Patent Application
20170328069
The present invention relates generally to the construction of stairs and, more particularly, to a stair tread overlay for installation on the stair steps of an existing stairway construction.
It is well known that stair treads may wear out over extended or heavy use. Rather than replacing an entire staircase, or going to the significant expense of removing the existing worn tread to permit complete replacement, it also is known to cover over the treads of a worn staircase with a new material.
In other words, replacing stairs is quite expensive and requires considerable labor because the existing stairs must be removed and a new set of finished stairs put in their place. Removal of the existing staircase not only is expensive, but access to other floors may also be limited in the home during construction.
In other applications, existing stair steps may be covered with carpeting over plain lumber. If it is desired to remove the carpeting and provide more aesthetically pleasing wood surfaces, stair tread overlays can be used.
When constructing stair tread overlays, the prior art typically employs a structure comprising a stair tread and a front nosing adhesively or otherwise secured to the stair tread at the front of the stair tread overlay. These front nosing members are subjected to considerable stress during use of the stairs, and the construction is prone to failure or breakage. The present invention is directed to solving these various problems.
An object, therefore, of the invention is to provide a new and improved stair tread overlay for installation on the stair steps of an existing stairway construction.
In the exemplary embodiment of the invention, the stair tread overlay includes a stair tread member having a top planar tread surface, a bottom surface for positioning on top of an existing stair step, and a front edge extending along the stair tread member and forming a nosing for receiving the weight of a user. A face strip member extends along the front of the stair tread member and projects downwardly from the bottom surface thereof. The face strip member is positioned beneath the nosing of the stair tread member and, thereby, is protected thereby. According to the invention, the stair tread member is fabricated of a more dense material for withstanding wear and tear on the overlay, and the face strip member is fabricated of a less dense material for facilitating shaping or machining of the face strip member.
According to some aspects of the invention, the face strip member has a top surface bonded to the bottom surface of the stair tread member beneath the nosing thereof. The face strip member has a front face which is flush with and forms a continuation of a front face of the nosing of the stair tread member. The face strip member has a back side for abutting against a front edge of the existing stair step and, thereby, properly position the stair tread overlay.
According to a further aspect of the invention, the stair tread member is fabricated of a high or medium density fiber board material, and the face strip member is fabricated of a lower density material.
The invention contemplates that at least the stair tread member be fabricated of a fiber board material covered by an imprinted film simulating a flooring surface. The face strip member also is covered by the imprinted film.
Other objects, features, and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description taken with the accompanying drawings.
The features of this invention which are believed to be novel are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The invention, together with its objects and the advantages thereof, may be best understood by reference to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals identify like elements in the figures and in which:
Installed on the bottom step of the existing stairway construction.
Referring to the drawings in greater detail,
The existing stairway construction 12 may have been covered with carpeting which has been removed to expose existing lumber which includes stair step tread pieces 14 and front face pieces 15. Each stair tread piece 14 includes a top surface 14a and a front edge 14b.
Stair tread member 18 of overlay 16 has a top planar tread surface 18a, a bottom surface 18b for positioning on top of the top surface 14a of one of the stair tread pieces 14 of the existing stairway. Stair tread member 18 also has a curved front edge 18c extending along the front of the stair tread member and forming a nosing for receiving the weight of a user, in conjunction with top tread surface 18a. In other words, stair tread member 18 extends all the way out to the front edge of the stair tread overlay.
Face strip member 20 of the stair tread overlay 16 extends along the front of stair tread member 18 and projects downwardly from bottom surface 18b of the stair tread member immediately below nosing 18c.
It can be seen in
The invention contemplates that stair tread member 18 of the stair tread overlay be fabricated of a relatively hard, strong material for withstanding wear and tear on the overlay during use. The face strip member, being protected by the front of the stair tread member, therefore can be fabricated of a softer material for facilitating shaping or machining of the face strip member.
According to the invention, the stair tread member is fabricated of a more dense material than the face strip member. Stair tread member 18 can be fabricated of a high or medium density fiber board material, whereas the face strip member can be fabricated of a lower density material. The top and front of the stair tread overlay can be covered with film 22.
Additional stair tread overlays 16 then are installed successively up the stair steps of the existing stairway construction, as described above in relation to the bottom step. Of course, the installation process can be reversed, starting with the top step of the stairway construction.
It will be understood that the invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or central characteristics thereof. The present examples and embodiments, therefore, are to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, and the invention is not to be limited to the details given herein.
