06/10/2026
Everyone has walked up exterior stairs with treads that are loose, creaky, and generally unsafe!
Age aside, the biggest reason for this is stringers (pictured below) that are rotting due to water sitting between the tread base of the stringer, and the tread material itself.
Even with pressure treated lumber, water will eventually seep into the fastener holes, cracks, and into the grain of the lumber. It has no escape, so there it sits. You know what the end result is!
An effective way to combat this? Rubberized strips that cover the length and width of the stringer tread base. This simple technique practically guarantees a longer, and quieter lifespan for your exterior staircase. It seals the woodgrain, plugs fastener holes, and covers small cracks where water likes to hide.
It also lends to a nice quiet walk up and down the stairs, without that spot you hate because it creaks every time you step on it.
Does it add time and material cost to the job? Yep. Is this something that contractors are required to do? Nope! Is it something that most contractors care about? Good question.
We focus on a quality build with every project that we take on. Need a new set of stairs? Give us a call!
