Mahogany has one of the most consistent grains out of any
hardwood. It's generally hard to find a large knot, in one of these
boards, even though every once in awhile you will find a small one. If
you're looking for a stair tread that's reddish-brown, with consistent
coloring and durable, Mahogany would be my first choice.
Honduran Mahogany almost doesn't make it into the
hardwood category and is one of the softer hardwoods. However it is
generally easy to work with and really doesn't need to be stained.
Gluing = Excellent, when I was a young man, I used mahogany to make a
checkered board, that lasted for many years. To make the checkerboard, I
needed to glue small pieces of mahogany (black squares) and ash (white
squares) together, to create the playing board.
Sanding = Moderate, Mahogany is relatively easy to sand, however, it
usually looks nice enough and won't require sanding, after it has been
ran through a planer. Remember, you can usually purchase any hardwood,
with a generally smooth surface.
Staining = Great, even though it has a nice reddish-brown look to it
already, it can be stained if needed. If you're planning on staining
mahogany, you could end up with an extremely dark wood, so be careful.
Nailing = Great, every once in a while you will need to pre-drill a
hole, but for the most part, you should be able to use pneumatic nail
guns, screws and finish nails, without any problems. Always pre-drill
holes, if your nails or screws are starting to split the edges.
Wear And Tear = Great, even though Mahogany is one of the softer
hardwoods, it still seems to provide homeowners with an excellent
wearing stair tread. After awhile, there's a good chance that you will
start to see wear patterns, running down the center of the stairway. If
this is the case, you can install stair tread carpet mats, over the worn
down areas or refinish the stairway.
Janka Hardness Scale = 800 However there are other varieties of Mahogany
that go over 2,500. Red mahogany from Australia is 2,697.
