Should you order pre finished stair treads or
unfinished stair treads? The choice would be entirely up to you,
depending upon the type of stairway you're building and how you're
planning on installing the pre finished stair treads. You should avoid
nailing or screwing through any pre finished stair parts, including
treads, if possible, to eliminate staircase finishing problems.
I've never used pre-finished stair parts and probably never will,
unless they come out with a easy way to assemble them. The problem with
pre finished stair treads is that they usually need to be finished
again, after you drive a nail or a screw through them, after attaching
them to your stair stringers.
If there is a way to attach them to your stair stringers or risers, from
underneath the stairway, then it wouldn't be a bad idea. However, if you
can't then you should think twice before using them.
Advantages For Using Pre-Finished Stair Treads
If you were going to paint the risers and then stain the stair treads
and you have a way to assemble the stairway, without driving a lot of
nails through the stair treads, then it wouldn't be a bad idea to use
pre-finished stair treads and risers.
This could save you a lot of frustration and problems, while painting
and staining. It's usually extremely difficult to paint or stain in
different colors that are going to be right next to each other.
Advantages For Finishing The Stair Treads And Risers Yourself, Before
Installing Them
If you have the stain and the paint, there's a good chance that you
would be able to fix any damage or fill any nail holes. However, if you
ordered pre finished stair treads and risers, you might not have access
to their stains or colors.
If I was going to pre finish any stair parts, this would be the only way
I would do it. Even if I ordered pre finished stair parts and they
provided me with the manufacturers name of the exact color, I've been in
the business long enough to realize that some of these colors aren't
going to match perfectly and that could be a nightmare.
