Wood stair treads are preferred by many homeowners across the globe. Wood stair treads offer greater benefits than treads made from other materials. Not to mention, we offer many wood choices for your stair treads. Here we will discuss some benefits of wood stair treads and some of the options available.
To start off, wood treads provide great aesthetic value to your staircase, and hence improves the overall appearance of your house. Wood is known for its clean and elegance look, and with wooden stair treads will make your stair area truly unique. Not to mention, wood offers a plethora of options as far as color and design and concerned, which means you can always find stair treads that match with overall ambience of the house. Secondly, wood also brings with it benefits of high durability. Strength and support is necessary since the stairs are used dozens of times every day. Wooden stair treads, unlike other material, provide the necessary stability to your staircase so that it is not damaged heavily due to regular wear and tear.
Wood stair treads be cleaned easily and regularly without its surface being damaged. Wood, as mentioned before, is a clean material. You can purchase standard hardwood cleaners and get rid of debris and stain without any hassle to maintain the elegant look of your staircase. Finally, wood stair treads do not absorb dust and breed allergens, thereby maintain the indoor air quality. This saves the entire household from problems like allergies.
Below we briefly discuss each type of wood.
American Cherry
Experts in the industry consider American cherry to be the most elegant wood type in the U.S. It has a particular warmth to it. American cherry comes with a rich texture, and it is usually found in the most lavish mansions.
Ash
If you are considering adding a unique touch to your stair case, ash stair treads should be your choice. You can get it in prefinish condition or in different colors. Not to mention, custom ash stair treads can also be ordered.
Beech
Beech stair treads are an excellent choice for people living near the coast, or even if they simply want something light and airy. The color of these treads is quiet pale in comparison to other varieties. Beech treads come with largegrain design, and they provide greater resistance to abrasion.
Brazilian Cherry
If you are looking for something that catches the eye while also providing a warm ambiance to your home, consider investing in Brazilian cherry stair treads. These treads are known for their beauty, but they are quite hardwearing as well. You will usually find them in red-brown color.
Hard Maple
Hard maple, as the name implies provides excellent durability to your staircase. When choosing stair treads, settling on one particular type becomes difficult. However, treads like those made from hard maple not only protect the stairs from wear and tear, but they also add to the aesthetics with their creamy white surface and red undertones.
Hickory
You will find hickory wood being used mostly in residential kitchens. However, this does not mean that you cannot use it for your staircase. In fact, if you to bring a country-style look to your house, hickory stair treads with their reddish-brown appearance, should be the ideal choice.
Knotty Alder
Knotty alder stair treads are used by some homeowners as they bring in all the aesthetic benefits of hardwoods like cherry and walnut. Alder wood is dull. It has a fine texture, straight grained, but it lacks the brightness ofother wood types like Brazilian cherry.
Knotty Pine
Knotty pine is soft wood and therefore easier to work with. Plus, these treads can be stained to match any appearance possible. The durability factor is there, as pine wood has a high strength to weight ratio. It should also be noted that knotty pine stairs treads are an economical option.
Mahogany
Mahogany stair treads have an amazing complexion as far as wood types are concerned. Couple this with the durability factor (the wood can outlive the house as well!), and you have a popular stair tread choice at your disposal.The surface of these treads has an even graining and color, which can be easily explained since the Mahogany tree has a few knots.
Poplar
Poplar has one of the smoothest surfaces you will find in wood. It is also one of the 'plainest', in that poplar wood comes in pale yellow and white color with straight graining. These stair treads work best for those homeowners who plan on painting their staircase in the future.
Red Oak
It is more an amalgam of brown and pink (mostly brown) than pure red. Red oak is one of the most widely used wood types for stair cases, as it comes in a high quality and provides excellent stability over the long run.
Quartersawn Red Oak
This wood type is straight grained and comes with a course texture. You can use it with a wide range of finish tones.
White Oak
White oak is used widely in households. Although not the most attractive, these treads offer quality and life-long stability.
Quartersawn White Oak
This wood type displays the "flake" (or fleck), which is a spectacular medullar figure. That is why quartersawn white oak is used in antiques, mission style furniture, Greene and Greene furniture etc.
Soft Maple
Soft maple is ideal for an airy feel. It is adequately hardwearing and easy to work with.
Spanish Cedar
Spanish cedar provides resistance to termites. Not to mention, they also tend to have a pleasing aroma about them. Cedar treads are vividly grained. They are a good option if you want to stain (but not paint) the stairs.
Walnut
Finally, we have walnut which adds the cozy feel to your home. They look amazing when polished, and they hold paint and stains quite well.
The above wood stair treads are available in the following styles:
