using white oak for steps?

[xlogger]

I'm going threw a rental house floors, walls and ceiling. It has steps and I'm no woodworker but was wondering if I saw up a white oak I have here that was cut into a cant about a year ago for the steps inside the house would I be able to use now without any kiln or air drying maybe only for a month or so? We (she) decided that wooden steps would look the best there. I have cedar that I could use but not sure if cedar would hold up as good as oak. I also know where I can buy some old heart pine but not sure what he going to want for it. I've saw some of the heart pine and some of it is real sappy. Ricky

[WDH]

The white oak will still have a good bit of moisture in it, so your step treads will shrink some.

[POSTON WIDEHEAD]

Like WDH said, White Oak will shrink some. Cedar is not a good wood for holding weight.
However, I have seen Cedar sawn 1-1/2" thick used for step treads. The trick is to have enough stringers under it to support the weight of people using these steps. If I were using Cedar for my steps, I would have stringers every 12 inches.
Using Cedar for your hand rails and post will look very nice.

Just my 2 cents. 

[mesquite buckeye]

The oak will grey out pretty quick, and might get a little rough looking over time. The cedar will last longer, but as said earlier, the treads need to be thicker to make them strong enough. ;D

[Lud]

White oak is commonly used for trailer beds.  It is tough stuff that will wear.  Use an oil stain that will penetrate not just a surface treatment.

[woodmills1]

pretty sure he said inside steps

[WDH]

White oak makes some nice steps.  Here is a pic of some stair treads a customer made from some quartersawn white oak that Customsawyer and I cut.



 

These boards were all 12.5 " wide.

[POSTON WIDEHEAD]

WDH....are those pegs in the steps? Can't make them out.

[WDH]

I believe so. 

[mesquite buckeye]

pretty sure he said inside steps

Guess so. Misread one again. :-[

[xlogger]

Yes on the inside steps. I email Scott to see what he has kiln dry and maybe get a chance to go see the mill he got from Tom's wife.

[scsmith42]

Ricky, I just sent you an e-mail.  Unfortunately I'm out of 8/4 right now (have some drying but it won't be ready for a while), but some steps could be made by laminating a couple of 3/4" boards together and adding a bullnose to the front.

Alternatively, if you want to laminate some plywood together I can mill some 1/4" thick QSWO veneer for you to adhere to the show side of the steps.

[SwampDonkey]

Nothing wrong with good dry white oak for sure. Around here they've used good old spruce for longer than memory. I never fell through them yet. ;) If the fellow wants white oak, go for it. ;D

[WDH]

SD,

Sometimes you have to spruce things up. 

[SwampDonkey]

 :D Yes, and that quartered oak would certainly do it.