Best Adhesive for Attaching Stair Treads and Landing Tread/Nosing
jimmiem
| Posted in Construction Techniques on
I’ll be attaching solid red oak stair treads to plywood subtreads and a solid red oak landing tread/nosing to plywood subfloor. The stair treads will be attached with the adhesive and some face nailed 15 ga finish nails. The landing tread/nosing will be attached with the adhesive and wood screws. What types and brand names of adhesive or glue do you recommend?
Replies
I'll offer up PL Premium Polyurethane adhesive.
Jim
PL Premium is GOOD
Qt or small tube-both tend to ooze after releasing gun. Use dispersed blobs rather than the squiggle method, stop gun early and place on a pc of cardboard ............might have to draw back the handle. Keep your eyes open.
Complete one step at a time-risers or treads on succeeding steps can spread the skirt enough to bother you later. Keep your eyes open and don't force anything TOO MUCH.
Clean up immediately with thinner, hands will turn black if you're a surgeon or dentist, wear crappy clothes.
Keep your eyes open.
Important tool for the trim carpenter:
Keep your eyes open.
and don't slip or trip on the nail gun hose and don't back up..........never back up.........any time nor anywhere. People in the trade should never back up.
Best Adhesive for Attaching Stair Treads
Thank You. Couple of additional questions.
1. Do you recommend spreading the adhesive before putting down the treads and risers or will pressure spread it ok?
2. When I installed the flooring there was dust on the plywood subfloor that seemed to stay even with repeated vacuuming. Should I use a tack rag to get any dust off the stair plywood subtreads before applying the poly adhesive or is there a better way to make sure the subtreads are really clean?
Jim
I would not spread the adhesive-smooshing it down will take car of that. I don't recommend using the squiggle method of applying gun adhesive-all the stuff I've taken down, torn out or had party to seeing after the fact-the squiggle didn't stick to something-often was not spread more than the original squig.......
Wipe down with a damp rag if your concerned-the moisture will not harm the PL and might even kick it off a bit quicker (urethane-moisture cure).
Stair Tread Adhesive
Lots of blobs?
Jim
Yes, blobs.
round as a half dollar, thick as a qtr. of a marshmallow (at least the ones you use over the fire for sommores).
you know, blobs.
You smoosh it down good, slide around just a tad and get it where you want it.
That squiggle method is just wrong, you don't get it thick enough to make a difference and after you smoosh it-it's too damn thin to make a difference.
Now, make sure you get it down good and position it well b/4 you fasten.
The number of blobs is up to you. I'd do 3 front to back in a line every 6".
or so.
and tell me what you aren't going to do.
Adhesive for Stair Tread
I'm going to follow your directions. I'm not going to do anything that you haven't told me to do. I bought the PL Poly today and I'm ready to go. Did you notice my question about installing a stair tread around a newell post?
Jim
Man, you take me too seriously.............
What I was getting at about what NOT to do.
DON"T BACK UP!
Ever.
Jim
I did see the post about the bottom tread w/newel. I'd probably take it all down and start over, but-never would have thought about cutting the tread. Done well, should be a winner. The bandsawing of the grain and rejoining sounds like a cool way to fool the eye. But w/no bandsaw.............
Only caution I'd give-whenever you make a saw cut, you lose the blade thickness-so account for that in your plan.
Best of luck.
Stair Tread
Got it....I won't back up or make any quick moves or turns.....I've been installing hardwood flooring in my house and working in tight spaces....sometimes can't even move all furniture out of the rooms so I've had to be very careful with tools, compressor hose, etc. Very time consuming but so far so good.
I saw a few youtube videos where the stair tread was cut to fit around the newel post. I'd like to remove the hand rail and newel and start over but that would be a messy job. I'll either post pics of the installed treads or my obit if/when I'm done. Stay tuned.
adhesive
Do you think of those 10 kinds at least 8 understand octal?
16 who understand hexadecimal, 12 who understand duodecimal, and 3 who undersand trinary.
While We're On The Subject
If there is a disk head crash in the computer room and the operator is not present does it still make a noise?
I like to use pl advanced .doesnt keep running out of the tube or swell when dried
and can you screw from the underside plywood into the treads ,
i like to predrill all the holes from the top before i install the treads much easier , thats through the plywood
and pre drill for screw from the back for the riser into the tread makes a nice tight fit
and if time permits stain and verithane or whatever your going to do first