Oak stair tread install

[Chris Pembrook]

After cutting the stair tread to length using a jig to measure. Should the tread have a tight fit on a closed stair case or should I trim them down to leave a slight gap? Any help appreciated.

[Bill Dufour]

Will molding or baseboard be used to hide the gap or not?
Bill

[Chris Pembrook]

Idea we are going for is no molding since there is already a side skirt molding that goes down to where the carpet meets.

[Richard Wolf]

Why would you think you would want to leave a gap? If you are thinking expansion and contraction, your treads shouldn't move in that direction. The only danger of making a tight fit is if you make them over tight and pound the next one in, you could spread the stringers, making the first one have a gap.

[Chris Pembrook]

I had a few folks mention expansion concerns but length wise I didn't initial have a concern until they said it. I'm glad to hear i don't need a small gap as the touch up work to remove a noticeable gap would be more than i'd hope for. Thanks for the info Richard!

[Joe Rogers]

Just started this job at home. I built a jig for measuring the tread length and angles to just get the treads to drop in with no gaps. Just two sliding slats on a central board with adjustable wings at the ends to pivot to the angle of cut. A miter saw with a good high count tooth carbide blade minimizes chip out. I bought prefinished treads to get the long life finish as I wasn’t sure that a finish I applied would hold up.
Joe