Pros and Cons of an Engineered Wood Stair

Spiral wood stairs.

Installing an engineered wood stair can provide you with several advantages and disadvantages as a homeowner. Here are some of the pros and cons of using engineered wood on stairs.

Pros

One of the major benefits of using engineered wood on a staircase is the great look that it provides. Using other types of material such as carpet will not look as elegant or clean as engineered hardwood.

Another benefit of using engineered hardwood on stairs is its durability. The staircase is typically one of the most trafficked areas of the house. Therefore, you need something that can stand up to a lot of traffic without looking worn. If you install carpet on the stairs, it will look worn out in a very short period of time. With hardwood, it will often look exactly the same after several years.

With engineered wood stairs, you will also get a material that is very easy to clean. You can purchase a standard hardwood cleaner and use it to wipe down the stairs if they get dirty. This will allow you to get rid of dust and dirt that will inevitably find its way onto the staircase. For people that have allergies, engineered wood is a great choice because it does not trap allergens or dust.

Cons

Although you do get some benefits with engineered wood stairs, you should also know about some of the disadvantages. One of the biggest disadvantages of using engineered wood on stairs is the cost. Typically, installing engineered wood on a staircase is one of the most expensive types of installations that you can do. You will have to purchase the engineered wood and a stairnose molding for each stair. Stairnose moldings are very expensive and hardwood is typically expensive as well. Then when you have someone install the stairs for you, the labor costs a great deal as well. For a typical staircase, it is not unusual to pay several thousand dollars for the whole project to be completed.

Another disadvantage of using engineered wood on a staircase is safety. Anytime you have a staircase, there is going to be a risk of someone falling down the stairs. Hardwood is a very hard and unforgiving material to fall on. It can also be slick if it gets wet or if you do not have traction on your shoes. If you have small children, this is typically not a very good option to go with.

With hardwood, there is also a high likelihood that it will be scratched or dented at some point. Since the staircase is a very high traffic area, there is a good chance that it will be scratched at some point. This can detract from the look of the staircase overall.