Start with the tread.

Eight North American hardwoods. Red Oak, White Oak, Quartersawn White Oak, Hard Maple, Hickory, Ash, American Cherry and Walnut. Red Oak, White Oak, Hard Maple, Hickory and Ash take any of our stains as well as a clearcoat. American Cherry, Quartersawn White Oak and Walnut are offered in a clearcoat only, so their natural color carries the run.

Standard profiles are 2 inch, 2 1/2 inch, 3 inch, 3 1/2 inch and 4 inch. Common widths run from 36 inches to 72 inches. Depth is set by code before preference: a tread cannot be shallower than 10 inches, and most runs call for more. If you need something outside the standard sizes, the Custom Tread Builder takes an exact length, depth and thickness.

A return is extra material on the left or right of the tread body, designed to overhang open space. It is rounded to match the bullnose at the front of the step so the edge reads as finished rather than cut.

Each return is 1 1/4 inches wide and sits outside the tread width, not inside it. A 36 inch tread with returns on both sides measures 38 1/2 inches overall. Order them on the left, the right, or both sides.

Either. Order them unfinished if you want to match existing floors on site, or have us apply a stain and clearcoat in our finishing room. Physical finish samples are available before you commit.

Price depends on species, finish, thickness and the dimensions you need, so there is no single per tread figure. Custom routing on FLIGHT treads adds to it as well. The Custom Tread Builder prices your exact configuration as you change it, which is the quickest way to a real number without waiting on a quote.

At our facility in Goshen, Indiana. We mill, glue, sand, rout and finish each tread in house, then ship it directly to you.

Almost every tread we make is produced to order, so there is no genuine off the shelf option. The Custom Tread Builder is usually the fastest route: set the species, finish, thickness and exact dimensions, see it on a live preview, and add it to your cart. If you would rather talk it through, a representative will come back to you within one business day.

Our Standard and Signature treads are built on an engineered internal core with a hardwood wear layer over the top. The core is what keeps a wide tread flat through seasonal humidity changes. The wear layer is the species and grain you see and walk on, and it runs to a similar thickness as hardwood flooring, so it can be refinished.

Hardness is measured on the Janka scale, and any species rated 900 or above stands up as tread material. Hickory is the hardest of the domestic hardwoods and a common choice for high traffic areas.

Hardness is not the only consideration. Grain pattern varies: Hickory and White Oak are well defined, Hard Maple is milder. So does color. Hickory and Walnut carry high variation and character, while Hard Maple and Oak read more evenly toned.

Walking surfaces are finished with a conversion varnish, the same coating used in the hardwood flooring industry, because it is built for heavy use. Handrails and other frequently touched parts get a pre-catalyzed lacquer instead, which is made to stand up to the natural oils on your hands. Either surface can be refinished later on.