# replacing carpeted stair case



## jemhunter (May 19, 2016)

hello all

i am planning to replace the carpet on my stairs with wood treads.

the treads are not standard rectangular shaped. 

what material do you guys use to make templates? 1/2" plywood?

how do i transfer the shape of the tread to the template for cutting?

i am new to this, but i have a lot of time and patience to get this done right. 

thanks much.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## jemhunter (May 19, 2016)

i am also looking for a suggestion on the type of wood to use. i need to stain it to match the laminate floor. i dont like wood with heavy grain like oak. something that can take the traffic and as low maintenance as possible and economical would be good for me.

thanks


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

jemhunter said:


> hello all
> 
> i am planning to replace the carpet on my stairs with wood treads.
> 
> ...


Do you have a picture of the stairway you are working on. I don't use any templates, I just cut the treads the shape they need to be.


----------



## FrankC (Aug 24, 2012)

Why not just use laminate floor boards on top of the treads that are already there:


----------



## jemhunter (May 19, 2016)

thanks for your replies. the bottom part of the stairs (pictured) has curved shaped thus i cannot use the standard straight treadnose.

i came to the conclusion i have to put new custom cut treads on top and round that bullnose. but i am open to any easier option you can think of.

i also thought about cutting the treads and make them straight but the tiles currently butt against it and moving the riser would expose the concrete floor and we dont have spare tiles to fix the area.











Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

The curvature of the treads isn't much of a problem, fitting the curved ends too will be. Cut a straight board roughly the length of the tread at the back and center it on the riser. Then measure the distance out on each side and make it the same on both sides. That will be the radius. Then cut a piece of cardboard or a project board to that radius and place it against the riser and fine tune the cut if need be. Then you should be able to trace the front to that radius. Then the next step would be to take a smaller piece of cardboard and guess at the radius and cut it and fine tune it to fit the radius on the end and likewise the other end. Then trace the front edge and cut that. Once you have the three pieces of cardboard to where it matches glue them together there on the steps so you know it matches. Once dry use the cardboard pattern to cut your wooden tread. If you have a hot melt glue gun gluing the pattern together would be easier and quicker.


----------



## Terry Q (Jul 28, 2016)

Keep in mind that whatever you do, you need to be careful with the thickness of the steps so the first and last step don’t end up with too much of a height difference from the floors. Building codes only allow so much variation in heights between steps for safety. 


In woodworking there is always more then one way to accomplish something.


----------



## jemhunter (May 19, 2016)

Thanks all for your replies and guidance
@Steve. Excellent suggestion. I will then use cardboard to make a template, transfer it to a 1/2" plywood, cut w/ a jigsaw. Then clamp the plywood to my stair tread and cut w/ a router. Just curious, how much horsepower and amps are needed from a router to cut thru a 1" thick of wood?
@Terry, I saw that building code requires the riser to not exceed 7 3/4" height and the shortest riser and the tallest riser should be within 3/8". I am not sure how to solve this. Assuming my risers are equal height, after adding the new treads, the riser between first floor to bottom step would be 1" taller than the other risers. Similarly, the riser between the top step and second floor would be 1" shorter than other risers.

I found a company online that can prefabricate the stair treads and risers. I need to provide the templates and do the installation. Do you think the steps will just fall in place nicely? 

The stairs contractor I spoke to said there are lots of adjustments on installation to be after cutting from templates. That is why he suggested to do the staining after installation.


----------



## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

If it were me I wouldn't route the treads for size. On a curve you will be running against the grain on half of it on each side and liable to have some nasty blowouts. I would must mark a line and bandsaw out the tread and sand the edges to it's finished shape. Then do what routing you need to put a profile on the outside edges. 

You don't have to wait until the installation is done since you are making them yourself. It's too much work for the contractor to go back and forth fitting the treads to the stairs and then finish them but you could do that. You could dry fit the the treads and fine tune them to the stairs and then take them somewhere else to finish them.


----------



## jemhunter (May 19, 2016)

Thanks Steve. That makes sense. 

If I cut with a jigsaw along the shape line and leave 1/8” extra, then use the router and template to take out that 1/8”, would it be less messy? 

It just seems faster than sanding. Although w/ your approach it sounds like I don’t need to build a wood template neither.

I will give this a try on piece of scrap wood.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


----------



## jemhunter (May 19, 2016)

I went shopping for treads and risers. I am buying white oak tread (That is the closest wood to my laminate flooring). Given I plan to paint risers plain white, they suggested to buy poplar risers (because that is the cheapest wood types they carry).

So it sounds anything is okay to cover my current risers. Then I am wondering if I can buy a plywood sheet and rip it myself. It would be even cheaper. Is plywood as dimensionally stable and easy to paint as poplar?

I can use the 1/4" thick for the curved steps and 3/4" thick for the straight steps.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Sandepl...ual-0-205-in-x-48-in-x-96-in-479023/203414042
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Underla...ual-0-196-in-x-48-in-x-96-in-431178/203183010
https://www.homedepot.com/p/3-4-in-...ual-0-703-in-x-48-in-x-96-in-690053/100478798

Thanks much


----------



## NoThankyou (Mar 21, 2018)

One bit of advice here. 
Don't think cheap, think the best way to do the job. You don't want to do the job again in 8 or 10 years.


----------



## sunnybob (Sep 3, 2016)

If any one walks on plywood with high heel shoes, ,,, game over.


----------



## jemhunter (May 19, 2016)

sunnybob said:


> If any one walks on plywood with high heel shoes, ,,, game over.


The plywood is only for the covering the current risers. Nobody will walk on it.



NoThankyou said:


> One bit of advice here.
> Don't think cheap, think the best way to do the job. You don't want to do the job again in 8 or 10 years.


Agree quality should come first but no need to spend more if there is no added value. 
If poplar is better, I'd like to know the reasons. Could you please elaborate?


----------



## TimPa (Jan 27, 2010)

have you peeked under the carpet yet? it appears to be a quality staircase, maybe you already have nice treads/wood???


----------



## gj13us (Apr 19, 2016)

jemhunter said:


> I can use the 1/4" thick for the curved steps and 3/4" thick for the straight steps.
> 
> Thanks much



Are you planning to use the plywood as an underlay under the treads?


----------



## jemhunter (May 19, 2016)

TimPa said:


> have you peeked under the carpet yet? it appears to be a quality staircase, maybe you already have nice treads/wood???




Unfortunately I have ugly plywood under the carpet. Many treads and risers are not cut flush to the walls.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## jemhunter (May 19, 2016)

gj13us said:


> Are you planning to use the plywood as an underlay under the treads?




I am using plywood to cover my risers.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*Use thin wood in 1/8" thickness*

To avoid changing the height of the treads, you can get wood as thin as 1/8" thick. There are sources for "thick veneer" if you search the web. Here's one:
https://www.constantines.com/18thinwoods.aspx

I would expect the treads with the curved ends to need specific tempates. At some point the treads will be a uniform length and one size will fit the remaining treads without a need for individual templates. You just need to check each one and find out. There are great cardboards called "card stock" which I used for making projects and templates at work. Art supply stores will carry it. It's easier to cut and fit than wood using a scissors or mat knife. You can take butcher paper of the approximate size and hold it down with one hand and press it into all the ends and corners with the other and get an almost perfect template that way also. Ignore the wrinkles and cut on the creases you made. Another tip is the make a sliding template that is correct for width, but is made in two sections which can be adjusted for length. Tape them or mark them with numbers where they overlap as you make the adjustments. This will account for small variations in length up to 1" or so.
:vs_cool:


----------



## FrankC (Aug 24, 2012)

Are you removing the plywood treads, if so the height will not be changed that much, otherwise there is going to be a high step on bottom and low step at top considering how thick stock treads are.


----------



## jemhunter (May 19, 2016)

woodnthings said:


> To avoid changing the height of the treads, you can get wood as thin as 1/8" thick. There are sources for "thick veneer" if you search the web. Here's one:
> https://www.constantines.com/18thinwoods.aspx
> 
> I would expect the treads with the curved ends to need specific tempates. At some point the treads will be a uniform length and one size will fit the remaining treads without a need for individual templates. You just need to check each one and find out. There are great cardboards called "card stock" which I used for making projects and templates at work. Art supply stores will carry it. It's easier to cut and fit than wood using a scissors or mat knife. You can take butcher paper of the approximate size and hold it down with one hand and press it into all the ends and corners with the other and get an almost perfect template that way also. Ignore the wrinkles and cut on the creases you made. Another tip is the make a sliding template that is correct for width, but is made in two sections which can be adjusted for length. Tape them or mark them with numbers where they overlap as you make the adjustments. This will account for small variations in length up to 1" or so.
> :vs_cool:





woodnthings said:


> To avoid changing the height of the treads, you can get wood as thin as 1/8" thick. There are sources for "thick veneer" if you search the web. Here's one:
> https://www.constantines.com/18thinwoods.aspx
> 
> I would expect the treads with the curved ends to need specific tempates. At some point the treads will be a uniform length and one size will fit the remaining treads without a need for individual templates. You just need to check each one and find out. There are great cardboards called "card stock" which I used for making projects and templates at work. Art supply stores will carry it. It's easier to cut and fit than wood using a scissors or mat knife. You can take butcher paper of the approximate size and hold it down with one hand and press it into all the ends and corners with the other and get an almost perfect template that way also. Ignore the wrinkles and cut on the creases you made. Another tip is the make a sliding template that is correct for width, but is made in two sections which can be adjusted for length. Tape them or mark them with numbers where they overlap as you make the adjustments. This will account for small variations in length up to 1" or so.
> :vs_cool:


Thanks for the templating tips. I will give it a try. My plan is making a rough cardboard template, transfer it to a plywood to make a more accurate template. Then using a router to transfer the plywood template to the real tread.

Today I tried to make the template from cardboard and it wasn't easy. That bottom step w/ curved walls on each side and the curved riser, it's difficult to push something flush to it.


----------



## BigJim (Sep 2, 2008)

jemhunter said:


> Thanks for the templating tips. I will give it a try. My plan is making a rough cardboard template, transfer it to a plywood to make a more accurate template. Then using a router to transfer the plywood template to the real tread. This type of stair tread installation is not forgiving at all.
> 
> Today I tried to make the template from cardboard and it wasn't easy. That bottom step w/ curved walls on each side and the curved riser, it's difficult to push something flush to it.


Even making templates and using a router to cut the treads, you will need to sand the edges to fit perfectly. I would suggest sanding the edges of the treads so the top edge of the tread will touch the skirt and riser. That way it will be easier to sand to fit better. 

Don't sand too heavy under, because the front edge of the tread at the riser will show a gap. Just sand the points were the tread meets the riser on the front edge very slight or make sure that edge is square so it fits the skirt without a gap.

Hopefully you can get to the back side of each step, so you can nail/screw the bottom edge of the riser to the back of the tread, that will help make the fit of the riser to tread much tighter and it will lessen a chance of a squeak. When you glue everywhere, just don't get glue on the top of the tread, it will not stain where glue has been wiped off.

By using 1/4 inch plywood for the risers, you will need to reinforce the backside where possible.


----------

