Ok all. I have a pre fab staircase that has the treads routed into the stringers on the end so replacement is not an option. These are basement stairs which I'm in process of finishing basement. I'm most likely going to paint stairs due to some repairs I need to make staining is out of question. A few of the treads are bowed inward. My thought is to put self leveling product cement or some other type resin to bring this bow back to level and paint over top. My concern is the resilience of self leveling over high traffic/flex area of a tread. I read concerns of flexing cracking and crumbling. Any ideas product etc that could help me out

Thanks

 

SLC is not designed to be a finished surface. It also most likely will not bond well to your steps. Look into "Retreads" they are prebuilt caps that go over your old steps. You can stain and finish them anyway you would like.

 

What about a combination of some planing/sanding and some epoxy resin mixed with a filler to level up the cupping. There are a number of epoxy manufacturers that supply these materials such as "West Systems", "Abatron", and others that will be revealed with a search for epoxy fillers. These can be applied, sanded and painted and will hold up well.

 

Is it feasible to add a stringer or some sort of support under the middle of the treads? The most likely cause for the sagging treads is insufficient support.