Treads, Risers and Nosing
Assess tread depth and riser height on every step. List the nosing shape and landing junction before you choose parts for your flight.
Assess tread depth and riser height on every step. List the nosing shape and landing junction before you choose parts for your flight.
View Van Nest tread samples next to retained landings and rails. Examine profiles, species and finish under the staircase’s lighting.
Find where a Van Nest stair shifts before choosing a surface treatment. Compare visible joints and list your repairs in the estimate.
Keep your one-year stair workmanship terms with your signed scope. Save the tread and finish details and the care guide for reference.



Measure the first rise from the floor and the last rise to the upper landing. Document the existing tread depth, handrail position and any room needed for a nearby door.
Photograph how the posts sit on the existing treads. Ask which parts can stay while the crew fits replacements and what will happen at the joints beside each post.
Take the finished thickness of the proposed floor into the first-rise measurement. Check the final level before selecting the tread profile.
Take a photo looking down from the upper hall and measure the exposed edge of the tread. Compare the return and nosing with the original casing.
Tell the crew whether the stairs are the only route between floors. Schedule the work and drying intervals around an alternate entrance or access plan.
Identify the movement before changing the surface. Review accessible fasteners and support with the installer and agree what any repair includes.
The nosing is the front profile. A return finishes a visible side. Check both on the sample before cutting the finished piece.
Compare the coated tread sample beside the actual hall wood. Separate samples help if the existing floor and new treads are different species.