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Looking for stair treads

wanda | Posted in Construction Techniques on April 10, 2007 01:59am

I am planning to replace my interior stairs, and it’s time to buy the treads and risers.  The tread length is 42″, the width is 11.5″.  I would like to buy maple or fir treads; off I go happily to a big city lumberyard ($64 PER 48″ maple tread) and HD ($94!!! PER 48″ maple tread). 

Yikes!  So now I am looking for other options, small mills, used treads, you name it.  I live in northern Minnesota, can anyone give me ideas? 

Wanda

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  1. Piffin | Apr 10, 2007 05:34pm | #1

    I get mine from a cabinet and door shop locally or make them myself.

    But prices are still about the same your lumberyard quoted.

    Good hard maple can run close to $6/BF so the lumber is $24 plus waste and there is the milling, gluing, and finishing. You want select stock for treads, not junk, so it costs something.

    Fir is an entirely different wood and somewhat less expensive.

    But do check out the local woodworking shops - they are the ones that would be making these for either of the retailers you mention.

    on the outside edge of reality, there is a guy here who will be along to claim he can get you walnut stock for only seventeens cents a foot...

     

     

    Welcome to the
    Taunton University of
    Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime.
     where ...
    Excellence is its own reward!

    1. TomW | Apr 10, 2007 07:56pm | #3

      Doesn't frenchy live in Minnesota as weel. Maybe he would be willing to mill the treads for her out of some of his $.20/bd ft stock. Even if he charged her 25.00 a tread he would make a killing right?

      1. Piffin | Apr 10, 2007 08:52pm | #4

        I'd hate to speak for frenchy, he speaks so well for himself... 

         

        Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!

  2. JonE | Apr 10, 2007 07:53pm | #2

    I made my own.  Have no idea how much it cost me, since the lumber was part of a trade.  26 treads, 40" long, 12" wide, curly hard maple.  I could have had them made by a local mill for about $60 each, same material, RF glued and sanded.    I bought some others from a local tile and flooring store for about $55 each, plain hard maple, 48" long.  Not likely you'll get far below that price.  Some of my treads are several pieces, a lot of planing, gluing, sanding, routing went into them, probably an hour's worth of labor in each tread.   

    Fir might be tough to find.  I have never seen them available.  There are probably online suppliers that have treads in stock and can ship them to you.    Small local mills might also be able to sell you the lumber and point you to someone that can mill the treads for you.

     

     

  3. holy hammer | Apr 10, 2007 09:56pm | #5

    Wanda,

    Life will never be the same after I give you the secret of stair part aquisition.

                         http://WWW.bairdbrothers.com

    They have 42" maple treads for $27.56. They are located in Ohio and will gladly ship. When you order you have to promise to ask them why they are soooo expensive or they will catch on and start charging top dollar rates.

    Seriously though, I ordered everything in the attached photo from Eugene over the phone and was 110% pleased with the whole transaction.

    Best of luck with the project!

    Constructing in metric...

    every inch of the way.

    1. wanda | Apr 11, 2007 03:04pm | #8

      Thank you one and all!  Now I have three solid leads (Baird, Amish, and Frenchy...) I am going to start with Frenchy first, he sounds like the most reasonably priced and is likely a local...

      Wanda

  4. User avater
    Gene_Davis | Apr 10, 2007 11:07pm | #6

    Wanda, Baird Brothers is a good lead.  Here is another.  There's nothing like a good Amish mill for attention to detail.

    None of the sources around where I operate can match these guys for quality and price.  Period.

    Doors by Homestead
    Jobsite delivery anywhere in the U.S.A.
     DoorsAndTrim.com   

    Interior & Exterior Wood Doors - Hardwood Moldings-
    Hardwood Flooring - Prefinishing - Stair Parts  
    alder, ash, birch, cherry, hickory, hard maple, mahogany,
    pine, poplar, quartered oak, red oak, walnut, white oak

    6910 Twp. Rd. 249                                 Vickery, Ohio 43464
    ph:419-684-9582                                    fax: 419-684-9712

    Sales:         Bob Gray              Tom Sorg              Mark Andrews

    1. calvin | Apr 11, 2007 12:38am | #7

      Hey Gene, thanks for the information.  I'm probably 40 miles from there and knew not they existed.  Vickery, former home of a giant contaminated sludge pit-now encapsulated / vaulted with monitoring pipes.  Most of the immediate homes were bought out - unsafe.  These boys must be down the road a pc.

       

      thanks again.A great place for Information, Comraderie, and a sucker punch.

      Remodeling Contractor just outside the Glass City.

      http://www.quittintime.com/

       

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