White Oak Staircase Renovation — Cranston, Rhode Island

The temporary treads and risers had to come out cleanly without damaging the stringers or surrounding structure.

Because the treads were to be finished off-site, the sequencing mattered: the staircase needed to be usable through the project, and the final finish coat had to wait until after installation so that nail-hole filling and any on-site touch-up work was sealed into the finish rather than sitting on top of it.

We removed the temporary timber treads and risers and rebuilt the staircase with solid white oak treads, white primed risers, and decorative cove molding.

The white oak treads were sanded and finished off-site, which keeps dust and finish work out of the living space and lets the homeowner use the stairs during the build. A final finish coat was applied after installation so the completed nail-hole and filler work was incorporated into the finished staircase — not visible under the finish, but part of it.

The stopgap timber staircase is gone. In its place is a solid white oak staircase with clean treads, white primed risers, and cove molding detail — finished so the installation work is part of the finish, not visible beneath it.