Getting ready to cover my treads with some 3/4" prefinished oak. Microbevel. I have 2 sets of stairs, one 36" wide and the other is 42". I was intending on covering the treads so that each plank was the full width of the stairs so as to not have any end joints in the middle of the step. For me to do this I would have to go through the entire stock I have left to find enough pieces of the right length.

I would prefer to take 5 unopened boxes back and get my money. I've laid some pieces out on the steps to get an idea of what it would look like pieced together. Running full width would be a cleaner look, but piecing them in would match the floor and leave me with about $200 back in my pocket.

What do you guys think? I haven't seen many hardwood stairs covered with plank flooring, so I really can't envision the end result, even with laying them out on my treads before hand.

I prefer the look of the "treads" without end butts on the steps but it's a matter of preference and economics. Here's a staircase done in flooring with end butts utilized. How's it look to you? That is all that matters.
http://www.hardwoodinstaller.com/hardwo ... .php?t=485

Here is a set of steps I did. He too wanted full strips, but realised the wast involved and had me put full strips on the risers, and use the "shorts" up on the treads.