What Is a Composite Grade Stair Tread?

About Particle Board

• Particle board is a manufactured wood product produced from dry wood particles treated with a binder resin, then bonded together with heat and pressure. The wood particles are often trimmings and shavings from other lumber manufacturing processes. Particle board can be made from almost any type of wood. For example, SierraPine, a composite grade stair tread manufacturer, produces its products from Douglas fir and western pine in its West Coast plants and from southern pine on the East Coast. Particle board is graded based on its thickness and the type of adhesive used in the process.

Composite Stair Treads

• Stair treads made from composite particle board are used for interior stair treads that will be covered with resilient flooring or carpeting. They are not intended to be stained and varnished as you would solid wood treads, since the composite material cannot withstand the constant abrasion of foot traffic. However, because the treads are manufactured to strict government standards, composite grade treads are as strong, safe and long-lasting as solid wood treads if properly covered with carpet or flooring.

Federal Codes

• The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has established minimum standards for composite particle board stair treads used in housing financed with HUD funds. The minimum acceptable tread thickness to meet HUD standards is 1 1/16 inches; the maximum allowed tread width, front to back, is 11 1/8 or 12 inches, depending on application; and the maximum distance between support stringers is 42 inches. In addition, the U.S. Department of Labor Occupational Safety & Health Administration requires that workplace stairs be engineered to carry five times the anticipated normal staircase load or 1,000 pounds, whichever is greater.

Local Building Codes

• Building codes concerning the use of composite stair treads vary depending on your location, as the implementation and inspection of building codes is a state, county or town responsibility in the United States. Many municipalities have incorporated either the 1997 Uniform Building Code or one of the versions of the International Residential Code into their building codes. Always check with your local government regarding material requirements before purchasing building supplies, including composite grade stair treads.