:4 Balustrade repairs5 Treads, risers and stringers6 REPLACING TREADS AND RISERS7 Balusters repairs step-by-step guide Stair Repair – How to Do-It-Yourself Stringers, treads, risers and balustrade combined make up the parts of a staircase. If your stringer fails, the staircase cannot be safely used. Here is how to fix a worn or broken stair tread. They go right over the old step treads, the horizontal board that you walk on. Check the internet or home centers for special squeaky floor repair kits that tighten treads without damaging the finished floor. Generally speaking, the shim blocks all rested slightly higher than the notched surface of the stringers and aligned flush with the tops of the risers. To do this, Nathan used a variety of tools, including a Rotex 150 multi-mode sander for the majority of the tread, a scraper for the corner of the stairs, and a Sanding Mouse Hook and Loop Sanding Block for around the balusters and the nosing of the tread. Home DIY, Repair and Maintenance. My house has open tread stairs which are badly cupped. The staircase is carpeted and the visible portions of the stair are oak, i.e. To finish pine stair treads, attach a medium-grade disc to a power sander and sand the treads. The kit shown here is designed to send a snap-off screw right through the carpet without damaging the fibers. The other exposed stair treads are all square, so I need a solution that allows for replacement of the chewed off portion. Stair overlays, or covers, are handy products for improving the look and/or slip-resistance of existing stairs. Does anyone have advice on how to pull several stair risers back into contact with the treads where they have separated? 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