I've removed the carpet on the stairs from 1st floor to 2nd floor. There is hardwood under but half the boards are cracked all the way across and deflect noticeable when walked on. I'm debating what all to do to them. I'd like it to be safe, look good and not squeak.
The stairs are 34 inches wide and there is no center support. The house was built in 1954, there aren't stringers, only individual blocking nailed on each side for each stair tread. There doesn't appear to be enough room to put a center stringer in between the ceiling below and the underside of the stairs.
I'm leaning towards replacing at least all the treads, maybe the risers too. Can I stiffen them somehow if I can't get other support under them?
The front few inches of one stairs was not attached, that's the only access to look at take photos that I have.
Thanks!
This one shows the best example of the effect I was trying to explain. I do not have a shot that shows how the handrail goes past the ceiling, but with a little imagination you could picture what the rail would have to do if the stairs were much wider at the bottom.
Best Answer
That structure is adequate for a couple reasons:
I would simply repair what's there. Countersink about four screws into the nosing for each tread. Liberally apply wood glue or construction adhesive and mount them back in place. Cap the screw heads with oak plugs, touch them up with a sander, then stain and varnish.
If you want to replace the treads, oak ones aren't going to be cheap. An alternative would be particle board, which doesn't look terrible when stained and varnished. They're about 1-1/8" thick and would be plenty strong if glued down to those risers.