Timber Stair Treads and Stair Wraps: Specification Guide
A stair is the most handled surface in a house. Marchand stair boards wrap it in the same European oak as the floor it meets, so the two read as one material rather than two finishes.
This guide sets out the board, the six ways it can be used to build a stair, planning dimensions and coverage for each, and the test data a specifier needs.
The Marchand stair board
Every Marchand stair board is 240mm wide, 2200mm long and 20mm thick, with a 6mm European oak wear layer.
At 2200mm a board halves cleanly at 1100mm, which is the width of a standard New Zealand tread. Tread and riser come from the same plank, in the same batch, with grain that carries across the step. Nothing joins in the middle of the stair.
| Width | 240mm, giving 230mm coverage |
| Length | 2200mm, halving at 1100mm |
| Overall thickness | 20mm |
| Wear layer | 6mm European oak |
| Finish | UV cured lacquer. Vuitton, a water-based system. |
| Box contents | 3 full planks and 2 part planks, equivalent to 4 full planks |
| Box coverage | 2.11m² |
| Shortest usable part plank | Around 600mm |
| Supply | Made to order, batch matched |
Available in twelve colours. View the stair range.
Going is the horizontal depth of one step, measured from one nosing to the next. Dimensions throughout this guide assume a typical New Zealand flight of 300mm going and 190mm rise, at a stair width under 1100mm.
Six ways to build a timber stair
Heritage with stair nosing
The traditional approach. A bull nose nosing runs the leading edge, with half planks forming the tread and riser behind it. Suits villa and transitional interiors where the stair should read as joinery.
Two half planks per step, plus one half length of nosing. That gives 3.5 steps per box of flooring and 2 steps per length of nosing.
| Tread depth accommodated | Up to 310mm |
| Tread depth behind the nosing | Up to 290mm |
| Riser height accommodated | Up to 240mm |
| Stair width accommodated | Up to 1090mm |
| Nosing projection | 70mm deep x 40mm high |
Mitred
Tread and riser meet in a mitred corner with no end grain showing. The edge reads as a single folded plane. The most common detail in contemporary architectural work.
1.5 half boards per step, giving 2.33 steps per box, at a typical 300mm going and 190mm rise.
Cascade
Treads overhang the structure beneath and appear to flow down it, usually over a steel carcass. A sculptural stair that holds the eye without ornament.
1.5 half boards per step, giving 2.33 steps per box, at a typical 300mm going and 190mm rise.
Floating stair wrap
Each tread is wrapped on all six faces so it reads as a solid oak block cantilevered from the wall. End caps are cut from short planks within the same pack, which keeps grain and tone consistent across the face.
A finished tread is 300mm deep and 90mm thick, built from four planks. Each pack covers 1.75 treads, leaving two offcuts of roughly 60mm per tread which are used for the mitred end caps.
| Component | Cut width | Coverage |
|---|---|---|
| Plank 1, tread face | 240mm | 230mm |
| Plank 2A, front edge | 80mm | 70mm |
| Plank 2B, front edge | 100mm | 90mm |
| Plank 3, underside | 240mm | 230mm |
| Plank 4A, back edge | 80mm | 70mm |
| Plank 4B, back edge | 100mm | 90mm |
| End cap | 300mm x 90mm, taken from short planks within the pack | |
Open riser
Wrapped treads with nothing between them. Light passes through the flight and the stair reads as a series of separate elements.
Built as a 240mm face with a 60mm return, finishing 90mm thick. Planning and coverage follow the floating wrap at 1.75 treads per pack.
Block stack
Each step is a self-contained box, stacked to form the flight. Minimal and geometric, on a typical 300mm going and 190mm rise. Geometry varies with the design, so these are quoted individually.
Coverage and quantities
Figures assume a stair width under 1100mm and a typical 300mm going with a 190mm rise.
| Stair type | Material per step | Coverage per box |
|---|---|---|
| Heritage with nosing | 2 half planks, plus 1 half length of nosing | 3.5 steps per box of flooring. 2 steps per length of nosing. |
| Mitred | 1.5 half boards | 2.33 steps |
| Cascade | 1.5 half boards | 2.33 steps |
| Floating wrap | 4 planks, end caps from offcuts | 1.75 steps |
| Open riser | 4 planks, end caps from offcuts | 1.75 steps |
| Block stack | Varies with design | Quoted individually |
A box of Marchand flooring contains the equivalent of four full planks and covers 2.11m². Stair nosing is supplied and priced separately, by the 2200mm length.
Bull nose stair nosing
We make our bull nose nosing at 70mm deep, 40mm high and 2200mm long, with a 20mm overall thickness and a 6mm European oak wear layer.
At 2200mm the nosing runs the same length as the floorboards it meets, so the leading edge of the stair and the floor beyond it are cut from matched stock.
| Profile | 70mm deep x 40mm high |
| Return leg | 20mm |
| Length | 2200mm |
| Overall thickness | 20mm |
| Wear layer | 6mm European oak |
| Finish | UV cured lacquer. Vuitton, a water-based system. |
| Tread width accommodated | Up to 1090mm |
Made to order using batch matched planks, in twelve colours. Design variations are available. Contact a studio to discuss.
Edge detailing
Metal inlays set into the leading edge give traction and visual contrast without adhesive tape.
Strip inset
A thin bar, typically 3mm to 10mm wide, routed directly into the tread and set 20mm to 30mm back from the leading edge.
L-shaped nosing
A precision-fitted profile that wraps the corner, protecting the most vulnerable part of the timber from chipping.
Finishes
Blackened stainless steel, stainless steel, blackened brass, dark aged brass, slate brass, brushed brass and aged brass.
Metal inlays are specified and sourced for each project rather than sold off the shelf, so bring the detail to us at design stage.
LED strip can be recessed within or behind the metal nosing to light the tread. Marchand does not supply lighting, but can recommend an installer.
Specification
| Slip resistance, dry | Tested to AS/NZS 4586. Mean coefficient of friction 0.48, Classification F. |
| Slip resistance, wet pendulum | Tested to AS/NZS 4586. Mean 39 BPN, Classification X. |
| Reaction to fire | Critical radiant flux 5.0 kW/m² |
| Formaldehyde | E1. 0.69 mg/L against the AS/NZS 2098.11 E1 limit of 1.0 mg/L. |
| Wear layer | 6mm European oak |
| Finish | UV cured lacquer. Vuitton, a water-based system. |
| Installation | Glue down, direct stick |
Marchand stairs are specified for internal use. Test results are published so the specifier can assess compliance for the application. Slip resistance requirements differ between accessible routes, commercial stairs and private residential stairs.
Marchand stairs are installed glue down, direct stick. Professional installation is integral to the longevity, function and finish of the stair.
Next steps
Order samples to see the colour in your own light. Book a design consultation to work through the detail with a Marchand studio. Full technical documentation is available on the Resources page.