Hardwood Timber Stair Treads

Hardwood Stair Treads and Risers: Key Considerations

A staircase is made of several parts, but the two main ones are the treads and the risers. Understanding what each part does and what to look for in the timber is important for building a great stair.

Hardwood Stair Treads

The tread is the flat, horizontal part of the step that you actually walk on. Because it’s the part that gets all the foot traffic, the treads need to be incredibly tough and durable.

• Function: Treads bear the full weight and impact of every step. They are the workhorses of the staircase.
• Durability Requirements: Treads need to be made from very hard timber to resist abrasion (rubbing away), dents from dropped items, and scratches from shoes. A timber’s “Janka hardness rating” is a good way to measure this – a higher number means it’s harder to dent.
• Safety: While the timber itself is strong, the surface finish of the tread is important for safety. Some finishes can make the wood slippery, so choosing a finish that provides good grip, or even adding a non-slip strip, is important. Some Hardwood stair treads can also come with reeded or grooved profiles for extra grip.
• Appearance: Treads are highly visible, so the natural beauty of the timber, including its grain and colour, plays a big part in the overall look of your staircase.

Timber Risers for Stairs

The riser is the vertical part of the step that connects one tread to the next. It’s the “face” of the step.

• Function: Risers primarily serve an aesthetic purpose, covering the space between treads and contributing to the staircase’s finished look. They also add some structural support to the step.
• Material Matching: To ensure a consistent and beautiful look for your entire staircase, Timber risers for stairs Sydney are almost always made from the same hardwood species as the treads. This creates a seamless flow of timber up the stairs.

Custom Timber Stair Treads

While standard sizes for stair treads and risers are available, many projects benefit greatly from Custom timber stair treads. This is where you can get timber cut to exact, unique sizes or shapes.

• Flexibility in Design: Custom timber cutting allows for truly unique staircase designs. If you have an unusual space, a curved staircase, or a very wide stair, standard sizes might not work. Custom treads can be made to specific widths, thicknesses, or even unusual shapes to fit your exact design vision.

• Benefits of Customisation: Choosing custom treads ensures a perfect fit, which means less cutting and waste on your building site. It also allows you to create bespoke architectural statements that truly make your staircase one-of-a-kind. This is especially useful for matching existing timber during renovations or for creating a grand, custom-designed staircase.

• Process: When you order Custom timber stair treads, you typically provide detailed plans or even an existing sample of the profile you want to match. We can then mill the hardwood to your precise dimensions using special machinery.

• Custom timber stair treads allow for unique sizes and designs, fitting any staircase perfectly.

Installation of Hardwood Stair Components

Once you’ve chosen your beautiful Hardwood stair components, how you install them and look after them is crucial for their long life and continued beauty.

Installation Considerations

• Seasoning is Key: Timber needs to be dried to a very specific moisture content before it’s used in building, especially for stairs. This process is called “seasoning.” If timber isn’t properly seasoned, it can shrink, expand, warp, or crack after it’s installed. Kiln-dried timber is often preferred for stair components because it’s dried in a controlled environment, making it very stable and less likely to move once it’s in your home. This stability is vital for the safety and appearance of your staircase. We have our own kilns on site at the mill so we can control the whole process from milling to drying to manufacturing the finished product.
• Professional Installation: Building a staircase is a complex job. It needs to be structurally sound, safe, and look perfect. Because of this, it’s often best to have your Hardwood stair components installed by experienced professionals. They will ensure everything is fitted correctly, securely, and with a flawless finish, making sure your staircase is both beautiful and safe.