Thread: Adding wood treads to existing concrete stairs (indoor)

Originally Posted by ChrisInCambo

I'm having some stairs fitted at the moment that only have wood on the treads and no the riders, I really like that look. Feels a little more modern than a full wood staircase, also cheaper ;-)



I'll take another pic in a couple of days when it's done. It should look something like this when it's done:



They screwed the treads down with concrete screws, then put wood filler on top of the screws, they did something similar in our wardrobes and after it's been stained and varnished you can't even spot where the screws were.

The problem in this part of the world is that the wood isn't usually left to dry for long enough so tends to bow. So best to make sure it's really screwed down. One of might mates had his whole kitchen made from the local teak and now two years on, not one of the doors close properly.

There ya go. That is going to look great!

What kind of wood is that?

Originally Posted by Yogi

Originally Posted by Dino

Originally Posted by Yogi

if I was to do this job I would look at dovetail metal strips 50% thickness of the tread screwed into place from riser to 20mil from edge of tread . Dovetail the underneath of the tread with a router to the same length of metal bars . The tread just slides into place & is secured by useing strong resin to hold the tread in place .
This method is much safer as it stops the tread from tipping in the event of the resin failing at a future date

That is a great idea. Any reason why you would use metal strips instead of wood, then using wood glue to attach the strip with the tread?

Using metal strips is more to do with strength . Also the termite factor as they do seem to enjoy wood .

The only other way I would do this job is to get a plug cutter & cutt wood plugs from scraps of the same timber as the treads .Then drill countersink fix tread & plug . This would mean that all wood staining would have to be done after fixing.

Another way of putting strength into the tread is to put metal dowls into the rear edge (edge to meet riser) & drill holes into concret to accept the dowls. It is importent that the tread have that extra stength to stop it from tipping. The only time it will tip is when somebody steps on it so safety is a must .

Can I buy dovetail metal strips locally or do I have to have them made? You think there would be any moisture issues with the metal sitting directly on the concrete with the humidity levels so high?

I ran this concept past the builder today and he said he could do it, but wanted to use wood (same wood as tread). I mentioned steel but he couldn't understand why I would want to use it.

Originally Posted by dirtydog

Drilled and screwed it into the concrete, this one cost well over 100k, teakwood and stainless.

Beautiful job.

Originally Posted by Dino

What kind of wood is that?

I don't know in English, in Khmer it's called Doung Cham, it's a local tropical hard wood. No doubt Thailand has the same thing under another name.

It's my favourite wood, has very nice grain and slightly red colour. Looks great with a light stain and gloss instead of the horrible OTT glass like gloss they love in this part of the world. Best part is that it's about 40% cheaper than teak or bayng (khmer name), years ago they all used to be the same price, but the latter two are running out, so the price has been climbing.

Originally Posted by ChrisInCambo

Originally Posted by Dino

What kind of wood is that?

I don't know in English, in Khmer it's called Doung Cham, it's a local tropical hard wood. No doubt Thailand has the same thing under another name.

It's my favourite wood, has very nice grain and slightly red colour. Looks great with a light stain and gloss instead of the horrible OTT glass like gloss they love in this part of the world. Best part is that it's about 40% cheaper than teak or bayng (khmer name), years ago they all used to be the same price, but the latter two are running out, so the price has been climbing.

Looks beautiful. Looking forward to seeing it complete.

Originally Posted by ChrisInCambo

I'm having some stairs fitted at the moment that only have wood on the treads and no the riders, I really like that look. Feels a little more modern than a full wood staircase, also cheaper ;-)





I'll take another pic in a couple of days when it's done. It should look something like this when it's done:



They screwed the treads down with concrete screws, then put wood filler on top of the screws, they did something similar in our wardrobes and after it's been stained and varnished you can't even spot where the screws were.

The problem in this part of the world is that the wood isn't usually left to dry for long enough so tends to bow. So best to make sure it's really screwed down. One of might mates had his whole kitchen made from the local teak and now two years on, not one of the doors close properly.

Wood naturally swells & shrinks according to the climate. Thailand has a high humidity. The Thai's tend to use block board on kitchen MDF is a much better option in all cases . Veneered MDF looks every bit like solid wood . Solid wood should never be used above 2 inch width unless 2inch strips are joined with the grain going in different directions to stop the wood from curving up.

Originally Posted by Yogi

Solid wood should never be used above 2 inch width

I have used some ancient redwood floorboards for four kitchens; the planks are 50cm wide, so I added another 10cm strip to make the worktops

no warping or problems so far and they are around three years old plus

Here's how the stairs look now, I'll post one more pic when they're done:

Originally Posted by ChrisInCambo

Here's how the stairs look now, I'll post one more pic when they're done:

Looking good Chris.