What kinds of materials can my stairs be made from?
So you’ve decided on a new staircase. Maybe you’ve already know the style you like but what about the stairs hardwood material? There’s a variety of hardwoods that stairs can be made from depending on your tastes. Here we’ll be covering some of the materials we have worked with in the past.
Standard Materials
Red oak is the industry standard Material. Most of the stairs in our picture gallery are made of red oak. This material is best for matching hardwood flooring stains. Staining to match the floors can be a complicated process.This is because the staining for stairs is a very different process than for stairs. As well, stairs have to be stained manually, flooring is usually stained in a mechanized process at a factory. Red oak is the best choice for matching floors for a unified look.
White Oak is another great choice for stair materials. There are two distinct looks for white oak, Flat cut and Rift cut. Basically what this means is that the wood is cut with the grain or against the grain. This results in a much darker , more textured look for rift cut in comparison to a lighter toned flat cut white oak.
More Unique Choices
Hickory is uncommon option. You maybe are surprised to learn hickory isn’t just used for smoking meats! It has a distinct striped pattern in the grain making for a very striking effect when stained.
Cherry and Maple are also interesting options. Their distinct colors make them stand out. Additionally, maple is much denser than standard hardwoods so it stands up to water damage better than other materials .Cherry is a wood that doesn’t need much staining, its rich and vibrant coloring only needs a bit of varnish to make it shine.
High-End Materials
And finally, our most exotic and luxurious material choices.
Walnut is another great option. Nothing really can match the wonderful deep brown tones from English walnut. In comparison to other hardwoods , it is very shock resistant.
Jatoba or “Brazilian cherry” is an incredibly unique choice. Its super hard, harder than other hardwoods. It’s also resistant to termites and other insects. It stains a distinct light brown reddish color.
Teak is the gold standard among the hardwoods for for decay resistance. Anything built from teak is built to last. Although not as hard has Jatoba , it’s very incredibly durable in its own, as well as termite resistant.
In conclusion ,While these aren’t the only choices you have available , its something to keep in mind when designing your home or reno project. There are lots of different options for custom treads such as stone or metal, which we’ll cover in another article later on. There are a vast variety of hardwood materials to choose from. If you find a material we haven’t covered here, we can special order that hardwood material for your stairs!
If you have any questions about the hardwood materials or if you like this article and want to see more like it, send us a email!
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Ready to make your dream stairs a reality? Contact us here or email us at home@stairsrailingstoronto.ca