Are All Oak Stair Treads Veneered?

Oak Flooring

• Most oak flooring has changed little since the late 19th century. Oak strips, typically 3/4-inch thick, are made with interlocking tongues and grooves that allow them to be blind nailed to the subfloor. Solid stair treads are about 1 1/4-inches thick with a built-in bullnose to round off the edge. Risers with oak treads can be found in oak, pine or oak veneer, if the construction is new.

Oak Veneer Flooring

• Recent decades have seen the introduction of engineered flooring. Made with thin layers of wood glued together, it often has a top veneer of oak or another desirable species. The laminated structure makes the thin flooring strong and warp-free. Because they attach to each other and not to the subfloor, the boards can be installed in locations where nailing is not an option, such as a concrete slab.

Stair Treads

• Budget stair treads are sometimes available in oak veneer. Veneers are very thin layers and need a coating of strong, clear finish to minimize wear. Because stairs get a lot of traffic, veneered stair treads may not be durable enough. This is especially true if you have kids or dogs, or if the soil that gets tracked into the house is sandy or gritty.

Tips

• If you have veneered oak stair treads, keep them clean so grit doesn't get ground into the finish with each footstep. As soon as the bare wood starts to show through the finish, recoat the treads with a durable polyurethane. A stair runner makes keeps the treads from receiving excessive wear and masks unrepairable damage to thin veneers. Likewise, rectangular carpet stair treads do the same thing.