Hi. I am installing Stair Treads. I have a lot of patience and I am determined to do it myself. The stairs are plywood with the carpet removed. The stairs are between two solid walls with no open areas. I am using 1" solid red oak stair treads that I will be cutting. I am putting in oak risers that I will be painting white.
I have a few questions:
What is the best saw blade to cut these stair treads? I am thinking 80-tooth
blade to clut them cleanly.
When I cut the stair treads should I cut them to be exactly against the two
walls or should I leave a tiny space between the stair treads and the wall?
I don’t think there would be any issues with wood expansion, so I am thinking
to cut them exactly to be against the wall
Do I need to place any materials such as caulking between the treads and the
wall, or just the wood against the wall?
Should I start from the bottom of the stair case and work my way up, or
start from the top and work my way down. Does it make any difference?
I plan to use a nail gun plus liquid nails to install the treads. I will counter
sink the nails and use putty to fill in. Do you agree with this method?
I plan to stain and varnish the treads before fasteing to the stairs. Risers
I will paint before fastening. Yes or No?
Those are my questions. Is there any other advice that comes to mind?
You’re taking on a significant project, there’s no sugar-coating that.
If you have not done so already, you should check building codes for proper stair height, tread width, chamfer angle of the nose of the tread, etc. Do you have a copy of the Stair section of the International Residential Code? Even things like the location and size of landings and head clearance need to be considered if you want your stairs to ever be up to code.
As to your questions…
Don’t know.
The stair designs I’ve looked at have no gap, or else a minuscule one.
You could use adhesive.
Where you start from is a frequent source of debate on DIY forums. I confess I do not know the answer.
If you want stairs which are going to last, I recommend using counter-sunk screws, not nails, to hold the treads. If you want fine finishing, counter-bore and counter-sink a screw hole, fill the top of the hole with a red oak plug, glue, and sand. Using the them with adhesive is of course good.
I’ve not seen people paint/varnish until construction is done. It seems to me you’ll end up doing it all twice.
1- 80 Tooth should be plenty. But, what kind of saw? Do you have a power miter box or radial arm? A good worm drive would be fine if you have a good eye. When choosing your cut, consider that the underside of the wood will splinter less, but should not be an issue with a good blade.
2- Allow some space. A curf at least. If nothing else this will help prevent squeaking between the tread and the string or wall after it is done and is being used. Also, consider that you have to get them in there.
3- The stairs you are going to cover with red wood are plywood? Plywood stairs? Oye. So it must already have risers? Are you going to cover them or replace them?
…. Without knowing more about how this is put together it is hard to say more. But, If you are connecting a flat surface (the redwood) to a flat surface (existing plywood treads) I would avoid liquid nails. It’s too thick (It’s great for putting down plywood deck on joists, but I would not use it here) I would use a basic wood glue like Tight Bond.
If the tread base is plywood, can you get underneath them and screw in the treads from the bottom up? Use short enough screws of course so they do not penetrate the redwood on top of the tread. If not, nails from the top down into plywood won’t do much. Screws would be much much better.
A picture of this would be worth a thousand words. As far as painting/staining it first, well, it also depends. Calk too. That can be done after it is installed, and will likely be unnecessary.
Most locals require a building permit for such structural and safety related work. I know many people don’t bother with it and I probably would not either frankly. But if you did pull a permit, those people often provide helpful information about engineering the work.
No need or value to offsetting the stringer/riser from the wall. Pre-cut risers are available at my local home center. They are cheap and cut right. Goes without saying that you will install one in the middle for support. Screw and glue is best to prevent creaking. Ring shank nails work too. Some codes require nails instead of screws I guess because nails bend and screws break. You might even be able to print out your local code and get some ideas.
Al, I think you are getting some of the terms mixed up. The OP is not asking about new stairs where they would replace the stringers. They asked if they sould cut the treads a little short.
And risers are the vertical backing of the treads. I think you are getting stringers and risers mixed up. Or, are thinking they are the same thing.
Building permits for interior stairs are a funny thing where I live. In most cities around me, interior stairs MUST meet code - BUT, do not require a building permit. Given that the average DIY’er isn’t going to be getting a code book like I did, I’d reckon that means a large number, if not all, of the DIY projects would not pass code.