“Can I install hardwood on stairs?”, said the hopeful customer. My brother Jason and I hear this occasionally, and it always causes us to shiver. Once, many, many years ago, while still young, thin, and energetic cubs, we accepted a customer’s request to install hardwood on their steps. Notice that young, thin, and energetic are not joined by my most valued adjective, smart. More on that later.

Hardwood on Stairs Commitment – Mistake #1

Ok, we decided we could do that. Can’t be that bad, huh? We are installing hardwood on a friend’s staircase. No problem, or so we thought.

This is a Single Day Project, Right? – Mistake #2

We priced it as a day’s work (mistake #2) and scheduled the job. So it took 14 stair noses at $40 each. We only needed 2 boxes of wood. With labor, it should come out under $1000 (mistake #3). This was a long job. Don’t expect to be finished in a few hours, it took us a few days.

Hardwood on Stairs is Cheap Right? – Mistake #3

And it did get finished for under $1000. Did we make any money? Sadly, no. We came to this conclusion halfway through the second day. And we were not close to being done.

Looking Forward to a Beautiful Finish? – Mistake #4

So how did it look when completed? Horrible. Because we were cutting individual boards on each step we had to trim. And while the variation in color looked good on the floor, it was a bit much for individual steps. Hardwood planks installed on stairs do not look as good as hardwood planks on the floor.

Choose Pre-made Treads Materials

Now we can talk about the proper way to do hardwood stair treads. Buy pre-made stair treads! Stair treads have the nosing built-in, so it looks much better and is a lot less wasteful. We had a lot

Also, treads are made from a high grade of wood, so the color is consistent. This also helps your stain to better match your floor.

Will Your Risers Match?

Many people like their risers to be stained to match the treads, while still others prefer the contrast of a painted riser. There is no question the contrasting risers pop! Another option is to use a riser that has a natural finish with a darker stained tread.

Treads come in widths from 36” up to whatever you need, typically in 6” increments. Our most popular size is a 48” tread. Make sure you measure each step, as there may be a slight variation in size.

Stair Tread Widths with a Return

While most steps are closed, or boxed, on each end, some are open on one or both ends. In this case, a tread with a return is needed. This is a tread that is finished on one end just like the front, or nose. The return usually hangs over the edge of the step by a couple of inches. Be careful to order enough tread; I had a customer order 36” treads with the return once, instead of 36” plus a return. They were short, and he wasn’t happy.

Wooden Treads Steps Average Cost

Stair treads and risers are available in all domestic hardwood species such as Red Oak, Maple, and Hickory, and can also be ordered in the exotic hardwoods. While the domestic treads will start at $30 or so, longer length, returns, and prefinished will run the price up. If you are paying a contractor to do the job, expect to pay $100-150 per step. Expect to pay more for an exotic wood or wood types other than the common domestic materials. And make sure that he puts adhesive under each tread, as that will help eliminate squeaks that are common on stairs.

I hope I have been able to shed a bit of light on using stair treads. If I can be of any more help, please do not hesitate to contact me. Shop our stair treads today.