Redoing Stairway

[TxHomeowner]

We are replacing the treads and risers on our enclosed stairway. At this point the old treads and risers have been removed leaving the initial bare stairs. I have two questions.

1. NEW STAIRTREADS - We want our stairs to match our living rooms Armstrong Grand Canyon Hickory Engineered Hardwood flooring. The flooring is 3/8" thick. Matching Armstrong stair nose is to be used on the treads.
QUESTION: In your opinion, is it okay to install the described treads over bare stair treads?

2. I am looking at new precut and finished risers. The risers are 0.3437 thick. According to the decription these risers are designed to be installed over existing risers.
QUESTION: In your opinion, is it okay to install the described risers over the bare stair risers?

Here is a photo of the bare stairway.

 

[nealtw]

I will let others answer the finishing questions, first you have to check heights and this is the time to look after any problems.
Check the rise of all the steps they should all be within 1/4 of each other.
If you are using 3/8 flooring, the top and bottom risers should be 3/8 lower in the rough to allow for the right height for the finished stairs. And yes if it is wrong it can be fixed.

So what is the height of the top and bottom riser and what is the height of the rest.

 

[bud16415]

By the looks of the marks left by the old treads they were thicker 5/4 is my guess and solid wood. As Neal mentioned you will most likely have to build them up the difference in thickness and then I don’t see any reason why you couldn’t use the existing base to attach it all too. If it is loose at all now is the time to tighten it up with some screws.

 

[TxHomeowner]

Thanks for your replies. After a close inspection of each tread, four were replace and some others taken up and realigned. All treads were resecured with screws. All of this thanks to the very detailed gentleman remodeling our homes interior.

I am unable to obtain the requested exact dimensions myself at this time but can tell you the treads are roughly 10" deep, 36" wide. The risers are 8" high. Of note is that the treads can be adjusted to variable depths an the treads allow up to 1/4" variance in both the top and bottom of the risers. If the riser variance is not needed 1/4" fillers are on hand. Btw, the fillers will not be seen. The flooring/stair companies rep will be here tomorrow to inspect and confirm measurements and bare stair conditions.

A finish question. The treads have a semi-gloss stained finish so I choose to finish the risers in semi-gloss white oil based spray. Thoughts?

 

[nealtw]

8" is really close to code, not sure what the norm is for finish.

 

[Snoonyb]

8" max. rise, 10" min. tread depth.

If you are using the flooring product for the riser finish, be sure to break the finish, prime with an oil based primer prior to painting, of the grain and stain will bleed thru.

What are your plans for the skirt boards?

 

[TxHomeowner]

8" max. rise, 10" min. tread depth.

If you are using the flooring product for the riser finish, be sure to break the finish, prime with an oil based primer prior to painting, of the grain and stain will bleed thru.

What are your plans for the skirt boards?

Not using flooring. The risers are poplar and the skirt board is in place. The skirt is going to get a good sanding and repainting.

 

[GBR]

Look like '70-80's stairs. 2x tread material for the base layer. Now that you removed the finish wood treads complete with overhang (nosing), you lack any nosing on the existing sub-treads. BTW, the 1/4" variance is of the nosing (tread projection) difference in elevation, not the riser adjustment- which supports the treads mid-span of the stringers, probably was 3/8" when they passed inspection, many years ago. Your top/bottom floor heights are all screwed up now, because you removed the thicker (than your new finish flooring) finished treads. You may be "grandfathered" in-- per code and not required to replace all the treads to get the nosing for the solid supports you need with the new thin finish flooring, but it will be hard to walk and finish without them. OR, may have to fix them, check with local AHJ. A stair without any nosing is bad, IMO. 1009.3 (5); Code you are under-7-3/4" riser max. http://www2.iccsafe.org/states/oregon/building/2004_PDFs/Chapter_10_Means of Egress.pdf

http://www.cmdgroup.com/building-codes/texas/

Gary

 

[TxHomeowner]

Look like '70-80's stairs. 2x tread material for the base layer. Now that you removed the finish wood treads complete with overhang (nosing), you lack any nosing on the existing sub-treads. BTW, the 1/4" variance is of the nosing (tread projection) difference in elevation, not the riser adjustment- which supports the treads mid-span of the stringers, probably was 3/8" when they passed inspection, many years ago. Your top/bottom floor heights are all screwed up now, because you removed the thicker (than your new finish flooring) finished treads. You may be "grandfathered" in-- per code and not required to replace all the treads to get the nosing for the solid supports you need with the new thin finish flooring, but it will be hard to walk and finish without them. OR, may have to fix them, check with local AHJ. A stair without any nosing is bad, IMO. 1009.3 (5); Code you are under-7-3/4" riser max. http://www2.iccsafe.org/states/oregon/building/2004_PDFs/Chapter_10_Means of Egress.pdf

http://www.cmdgroup.com/building-codes/texas/

Gary

Thanks Gary,
All new risers will be approximately 8" high. All new treads will be approximately 10 1/2" with noise. We are grandfathered. Our home was built in 1993. Again, thanks for your help.