Stair tread overlay and manufacturing process

Abstract

A stair tread overlay and a riser overlay made from solid wood for fitting over a conventional, exposed wooden stair having a generally rounded nose like those found in most residential general construction staircases and prefabricated staircases. The tread overlay and riser overlay cover the exterior surface of a conventional wooden stair from stringer to stringer to hide a construction grade stair tread and riser below that are made from a composite material or unsalvageable hardwood to present an attractive, solid wood surface that is finishable. One or more manufacturing processes for manufacturing a stair tread overlay and a riser overlay. The manufacturing process comprises the forming or milling of wood blanks, to fit over a conventional, exposed wooden stair having a generally rounded nose like those found in most residential and prefabricated staircases.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This application is a continuation-in-part of co-pending application Ser. No. 12 / 436,378, filed on May 6, 2009 which claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61,050,636 filed on May 6, 2008, and this application further claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61 / 610,157 filed on Mar. 13, 2012, entitled “Manufacturing Process for Staircase Overlay”, the entirety of all of which are incorporated herein.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]1. Field Of The Invention[0003]This invention relates generally to the field of staircase repair and restoration and relates more particularly to hardwood overlays for covering an existing composite or solid wood staircase, a method of installing the same, and the manufacturing process for the tread and nose of a staircase overlay.[0004]2. Description Of The Related Art[0005]Conventional staircases of the type found in many residential buildings are commonly fabricated fro...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The present invention provides a way to cover an existing wooden staircase with a new solid wood surface, without the need to remove, modify, or reconstruct the existing staircase. The invention uses milled and cut solid wood overlays that can cover the whole staircase or just the ends of the tread and riser to provide a new and attractive surface that can be finished. The overlays are made from solid hardwood and are sandable and refinishable, providing durability and longevity. The invention simplifies the process of converting wooden staircases and provides a new level of beauty and quality.

Problems solved by technology

Hardwood staircases are generally more desirable than carpeted composite staircases and are more expensive to construct due to the higher cost of the materials involved.

In either case, replacing an existing staircase with a new, solid hardwood staircase typically requires extensive demolition and can sometimes be prohibitively expensive.

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