Red Oak Stair Treads

Red oak stair treads from WoodStairCo are made from 100% solid FAS and Select Grade lumber, with no veneers and no finger-joints. We were among the first companies in the world to prefinish a stair tread, and we still manufacture every one to order. Choose 3/4 in retro treads to overlay an existing staircase, or 1 in traditional treads for a full replacement. Start with closed (box) retro treads.

Retro vs Traditional Red Oak Stair Treads

The difference is thickness and whether you remove the old tread. Retro treads are 3/4 inch thick and install over your existing staircase. Traditional treads are a full 1 inch thick and replace the existing tread down to the stringer. Both come in closed (box), left return, right return, and double return configurations.

Choose retro treads when

• Your existing staircase is structurally sound and you want to reface it
• You want to avoid demolition, subfloor work, and dumpster costs
• You need the job finished in about half a day
• You want to keep riser height changes to a minimum
   

Choose traditional treads when

• You are building a new staircase
• The existing treads are damaged or structurally compromised
• You are removing carpet and starting from the stringers

• You want the full 1 inch thickness of closed (box) traditional treads
   

  Prefinished or Unfinished Red Oak Treads
   

  Prefinished red oak treads arrive ready to install, with no sanding, staining, or drying time on the job. Unfinished treads ship sanded and stain-ready so you can apply your own stain and polyurethane after minor prep work. Both use the same lumber grade.

  What our prefinished finish is

  • 100% solids, UV-cured aluminum oxide, applied by machine
  • The same finish technology used on premium hardwood flooring
  • Harder than polyurethane applied on site, and scratch-resistant
  • Contains a UV absorber that guards against ambering over time

  When unfinished is the better choice

  • You are finishing your floors and stairs at the same time
  • You want a custom stain color mixed on site
  • You have a specific sheen or finish product you prefer

  See why prefinished stair treads last longer for a full breakdown.

  
  Red Oak Stair Tread Sizes, Returns, and Nosing

  Standard red oak stair tread sizes are 11-1/2 inches wide with a bullnose front edge. Lengths run from 36 inches through 60 inches and longer, and custom widths and depths are available for pie steps, landings, and wider staircases.

  Standard dimensions

  • Width: 11-1/2 inches
  • Retro tread thickness: 3/4 inch behind a full 1 inch bullnose
  • Traditional tread thickness: 1 inch
  • Lengths: 36, 42, 48, 54, and 60 inches, plus custom
     

  How to choose your return

  • Stand at the bottom of the staircase looking up
  • Open on the left: order left return retro treads
  • Open on the right: order right return retro treads
  • Open on both sides: order a double return tread
  • Enclosed by walls: order a closed (box) tread

  Check standard stair tread dimensions before you measure.

  
  How Red Oak Stair Treads Are Built

  Solid red oak stair treads are edge-glued from multiple staves rather than cut from a single board, which keeps the tread flat and prevents cupping over its lifetime. We use 100% solid FAS and Select Grade red oak, a higher lumber grade than the builder-grade lumber big-box retailers typically carry.

  Construction and grade

  • 100% solid lumber, no veneers and no finger-joints
  • Edge-glued for stability across the full width
  • Full round over bullnose along the front edge
  • Custom stain matching to your existing floor on job-lot quantities

  What red oak looks like

  • Sapwood ranges from white to light brown
  • Heartwood is a pinkish reddish brown
  • Mostly straight grain with a coarse texture
  • Takes stain evenly across a wide range of tones
     

Why WoodStairCo

WoodStairCo is a stair manufacturer, not a flooring reseller, and we were among the first companies in the world to offer a prefinished stair tread. Every tread is made from 100% solid FAS and Select Grade lumber, no veneers and no finger-joints. Prefinished treads carry our 100% solids, UV-cured aluminum oxide finish. We match custom stains to your existing flooring on job-lot quantities, and retro treads install over an existing staircase in about half a day with no demolition. Every tread is made in the USA.
 

This content was originally published by Red oak stair treads . Explore more stair tread collections and Stair Treads at WoodStairCo.com.