How to Replace a Stair Tread

If you have a tread on your stairs that is broken, cracked, or has been in some other way compromised, replacing it immediately is vital for not only appearance reasons, but more importantly for safety reasons. The following instructions will guide you through the process. First you need to gather your supplies. You will need the following:

Safety Glasses

Tape Measure

Wood Glue

Dust Mask

C Clamp

Hammer

Circular Saw

Hand Saw

Drill

Chisel

1 x 3 Wood Piece

Wood Screws

Wood Plugs

Wood Block

The first thing you want to do is clear the area of the step from any obstructions or obtrusions that will interfere with your repair work, such as stair runners or balusters. Remove them with great care because you will need to reinstall them once you have finished replacing your stair tread.

Put on your safety glasses and dust mask and use your circular saw to cut out as much of the tread this way as you possibly can do safely. Be careful not to cut through fasteners you may come across. Use your hand saw and chisel to remove any remaining pieces of the tread that you cannot get to with the circular saw.

Use a tape measure to determine the width of your bottom riser between the staircase sides or stringers. Measure a 1 x 3 piece of wood to create a cleat for that space. This will be used as a tread support on your stairs. Use wood glue to secure it in place. You want your small edge to be even with the back of the riser. Position a C clamp to hold in place. Drill wood screws through the clean and into the riser, positioning them about every four to six inches in space all along the bottom. If any wood glue seeps out while you are doing this, simply wipe with a damp cloth.

Measure the open space in the stair to determine what the size of your new tread will be. Include the stinger and riser grooves in your measurements. Order or purchase the replacement tread, per measurement specifications. Slide that piece into the open space, being careful to fit it into the stinger and riser grooves and then secure it into place by tapping on a wood block with your hammer. This is to make sure you have a proper fit.

Remove the tread and flip it upside down. Apply wood glue to the tread surface, stringers, risers and cleat. Use your drill to put wood screws in place, making sure they are every four to six inches along the cleat and every three inches along the stringer. Surround the sides and bottoms of your wood covers with glue and fit them into place above each screw. Allow glue for tread work to dry completely. You can now replace any stair runners or balusters that you have removed.