Have a dark 5/8 solid horizontal bamboo glued down with Bostik's best.

I'm considering having the painted white risers and the treads in bamboo, which has bullnose available. I see on the Installing hardwood guide that poplar is the most popular choice -

I was looking for some advice on any the prepainted risers that are available on the market. Are there ones that are better than others and is poplar the best choice in this case?

Also how to handle the starting step riser and second step which is wider than the rest of the stair case and wraps around at the staircase to creat a box similar to this:

http://www.hardwoodinstaller.com/hardwo ... -tread.jpg

however the box or wrap around length is much longer than this shorter one as shown in the picture - the wall shown on the right of this staircase is much further back or away from the first step. Hopefully that makes sense.

Thanks in advance.

If it is to be painted, MDF is an acceptable substitute for much less money than solid poplar. Poplar is the premium paint grade wood, next would be pine and finally, MDF. The nice thing about MDF is it paints well, is dent resistant on a front impact and is economical. Outside corners can chip easier than poplar. No comment of your starting steps as I couldn't understand the question.

you can buy finger joined poplar too. much cheaper than soild.

Jeff

If I did go with MDF - What thickness should I use and do I glue it down with Bostik's as well?

Also should I go about finishing it? Primer? Which paint? etc.

THANKS

At the big box stores, I see lengths of pre-primed MDF boards in various widths and lengths. This is what I buy when using MDF for risers. They usually have one called a 1 x 8 which is nominally 11/16" x 7.5". That should work for your risers. You need to measure the rise to determine how wide the planks/risers need to be. I like these because no priming is needed and often, I don't have to rip them either. Just cut to length and nail them up. You can add some adhesive behind them if you want. It is not necessary. Then, fill the nails holes with a white putty/filler and paint with you favorite enamel. Some prefer to pre-paint as well, which makes an easier paint job.