Designed Stairs

Designed Stairs has the experience to design structural, open-riser staircases that are also beautiful works of contemporary art.

  • Can Red Oak look like White Oak?

    red-oak-versus-white-oak

    Red Oak is generally more affordable than White Oak, prompting many to explore finishing techniques to achieve a similar look.

    At first glance, some Red Oak may resemble White Oak, but they have distinct differences. White Oak features a light brown hue, tighter grain, and greater density, while Red Oak has a red tint and a more open grain.

    Some red oak is more or less “red”.   Each piece of wood is unique, so results vary.

     One simple option is to reduce the red tint is using a stain with some gray in it.  This stain can help neutralize the red tones in Red Oak, making it look more like White Oak.  Minwax Weathered Oak is a good option.

    You can also lighten Red Oak using Zinsser Wood Bleach (A-B solutions) and enhance its appearance with various stains. The bleaching process can significantly reduce the red tones, allowing for effective color alteration.   

    If you have existing wood you want to keep, bleaching may be a good option. However, for new projects, starting with White Oak might be more cost-effective. Keep in mind the labor costs. Bleaching Red Oak for an interior project can nearly double your overall expenses.   

    If you’re seeking the look of White Oak, you’ll likely be happier with the final product if you choose White Oak from the start, but that does come at price. 

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  • Red Oak versus White Oak

    red-oak-versus-white-oakRed oak (quercus rubra) is far more plentiful in all hardwood markets than White oak (quercus alba), and therefore, will be less expensive in every aspect. Red oak usually has a pinkish hue and distinct “tiger stripes” in the surface grain, while white oak tends to a light brown coloration with less distinctive grain patterns. While both woods are extremely strong, white oak has a greater density, more strength, and can be used for liquid containing barrels, ship building and exterior products, while red oak is confined to interior use, such as cabinets, staircases, trim and furniture. Historically, white oak has been used in fine woodworking applications that indicate a higher-end product. The dense grain of white oak would have a practical advantage over red oak when used in bathroom and kitchen floors, where moisture would be expected.

     

    The vast majority of stocked stair parts are red oak and white oak is very likely to be a custom order. Since the raw material of white oak is more expensive and White oak parts are generally custom ordered, a white oak staircase will cost more than a red oak staircase.

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  • Getting the Most from Your Stair Dollar — Material

    Part 4 of 4

    Materials in stock are less expensive — e.g., red oak is the most common hardwood and among the least expensive.

    As with styles, components made from wood species that are stocked will always cost less than custom orders. We have noticed a trend over the past eight to ten years to natural or brown toned species such as walnut and white oak. Within the United States, red oak is the most common hardwood and consequently, one of the least expensive.

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  • Premium Wood Stairs for Outdoor Living

    Ipe — a tropical hardwood

    More and more we are investing in the highest quality products for outdoor living spaces. We want our outdoor space to be another room to relax and entertain in. No longer is the “deck” stair enough, we want top of the line, indoor quality stairs and railings for our outdoor spaces.

    When designing a top quality stair for outdoor living, choose your material carefully. Consider species that can stand up to water, insects, along with heat and humidity fluctuations.

    Softwoods often used for outdoor applications are Cedar and Redwood. Cedar is the most poplar and most available. A downside to Cedar is that it is so soft that some cedar can be dented by just a fingernail. For that reason it is not the best choice for stairs. Redwood on the other hand is harder (than cedar), and has a beautiful red color. These soft woods tend to have more movement (as they age) and the design of the stair will need to be adjusted to allow for that greater wood movement. Typically when we think of premium stairs, we think in terms of hardwoods.

    Even stairs designed for beauty should be ready to handle 25 (or more) years of heavy traffic. Teak and Ipe work very well for these high quality applications. Teak has a high oil content that makes it excellent for mildew resistance. Teak has very little movement and shrinkage, and ages to a nice grayish color. The down side of teak is its cost. Ipe on the other hand is still an excellent hardwood for outdoor use. It too is insect resistant and a good hardwood choice for stairs. Ipe will cost about 25 to 50 percent more than cedar and redwood, but only about one third the cost of teak.

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  • Custom Wood Stair Treads to Match Your Flooring

    Custom wood treads to match hardwood flooring

    Twenty years ago if you wanted hardwood flooring, it was pretty much limited to “red oak 2-1/4″ strips”. Today we can choose from imported tropical hardwoods, and engineered flooring from laminates to bamboo, in a variety of widths. Our old favorite, red oak is now readily available knotty and rustically scraped.

    Typically stair treads are matched to the flooring. In many cases stair treads are not available in these custom species, and treads will need to be custom made. This does not present a problem for a custom stair company, however it will increase the cost of your stair.

    Stair treads are typically 1″ to 1-1/16″ thick, while flooring is 3/4″, therefore flooring material is not used for treads. Lumber in the same species is used to make the treads. In flooring, edges are not exposed, however treads have a front nose that exposes the full edge of the material. Engineered or laminated materials are not used for treads, as their layers would be visible on the front edge. It is best to use solid materials for treads.

    In cases of the most premium species like Tuscan Olive Wood or Golden Acacia, the lumber is limited, and often not available in the thicker cuts needed for stair treads. In these cases, the thinner cuts must be face glued on another wood to get the tread thick enough. A custom nose is made and attached to the tread front. This adds quite a bit of labor and therefore cost to the treads. The price of custom species stair treads has no relation to the price of the same species of flooring.

    It is not uncommon for customers to have their flooring purchased or even installed, when they price out their stair (treads). Matching custom species can cost more than than they expect. To manage to your budget, prior to purchasing your flooring, contact your stair company and cost out the treads in that species to verify that the treads can be made within your budget.

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  • Choosing a Hardwood for your Staircase: Understanding Grain for your Design

    There are two main design features to consider as you select a wood for your trim: color and grain. Color can be adjusted through stain, while grain gives the wood its style and character. Grain is the more important consideration when choosing your wood.


    Straight Grain Oak

    If you are leaning towards a modern or even elegant feel, a closed grain wood may be the way you want to go. Examples of wood with very little graining: Hard Maple, Poplar, Beach, and Birch.

    Straight Grain became popular in the Arts and Crafts period in styles such as Prairie and Mission, in the early 1900s. Today, you see it in contemporary designs too. Straight grain is achieved by using full grain woods, but cutting of the log at a different angle. We most often see straight grain as “quarter sawn” or “rift sawn” oak.


    Full Grain Oak

    Full Grain is referred to as “plain sawn” and is often thought to be “hardy” in its appearance, and at times even rustic with a natural elegance. Oak has a hardy solid feel, while walnut blends the solid feel with a bit more elegance.

    There are so many beautiful woods available today, it can be hard to select just one for your project. By making initial decisions based on grain, you will select the right wood species for the style you are designing.

    Visit our Materials page for the 27 most poplar hardwoods we build custom stairs in.

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  • Choosing a Hardwood for your Staircase: Wood Color

    Walnut for a traditional stair color

    There are several species of hardwoods that have very bold natural color, such as cherry, walnut, and mahogany. Historically these were the most desirable woods, due to their natural beauty and no need to stain or color them.

    These woods have long demanded premium prices.

    Other species of hardwoods may have more subtle color, but they still do have an underlying color that will be more apparent when the finish is applied. For example, red oak has a naturally pinkish hue; white oak is more neutral or slightly brownish. The same can be said of birch, maple and many other species. There are slight variations in their natural color. These woods tend to cost less than those species with a bold natural color.

    If budget constrains you, do not hesitate to buy a more affordable hardwood and stain it to look like a premium naturally colored hardwood. It’s no wonder most of the stain colors we buy at the paint shop have these naturally colored woods as their names. It allows us to mask other species to have their color.

    With all the stain choices we have today that are easy to use, wood color should not be your first design concern when selecting the wood for your stair. (See more on our Materials page.)

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  • Hardwood Stairs in Cherry: Key Items to Consider

    Cherry for a curved stair

    For hundreds of years cherry has a been a desirable wood species due to its beautiful natural color; its subtle grain lends itself to elegant applications. Cherry is an excellent wood for furniture, cabinets and stairs. Cherry is easy to work with, however it does present a few challenges to be aware for use in stairs.

    • Bleaching from light. Cherry is a hardwood by classification, however within that category woods have a broad range of density and hardness.

    • Cherry dents easily. It is not advisable to use cherry on stair treads due to the heavy use, unless you plan to carpet over the treads. Historically, oak or maple was often used for treads, due to their hard character.

    Today, we have tropical species that do a great job of blending with cherry’s natural color. Sapele Mahogany is a tropical species that blends well and has great density for use on treads.

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  • Finishing Maple Stairs

    Clear coat of finish on maple stairs

    Maple is popular wood for interior trim, flooring and stairs. Maple has natural beauty with a smooth surface due to its closed grain properties of the wood. The hardness of maple makes it a great choice for stairs and any place that gets a lot of abuse from heavy use.

    Maple is usually clear coated which highlights its natural tones. In recent years cabinet and flooring companies started a trend of staining maple. While these products are typically factory finished with systematic and tested processes, staining maple trim and stairs yourself is tricky. Maple tends to absorb stain unevenly which leads to a blotchy look. The darker the stain the more blotches will be apparent.

    What You Can Do

    Stained finish on maple stairs
    Maple Stair Stained

    Applying a wood conditioner or a shellac seal coat prior to staining provides a barrier between the wood and the stain. This will help minimize the blotchy effect. Also, try a gel stain verses a penetrating stain. A penetrating stain is designed to absorb into the wood, and this does not work well with maple.

    As with all finishing projects, test the desired finish on a piece of scrap wood before you begin to stain. Try different conditioners and stains to produce the desired effect. Investing a few dollars and a little time on products to get the best quality will pay a big return when staining an entire stair.

    Staining your maple stairs takes patience. But the time invested to do it right will reward you with years of enjoyment and beauty.

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  • Wood Stair Acclimation to the Job Site

    Worker measuring wood moisture

    The environmental conditions inside the house are critical to the quality of the stair. Hardwood lumber has been dried through a very controlled process to an industry standard moisture content of 6-8%. This matches the moisture content inside the average home and allows the wood to remain stable under normal conditions.

    In cold climtes, when a house is heated to a high temperature in winter, the air can become very dry, causing the wood to shrink. This shrinkage can make cracks visible in the wood and joints may begin to open up. Subjecting a stair to high levels of heat is like putting it in an oven and will accelerate the deterioration of the stair.

    All hardwoods must be sealed on all sides to retard movement and protect from exposure to elements and damage. It is recommended to seal wood immediately.

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