Engineered Stair Treads offer many benefits compared to traditional, solid, laminated or single slab treads. SwiftSure with its specialized manufacturing equipment and skilled craftsmen are able to supply world class quality at competitive prices. In recent years many high-end residential and commercial projects have gone for a modern, clean aesthetic look, with steel stringers, glass sides and thicker treads exposed on all six sides.
Engineered Treads are mainly composed of wood, but only the top layer which is visible is solid wood of the species chosen. This allows for the wood’s visual aesthetic to complement the given project. The portion of the tread that cannot be seen can be composed of different materials but most commonly Baltic Birch Plywood, Laminated Veneer Lumber or lower grade solid wood is used. Baltic Birch is an excellent choice for plywood as it is composed of more thin layers which make it more stable compared to standard domestic plywood. All of the layers in Baltic Birch Plywood are composed of Birch Hardwood which makes the panel stronger. Laminated Veneer Lumber is also very strong and stable since it is composed of many thin wood veneers bonded together using heat and pressure. Since the tread core is composed of a lower grade wood and not expensive high-grade wood, the overall cost of the tread is lower.
Engineered Treads offer several tangible benefits as compared to solid treads.
1) Engineered treads are more stable as compared to a similar solid wood stair tread; the wood is much less likely to check, shrink, crack, twist or warp.
2) For treads thicker than 1.75 inches, the only option for a solid wood stair tread is a butcher block style (narrow width laminations) which many people do not find aesthetically pleasing. Engineered treads allow for wider laminations and even book matched faces adding an architectural level of detail to the stair treads.
3) Many of the engineered stair treads have cantilevered steel supports coming out of the wall; engineered treads can be manufactured with ease to fit with precision over these supports.
4) Well manufactured engineered treads can have the appearance of solid treads.
5) No laminations for width or thickness are shown on the ends of each tread.
6) If a client wants all rift or quartered or flat cut on each of the six visible sides of a tread, this can easily be achieved with engineered treads, something not possible when supplying a solid wood tread.
7) Treads in most species and grades are less costly supplied as an engineered tread when compared to a solid wood tread alternative.
Let SwiftSure be your custom engineered stair tread fabricator of choice. We will work closely to understand your unique requirements and manufacture engineered stair treads that will add beauty and functionality to your project.
