Some of you might remember this post from last May:
http://www.houserepairtalk.com/showthread.php?t=20446
Well that stair case previously had w2w carpeting and the carpet actually wrapped up and over onto the hall floor at the top of the stairs.
I'm finally ready to paint the risers and stringers -- and so, finally, remvoed that last bit of carpet. It was a bit of surprise. Turns out the Oak strip in the hallway at the top of the stairs appears to be laid right on top of the old floor.
Now, no way I'm redoing the oak strip but I need to install a "top tread" in place of the carpet.
My questions/wonderings: (there are two pics below)
The oak strips are not perfectly square to the edge of the tread. I've tried to even-up these strips before (on the side opposite the stairs in fact). I wasn't pleased with my inability to cut a nice clean straight line.
Anybody want to suggest a technique for the proper tool for cutting a stright line across the butt end of th strips? (I believe I used a small Porter-C recipro/undercutter last time)
I'm going to fashion a wood "top tread".
I'm thinking cutting off the existing nose of the old "tread" makes sense. Because, then my new tread can have a nice brace against the riser -- rather than that rounded tread edge. Yes?
since the tread thickness could be as little as 3/4" -- should I cut-away (alot) more of the old "tread" to allow for a thicker tread that's less likely to split under the stress of feet stepping on its nose edge? If I do this I can install ~2" thick tread instead of 3/4". (so instead of cutting the nose off -- cut a lot more that tread back toward the oakstrips.)
For the same reason of stair security: Should I cut the oak strip back even further from the nose-edge than it is now?
And finally attach the new tread with what? Screws yes? But what gauge and how many? With a 2" tread I could countersink and hide screw heads. With a 3/4" it seems like the thinness might end up causing splitting.
Thanks! Here's the pics
Face-on:
And Top-Down:
http://www.houserepairtalk.com/showthread.php?t=20446
Well that stair case previously had w2w carpeting and the carpet actually wrapped up and over onto the hall floor at the top of the stairs.
I'm finally ready to paint the risers and stringers -- and so, finally, remvoed that last bit of carpet. It was a bit of surprise. Turns out the Oak strip in the hallway at the top of the stairs appears to be laid right on top of the old floor.
Now, no way I'm redoing the oak strip but I need to install a "top tread" in place of the carpet.
My questions/wonderings: (there are two pics below)
The oak strips are not perfectly square to the edge of the tread. I've tried to even-up these strips before (on the side opposite the stairs in fact). I wasn't pleased with my inability to cut a nice clean straight line.
Anybody want to suggest a technique for the proper tool for cutting a stright line across the butt end of th strips? (I believe I used a small Porter-C recipro/undercutter last time)
I'm going to fashion a wood "top tread".
I'm thinking cutting off the existing nose of the old "tread" makes sense. Because, then my new tread can have a nice brace against the riser -- rather than that rounded tread edge. Yes?
since the tread thickness could be as little as 3/4" -- should I cut-away (alot) more of the old "tread" to allow for a thicker tread that's less likely to split under the stress of feet stepping on its nose edge? If I do this I can install ~2" thick tread instead of 3/4". (so instead of cutting the nose off -- cut a lot more that tread back toward the oakstrips.)
For the same reason of stair security: Should I cut the oak strip back even further from the nose-edge than it is now?
And finally attach the new tread with what? Screws yes? But what gauge and how many? With a 2" tread I could countersink and hide screw heads. With a 3/4" it seems like the thinness might end up causing splitting.
Thanks! Here's the pics
Face-on:
And Top-Down:
Last edited: