Counter update & stair treads.

[Neville Stewart]

Here are a few pics of the counter installed, with my trusty helper :D
& a pic of 3" thick 100 yr plus walnut that will become treads for the stairs shown, dont panic, hand rails not installed yet! Any ideas on how to cut the ends parallel as sides will be sanded but not straightened & what is a very durable finish for stair treads??? Thanks for looking ~ Neville

[Keith Starosta]

Just doing the neighborlly thing, and bumping this post for Neville in hopes he can get an answer.... ;)

- Keith

[Pete Brown]

I used Varathane water-based floor finish for my stair treads. It worked really well and has held up so far. We all take our shoes off at the bottom of the stairs, though in order to keep the grit out. Few finishes can stand up to that, and even then, only for a relatively short time.

If you aren't going to put non-skid runners/rugs on the treads, I recommend putting some marine non-skid compound on the treads. You can mix it in with the top coat of finish or just sprinkle it on with a flour sifter (see which way the manufacturer recommends) while the finish is still wet. That way you or your helper won't take a tumble when walking down the stairs in socks :)

[Pete Brown]

I assume you mean you want the railing and wall sides to be parallel, but leave the front and back rough.

If so, create a squared-off plywood sled and screw the treads in from the bottom in their final position. Then cut.

Warning: code is very specific on overhangs and heights for stairs. Your treads will all need to be the same height, and you have to absolutely make sure you don't end up with any out-of-code variances on teh same tread or across treads when it comes to overhang. It will create a tripping or stumbling hazard and maybe larger problems for you.

[Ben Grunow]

Not sure about open risers naymore as far as the code is concerned either.

I vote for water based finish, 2 part if possible.