How to Restore Stair Treads

Squeeze an expanding urethane glue into any crack in the stair treads. Then smooth wood filler over the crack with a plastic scraper tool. Wipe away any excess glue or filler with a moist cloth.

Sand down the finish on the tread with a belt sander. Apply the sander's dust collection bag to the rear of the unit, load a roll of medium-grit sandpaper onto the sander and then press the power button. Gently push the sander back and forth on the surface of the tread. Use light pressure to prevent the machine from sanding away too much, and avoid sanding in one place.

Sweep all dust and debris from the stair treads. Then wipe any leftover dust from the tread away with a rag damp with mineral spirits. Allow the stairs to dry thoroughly.

Apply wood stain on the stair treads with a clean cloth. Find a stain color that matches the current color, and apply it to the entire tread. To keep one tread from looking a different color than the others, apply the stain to all of the treads. Allow the first coat of stain to dry thoroughly before applying any additional coats.

Wipe a clear finish coat over the tread after the stain is dry. After the finish coat is dry, sand it down with a piece of medium-grit sandpaper. Apply a second coat of clear finish, let it dry, then sand it down, and apply at least one additional coat of clear finish.