I will be using Anderson 3/8" engineered wood flooring on my stairs. Question - the 2x12 treads hang out 1.25" over each riser. I can easily plane 2x6 boards to 1.25" thickness. Could I just fill in under each overhang making the riser flush with the front edge of the tread? This would be a lot easier than trying to saw off the front edge of the tread. I have plenty of room to do that except for the bottom step. There I will have to rip the edge off.

Thanks,
Mike
Katy, Texas

Code says you can i.e. treads 11 inches and wider don't require an overhang. It's fairly easy to cut the nosings flush and you'd save the $ on the 2 X 6's...but how would you finish the risers or are they ok as they are?

I would glue the 3/8" flooring boards to the 1.25 x 6" riser boards then cap with Anderson bull-nose. Sawing off the overhang would be tedious and would get sawdust all through the house. It seems to me that it would be easier to just fill that cavity. But everyone says they should be sawed off. Why?

Mike

Here's a pic. Have a total of 16 steps
http://mikeinkaty.com/IMG_2534.JPG

One problem you will have is the run (depth) of the bottom step, whose overhang you will cut off, in relation to the rest of the steps....the maximum difference between the smallest run and largest run can be no more than 3/8".

I measured all the treads and risers and saw the wisdom of cutting off the noses. Goes pretty fast actually. Starting to lean towards painted poplar for the risers. Mike

Don't forget to measure the landing treatment and the riser right below it and take this into account to make sure all measurements are within code.

No code here. This is my house and it's way out in the country and in Texas.

How about safety/ tripping hazard.

It's his house he can do what he pleases. I would cut off the overhang with a combination of a jigsaw and a multi saw to finish what the jigsaw can't reach, and then go with the poplar.

Got all the overhang cut off. Skil saw, saber saw, and chisel worked well. Will clean up the landing (32sqft) tomorrow. Plywood is 3/4 but looks like it could use some Bondo. After that cleaning and repainting the side panels. Jury's still out on the riser material. One daughter wants same as treads and the other wants white! Any suggestions for the landing besides Bondo? Mike

what could you possibly be doing with bondo?

Gaps and knots missing in plywood.

There are products specifically made for this purpose.

gaps or missing knots aren't a problem. you are putting a solid piece of wood over them you will never know the difference.