Staircase

The staircase was pretty rough. Newel posts busted up or looted. The treads where the original heart pine. And although we could have saved them, they never would have looked right. For one thing, they were chewed up on the edges from 100 years of abuse (and renters moving furniture over them). Also, they were covered with several layers of stain and paint that, even when removed, didn't leave the wood looking natural. Finally, they stair treads wouldn't have matched the floor anyway. After my father died, I traveled to a few home improvement stores trying to find a color that would match the pre-finished floor that I had installed. I bought brand new solid white oak treads and then stained to match the floor. A carpenter installed the treads after I stained and urethane.