Any hope of flattening this?

[Torx]

During the course of refurbishing a staircase I’ve removed the bottom tread as it was moving. The stairs are just pine (it’s a 50’s council house) and pretty well built but were let down when the installer didn’t support the bottom riser properly from below and over the years the tread has twisted.

I could easily make a new one but even though it looks really rough I’d prefer it to match the others which I’ve found an acceptable way of finishing, warts and all. Obviously if I was carpeting it I wouldn’t give it a second thought.

I was thinking of sanding it all off to remove anything that might be sealing moisture out, damping down the dished side, and putting some weight on it from the other side. Is this likely to work or am I in for a long wait? I do intend to reinforce it a bit which might help, but I don’t want to do it suddenly and cause it to split.

 

[Cabinetman]

I’m presuming you mean it’s cupped across its width?
First of all I think I would experiment by cutting two or three grooves along the length of the tread underneath to about a third of the depth to relieve some of the stress, then you could screw a piece of 18 mil ply to the underside to pull it flat again, Obviously avoiding areas where it touched the original staircase. Ian
Just in case you weren’t aware, council houses were built to an extremely high standard usually.

 

[Torx]

I’m presuming you mean it’s cupped across its width?
First of all I think I would experiment by cutting two or three grooves along the length of the tread underneath to about a third of the depth to relieve some of the stress, then you could screw a piece of 18 mil ply to the underside to pull it flat again, Obviously avoiding areas where it touched the original staircase. Ian
Just in case you weren’t aware, council houses were built to an extremely high standard usually.

Thanks Ian. Not quite cupped along the length, I didn’t describe well. The damage hasn’t been done naturally, rather one corner wasn’t quite secure and the whole thing was under strain if you stood on it left foot first at the rounded corner. I’ll try to get a better picture. Good idea on the ply, actually I’m planning to think up a way to make this step removable for some storage / access to plumbing, if I can make it safe.

I know what you mean about council houses, I brag about this place and people don’t get it.

 

[Torx]

Perhaps these photos demonstrate it better:

The front of the tread was nailed into the curved riser and the flat end was morticed into the RH stringer. Only the rear corner of the curved end was morticed into the LH stringer and the riser dropped.

The kerf cuts sound like a plan to consider, I don’t want those cracks to get any worse.

 

[J-G]

Just in case you weren’t aware, council houses were built to an extremely high standard usually.

That doesn't quite 'tell the tale'. The 'Standard' came out of the Parker Morris Committee and was only concerned with the amount of SPACE which should be provided in new builds and was adopted by most councils in 1967. The standard became mandatory for all new builds (private or public) in 1969 but ended in 1980. It had nothing to do with the quality of the 'build' as such.

 

[Cabinetman]

That doesn't quite 'tell the tale'. The 'Standard' came out of the Parker Morris Committee and was only concerned with the amount of SPACE which should be provided in new builds and was adopted by most councils in 1967. The standard became mandatory for all new builds (private or public) in 1969 but ended in 1980. It had nothing to do with the quality of the 'build' as such.

I’m sure you’re right in that respect, but I was told years ago by a builder who was criticising the council for spending far too much money, that they goldplated everything, in a similar vein my local council built a new recycling collection point, not huge, no machinery just skips and a raised area from which to tip into them, and a tin roof over it, a road to drive around it, 10 million. But I’m sure the local wildlife and the newts were well looked after in the process, probably an archaeological survey as well. Ian

 

[J-G]

You're also correct Ian but the point I was making - and I know you understand - is that the 'Standard' had nothing to do with the quality of either materials or workmanship.

I consider that (in general) Public Bodies have a tendency to be profligate and seldom get the best value for money for any project - - - but therein lies a path to political disagreement

 

[Torx]

Wrapped in wet rags, wrapped in cling film then left under a piece of flat ply with a couple of heavy tool boxes on top (increasing weight slowly) 48hrs... successful so far, will have to see how it dries out I suppose

 

[JoeSheffer]

Great work.