We have four bids for installing Anderson Hickory Forge (3/8 engineered, glue-down). For the stairs, two bids specify stair nose and flooring for the treads. Two bids specify new solid treads and risers (oak, I think). The stairs are currently carpeted.

Is there a reason, other than esthetics, to go one way or the other?

The last bidder told us that the stair nose tends to break at the riser.

My personal preference has always been for the solid tread and riser....less risk of something coming loose or breaking, and with the wear and tear steps take, you can always remove the treads and risers and refinish them several times over their life, as opposed to the 3/8 egd which you can probably do once.

I'm not a flooring contractor but my personal preference would be the solid tread. A step takes too much abuse, especially on the nose, to be made out of multiple pieces. Not to mention what bw said about refinishing multiple times.

Just my $0.02

Jeff