Repairing Or Replacing Stair Treads

Stair treads take a great deal of abuse and because of this it is not uncommon to damage a stair tread or have a stair tread develop a crack along its length.

It somewhat difficult to give a set of definitive instructions on how to replace a stair tread as their are hundreds of different scenarios with respect to newels, balusters and trim moldings.  The complexity is also aggravated by the inherent fact that staircases are not designed to be taken apart.  The higher the quality of the staircase the more difficult it is to make a repair.  A well made staircase has all connecting materials glued into position.

Following are some illustrations and methods.  Survey your staircase and determine which of the methods may be of use to you.

A newel post can sit on a stair tread or be beside it.  From a picture or drawing it is almost impossible to determine whether the newel post actually sits on the tread or the tread was notched to butt up against the newel post.

If the tread has been notched you should be able to remove it without having to disassemble the newel post, if it rests underneath the newel post then the newel post has to be removed in order to replace the tread.

Newel posts can be anchored in a variety of different ways, mostly dependent on the design of the newel post.  Many are mounted from the inside of the stringer, making it almost impossible to remove it, without access to the underside of the staircase.

A similar situation applies to balusters.  They may be mounted using dowels through the tread and up into the baluster.  They may be dovetailed into position with a piece of wood covering the edge of the tread, hiding the dovetail.  They may be mortised into position (a square hole has been put in the tread to accept the base of the baluster),

Whatever the situation, you will have to find a method of removing the baluster in order to gain access to the stair tread.

Remove any decorative moldings from around the stair tread and the stringer or below the nosing of the stair tread on the side wall of the stringer.  Also remove any moldings between the tread and the riser.

The best tool for removing the moldings and eventually the stair tread is a 7" mini pry bar.  Always use a small block of wood under the pry bar to avoid damaging other staircase members.  The riser should be behind the stair tread so it should not impede the release of the tread.

Using the pry bar pry upward between the tread and the riser in front of the tread.  Work the entire front of the tread from the edge of one stringer across to the other, lifting in a maximum of 1/8" increments as you go along the front of the tread.

However, it is possible that the riser has been screwed horizontally into the stair tread on the back side of the tread on the underside of the staircase and/or that triangular blocks have been mounted between the stair treads and the stair risers.

If you have these types of fastenings on your staircase it is almost impossible to remove a tread without access to the underside of the staircase.

A split tread does not necessarily have to be replaced, it can be repaired, providing the split is not in the nose area or over the edge of the riser.

Once the tread is removed you can add a piece of ½" plywood to the backside of the stair tread using screws and carpenters glue to bond the plywood to the tread.