Treading Lightly
A stair tread is that specific part of the stairway that a person steps
on. It is the horizontal slat of wood (or any other material) that you put your
foot on when going up or down the stairs. Stair treads can be one of the design
elements that could define the whole look of the staircase. You could add in
functional and practical elements as well to make people less likely to slip
when treading on the steps.
Installing stair treads on your own is not as difficult as it seems. It
only takes a few steps to successfully give your staircases a new look by
replacing old treads with new ones. The steps to installing stair treads
include the following:
Step 1: The first thing to do when attempting to install stair treads is
to prepare. Gather all the needed materials such as tools, glues, nails, and
the tread parts. Make sure that the room is at the appropriate temperature for
optimum glue adhesion.
Step 2: Clean all the stair surfaces and make sure they are free of any
debris and dirt: dust, oil, paint, rust, old adhesives, etc. To have better
results, fill in any cracks or uneven seams with a sealant or a plaster
compound.
Step 3: Size up the stairs and cut the treads accordingly. At first, it
is best to make the treads a little oversized to make room for any errors. This
would allow you to do some trials before installation and to be flexible with
irregularly shaped or placed steps. When doing the final sizing, measuring, and
cutting, be sure that the treads fit snugly on the steps. Any irregularities
such as slanting or popping up of seams may be potential causes of tripping,
slipping, falling, and other accidents.
Step 4: Install the stair tread with adhesives and/or nails. If you
decide to use glues and other forms of adhesives, follow the manufacturer’s
instructions as closely as possible. This would prevent any future problems of
the tread detachment. When you decide on using nails, either wooden or
metallic, make sure to hammer them down so that they do not protrude
unnecessarily. For a cleaner look or finish, you can apply some plaster
compounds to hide the nail heads.
Step 5: The last part of stair tread installation is refining and
finishing. Hammer in any loose nail heads and sand off any excess glue. Paint
the treads to match the rest of the stairs if necessary.
With care and proper attention to detail, you can get the job right at
your first try. As previously mentioned, they can also be incorporated to match
the overall theme of the whole house. They can have little unique touches that further
reflect the personalities of the homeowners. If however, you are not one to
jump in for do-it-yourself projects, then you can call in a professional
contractor to do the job. Either way, making sure that the stair treads are
still fully functional is one way of stepping up (no pun intended) safety
measures within one’s home.
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