The Making of "The Ultimate Stair Tread"

You may be asking why we call our stair tread, "The Ultimate Stair Tread." That's a very good question.

First, let's take a look at a typical stair tread you might purchase through the Internet or from a large home improvement store.

The average commercial stair tread is basically a 1" thick board, rounded along one edge. It may or may not be pre-finished. Once cut to fit, it will simply be attached to the top of the existing step.

This brings up an interesting dilemma

If you use 1" treads, your stairs will suddenly all be an inch taller. The new height will be especially noticeable on the bottom step. It won't look right and it could create a tripping hazard since your feet just won't be expecting that added height.

The top step will be a problem too–it won't match the level of the floor next to it. Even if you're installing new 1/2" wood flooring, there will still be a 1/2" difference. This would also create a tripping hazard; at best, it just won't look right. You can solve this problem by increasing the height of your subflooring, but then what started out as a fairly straight-forward project will suddenly become a lot more complicated.

The Ultimate Stair Tread System solves the problem very simply

We vary the thicknesses of our treads. Most of them will be 3/4" thick. But at the top and bottom of the stairs, we make the treads a little thinner to solve the problem of the too-tall first and last steps. After the new treads are bonded to the old ones, the steps will be stronger than ever.

But what about the "nosing" – the front of the step that sticks out? If the ReCrafting treads are thinner than the originals, won't the nosing be too thin?

This is where the genius of The Ultimate Stair Tread really comes into play. As you can see in the top photo, the nosing is constructed separately and attached to the front of the tread.

When the new treads and risers are installed over the old stairs, the nosing will fit perfectly over the top of the riser. This not only makes it look exactly as it should, but also increases the overall strength and stability of the new staircase.

One more reason that The Ultimate Stair Tread is superior to any others you'll find on the market…

Our nosing has a built-in "scotia." The scotia (pronounced SKO-shuh) is a piece of cove molding that is often nailed under the nose of a stair tread. Traditionally, it hides the seam between the tread and riser and gives the staircase a more elegant, and finished appearance.

In The Ultimate Stair Tread, the nose and scotia are made as one piece. This means you'll automatically be getting a beautiful, high-end look with no extra cost or effort.

The Ultimate Stair Tread…how we make it.

After our in-home assessment technician returns with the detailed measurements and templates of your existing stairs, a personalized project plan is created for you and entered into our computer system. You'll be given access to a protected part of our website that will enable you to follow the progress of your job.

The plans for your project are transmitted to our production team in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania.

The specs for any treads and risers that are not straight rectangles are entered into our state-of-the-art CNC cutting system. CNC (Computer Numerical Control) allows us to cut curves and angles with pinpoint precision to a tolerance of 1/64" – less than the thickness of a dime!

Production begins with the custom milling of your selected wood stock in our in-house mill.

Having our own milling capability allows us total flexibility in creating custom projects such as the components for your stairs. This is why we are able to vary the thickness of your stair treads so that the top and bottom stairs don't end up too high. Other stair-tread manufacturers don't do this.

Once the stock is milled, we begin cutting the individual components.

The integrated nose and scotia for your stair treads is cut in one piece on a computerized machine called a "molder." The flat part of the treads is cut from the custom-milled stock. If any of your stair treads are curved, the components, including the risers, are cut using the CNC system.

The next step is to assemble the individual treads.

The nose and scotia are attached to the front edge of the tread with hot epoxy and then placed in a special press. The resulting bond is actually stronger than the wood itself.

The final step is the finishing process.  

The assembled components are sanded and stained. To ensure years of easy maintenance and durability, we apply three coats of a polyurethane finish. Once the finish is thoroughly dry, the beautiful new treads and risers are ready for installation in your home.

Click here to read more about our installation process.