Veneer Stair Treads
Veneer stair treads are often referred to as solid wood stair treads and can be confusing, especially to people who aren't familiar with these terms. The picture below provides you with an excellent example of a hardwood veneer covering a piece of plywood, used to create a stair tread.
Advantages For Using Veneer Stair Treads
1. They're usually cheaper than solid hardwoods.
2. They usually have a more consistent grains or grain patterns running
throughout the finished product. Some veneer manufacturers only use
premium materials for their stair treads and risers.
3. If the stair steps ever do become ruined, you could always apply
another piece of veneer over the existing stair step. Since most veneers
are thin, you could even repair individual treads, without creating
riser variations.
Disadvantages
1. If they get scratched or gouged, they could be difficult to fix. A
solid oak tread can actually be sanded or repaired a little easier than
a piece of veneer. Depending upon the size and depth, of the scratch.
2. If a veneer stair tread gets moist or wet it could come apart or
delaminate. I've actually seen veneer buckle, with only a small amount
of moisture and when this happens, the stair step will be ruined.
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