basement steps... need suggestions

[mziese1]

am now almost at the end of completing my basement renovation. Bought the house with an unfinished basement. The builder installed a standard set of steps and risers made out of pine or some other type of lower end wood. I want to finish up my basement project by finishing the steps with a better wood for the treads. I talked to one of the flooring people at my local Lowes and he suggested that I purchase engineered oak flooring. He said that it would only increase the height a little and that the flooring would stand up to the traffic.

I was also considering purchasing 1/2" thick oak boards and just gluing and nailing them over top of the existing treads. I would also use my router to make overlap joints, so as to butt the boards. I will also be removing the bull-nose ends of the treads prior to laying either the wood planks or the engineered flooring and installing my own. If I use the planks I will also be finishing them up with a urethane made especially for floors.

I'd like to know if anyone here has resurfaced any of their steps in this manner and which they suggest is better?


Thanks

M

[Speedwrench]

look at a wood specialty store and find some oak stair treads, don't use the engineered wood as changing the height of the treads can cause trip hazards any tread height over 8 in is against code in most juridications

life begins when the kids leave home and the dog dies

[mziese1]

Speedwrench, thanks for you reply.

I believe that the concern about the height of the top and bottom risers may already be taken care of. First, at the top of the stairs leading into the main part of the first floor, there is a wall to wall carpet that is thick. So by adding a top covering over the first thread will only bring it back to a standard height. As for the bottom tread height, this too may already be addressed because of the tiled floor in the basement. The tile is at least 3/16" thick, so either adding an engineered or solid tread cover will also make up the difference.

The stringers are painted white. So I will paint the riseres white to match the stringers and molding. I have seen in a lot of older colonial style homes, where the treads are oak, but the riser, molding and stringers are painted.

I'm just wondering witch will stand up to the best wear? Solid oak which I can cut and fit? Or engineered, which has already been prefinished? I know that I can purchase engineered boards that have a bull-nose.

M

[mziese1]

I think I will buy my own oak boards and have a mill surface plain them to about 3/16". I am thinking of gluing them with liquid nails and also using counter sunk wood screws, which will be covered up with oak dowel plugs. Or get a plug cutter and make my own matching plugs from scraps. As for the finish, I plan on leaving them natural with just the poly top coats.

M