Making Stair Treads in Brazilian Cherry was the true test of machining technology. The wood is so dense and really doesn’t like to be machined or sanded under any circumstances.. It was one of the key reasons we invested heavily in industrial planning and sanding equipment to create perfectly smooth panels even in the toughest exotic woods like these Brazilian Cherry stair treads.

You’ll appreciate the minimal sanding that is required before you apply the final stain and finish of your choice.

Of course that density may be one of the reason you are considering using this wood in the first place…. fending off the abuse that life can throw at it…. even the dog.

In comparison the American Black Cherry is about 30% softer than traditional oak steps and only one quarter of the density of Brazilian Cherry Steps. Black cherry sands easily, but also can dent easily, so be prepared for that eventuality.

If you are looking for a particular wood species you don’t see here, please ask.. custom woods and custom shaped stair treads, are our specialty.

American Black Cherry Stair Treads: Exclusive Grade

As in the picture, cherry stair treads can have some degree of colour variability. We do aim for the majority of the wood to be the richer heart colours, but an occasion band of the lighter sap wood can sneak in. This keeps the overall colour of the treads consistent with the cherry flooring we are seeing in the market today.

The light tones of the wood are from the outside rings of the tree, and the darker tones are “heartwood” from the inside or “heart” of the tree.

The heartwood tends to darken even more with age, a characteristic quite well documented. If you hear some clients complaining that the wood under an area rug is not the same colour as the rest of the floor, don’t worry about it. You just need to roll up the rug and in a VERY short time the new exposure to the sun and light will age it to the same colour as the rest of the floor.

Here’s a picture of a set of the most recently finished set of cherry stair treads for a customer in Manitoba. Their cherry floor had probably 50% light sap wood, thus we included greater colour variation in these cherry treads to create a closer match to the customer’s cherry hardwood flooring.

As a small manufacturer we try to take the time to match the colour characteristics of your steps to that of your hardwood flooring for a more pleasing and rich renovation.

Brazilian Cherry Stair Treads: Exclusive Grade (Jatoba)

Brazilian Cherry typically runs from a light to medium orange colour to a deep rustic burnt umber, with occasional darker streaks on individual boards. This is consistent with the Mirage Jatoba wood flooring that we have installed.

It’s colour darkens quite quickly with exposure to light and some boards seem to go almost black.

Below is a panel of Jatoba flooring showing some of the subtle variations in colour.. but do check with your flooring supplier to get a good idea on what colour variation to expect BEFORE you buy… I know that with the Mirage Brazilian Cherry Flooring, there seems to be a greater colour variation in the solid wood floor than in the engineered product.

When we make stairs we have no control over the colour of the wood. Sometimes the wood arrives all one shade and sometimes it has quite a variation, so it is important to expect some banding of colour, reflecting the same range of colours as what you see in your flooring.

Brazilian cherry is an extremely temperamental wood and it is best advised that if you do order Brazilian cherry stair treads that you finish them AS SOON AS they arrive. Unlike its North American cousin this cherry is rather unstable. It comes from a humid, tropical climate and really doesn’t like dry northern winters. If you leave tread unfinished they will be inclined to splint on the endgrain.