Cedar Stair Treads
Even though I don't highly recommend using Western Red Cedar for stair treads or risers, it can be used on exterior stairways. Even though it's soft, it weathers well, but could turn gray, over time, if exposed to the sun without any protection.
Cedar is another softwood that scratches easily and
won't make the best stair tread, especially in high traffic areas. If
you're building a stairway on the outside of your home, for a
deck or
patio, you can use Cedar, but it wouldn't be a bad idea to protect it
somehow with something more durable, like a nonskid stair tread.
Special Note: Even though I don't recommend using Cedar, Redwood or
other Softwoods for stair treads, some architects and designers are
looking for a specific look that only these Softwoods can produce. Some
home designers are actually looking for a rustic look and the faster the
stair treads wear down, the better.
Gluing = Excellent, as a matter of fact, every once in a while you will
need to glue a knot back into some of your stairway parts, if you use
Cedar, for your stairs. They actually sell a tight knot grade of Cedar
and I recommend using it, for stairs or decks.
Sanding = Excellent, as a matter of fact, it can be too easy to sand. Be
careful when sanding Cedar, because it is a soft wood and can easily
become damaged.
Staining = Good, I don't recommend staining Cedar, but it can be
stained, with little effort. Any lumber that has different colors
running through out the boards, could create color variations, that you
weren't expecting.
Nailing = Excellent, it's one of the softest woods I've ever worked with
and I can't think of one time, I've ever needed to pre-drill a hole,
before using a screw or nail. Try to avoid nailing through knots,
because they often split or are extremely difficult to nail for.
Wear And Tear = Fair, like I said earlier, I wouldn't use Cedar for
stair treads or risers, because it scratches easily.
Janka Hardness Scale = 350
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