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unhappyoptimist_ OP t1_jcytd8c wrote

Reply to comment by Guy_panda in Replacing stair tread by unhappyoptimist_

https://imgur.com/L0i74s8

https://imgur.com/QI8nHYL

The top tread looks different and does not line up with the flooring, it looks like there had been something glued on top of it. The rest of the treads do creak a bit but are stable and I honestly like the mild creakiness of the stairs.

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Guy_panda t1_jcyzzoz wrote

I am 99% certain that is rift sawn white oak. I can tell it is rift sawn as opposed to quarter sawn because I don’t see any of the “rays” that are typically present in a quarter sawn oak. I believe it’s white oak because the yellowness indicates such where as red oak is more white but with red/pinkish grain hence the name. There are testing kits that use wood shavings to test exactly what species of wood grain it is.

We’ve had our fair share of white oak floor repairs and one thing I will say is that because of the age of the treads, getting an exact match, colorwise, won’t be possible because of the difference between old growth and new growth and the aging your treads were subject to. For the most part the difference in color should be subtle but could be noticeable.

If you do go ahead and refinish these steps, you could test the color matching by getting a sample quarter sawn plank, put a coat of poly on it, then sand a spot on the steps (ideally where the finished has mostly worn off so it’s easy to sand), coat with poly and compare the colors. If the color is close enough and doesn’t bother your then go ahead and replace the tread. If it stands out and bothers you(which I totally understand), I’d maybe consider doing a glue and epoxy repair if the split in the tread is clean enough for you to get a tight and sturdy fit with glue.

I do see what you mean with the top tread. Looking at the wear on the lower stairs it looks like there was a was a runner on the steps and it must’ve been glued down at the top. Lucky for you, a good sanding with 40 or 50 grit will clean those steps up real nice and the color of all of them should be consistent.

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UKthailandExpat t1_jd1dqlv wrote

Creaking of the stairs indicates that they have loosened over time, and that unusual stresses are being given. That is almost certainly why you had a failure. Fix them so they don’t create and they will be OK for another century

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unhappyoptimist_ OP t1_jd30dfg wrote

Do I just renail the treads into the stringers to fix the creaking?

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UKthailandExpat t1_jd6gmuv wrote

That is a difficult question to answer. The first thing is to throughly inspect the places where the wood is moving.

It looks as if you may have access to the underside of the stairs, if you do then you will be able to tap the wedges in as they are probably why you have movement. The stairs are cheaply finished as shown by the bandsaw marks still showing on all the treads and risers. While not proof that the original makers skipped steps in production, it certainly makes it a significant possibility. This can be both good and not so great, the good point is that tightening the treads up may be easy, the not great point is that they may have used nails to avoid the time to make and fit the staircase properly.

TLDR just renailing will work for a short time it is a bodge specially if you don’t use cut nails.

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