Tools to Install a Stair Tread

Layout Tools

• Carpenters measure and mark cuts for stair treads with a standard tape measure and lumber pencil. To draw straight, accurate lines across lumber's surface, carpenters typically use a framing tool called a carpenter's square. The carpenter's square looks like a large, metal letter "L." The short side of the "L" typically latches onto the edge of a piece of lumber and the long side stretches across the lumbers face. The sides of the tool meet at a perfect right angle, allowing woodworkers to mark perpendicular lines across flat surfaces.

Circular Saws

• Carpenters use power circular saws to cut lumber for both rough and finish carpentry. To cut finish-quality stair treads, carpenters attach a fine-toothed blade to the saw. Fine-toothed blades create thin, smooth-edged cuts that require little finishing prior to installation. Both the ubiquitous, portable circular saw and the sliding, bench-mounted, chop saw are suitable for cutting standard stair treads. However, whereas portable circular saws cut across a tread from any direction, chop saws cut only across a tread's width.

Power Drill

• A standard power drill fastens treads to stair risers and staircase stringers. Drills both pre-drill screw holes and drive fasteners. The term pre-drilling refers to boring a hole through a tread prior to driving a screw. Pre-drilling eliminates splitting and reduces the effort required to drive a screw. For pre-drilling, carpenter's use wood-boring bits, called twist bits. For driving screws, carpenters use screw-tips, called driver bits. Although nails are suitable for securing treads to a staircase, screws are the strongest, most permanent method of fastening stair treads.

Routers

• Like power drills, routers rapidly spin a sharpened bit. Unlike drills, routers primarily create edge cuts and decorative grooves. The most common type of router, called a plunge router, is a hand-held, portable power tool. Finish carpenters use routers to put a rounded or decorative edge on stair treads. The profiles of routers' removable cutting attachments, called bits, determine the shape of their cut; while some bits form half or quarter circles, others create curved lines.