Frequently Asked Questions

1. Question: Are all Stairtek parts solid wood?

    Answer: Yes all parts are solid wood, no laminates.

2. Question: Do any of our products come from the rain forest?

     Answer: No. All of our Brazilian Cherry comes from a farming program. All other products come from North America, mostly the Northeast United States.

3. Question: Won’t my stairs be out of code with these new treads?

     Answer: No. If installed properly the only change to your stairs would be that the first step will be ¼ inch higher than the rest of the steps, which is within code limits for most states.
Check with your local building departments on specific regulations.

4. Question: Is there a touch-up kit available?

     Answer: No, not at this time. However Home Depot sells several touch-up kits for pre-finished flooring that work well on stair parts.

5. Question: Will these treads match my floor?

     Answer: They will blend very well with your floor.

6. Question: What about handrail, spindles and other parts? Can I get them pre-finished?

     Answer: Not at this time.

7. Question: What is Nanotek and aluminum oxide? Can I buy it in the store?

     Answer: They are the components that make up the finish. Aluminum oxide is the same finish that is on most pre-finished flooring. Nanotek is the newest technology that gives our treads the most wear resistant finish that is available. You can not buy these components anywhere.

8. Question: Why is there a shipping fee?

     Answer:  All of our products ship direct to the customer’s house via FedEx. Several of our most popular colors ship in 3 days. There is no longer a shipping fee on most orders.

9. Question: Couldn’t I save money if I finish my treads myself?

     Answer: It is impossible to obtain a factory finish in the field even if you are good at staining and finishing. Also you will spend a lot of money on stains and finish to get an acceptable result. Most important: what’s your time and effort worth?

10. Question: What is the difference between Red and White Oak?

      Answer: Red Oak is not as hard as White Oak. It has more of a reddish pink tint to it. White Oak is darker. Red Oak is also more widely available in the U.S. thus making it less expensive.

11. Question: Why is Brazilian Cherry so expensive?

  Answer: Brazilian Cherry is imported from Brazil and is not as readily available as the other species. Thus making it more expensive. It is also the hardest of the 4 available species.

12. Question: Will Brazilian cherry darken over time?

  Answer: More dramatically than any other species Brazilian Cherry darkens when exposed to U.V. light. This darkening has a threshold though, where it will not darken anymore. At its darkest levels Brazilian Cherry has that rich look that is so desirable today.

13. Question: I need some touch up paint for the white risers. Can you buy the white paint used for the white risers?

Answer: Behr makes a paint called Satin Pillow that matches the riser very well.

14. Question: Is there a technical department with Stairtek that I can contact directly?

Answer: Yes, you can reach Stairtek at 1-888-Stairtek (1-888-782-4783) between the hours of 8:00 am and 5:00 pm (eastern).A sales representative is available 24/7 at 1-859-866-2659.